Amassing Transit

Limerick to Galway Rail Service

2010-03-29T10:07:00.000-04:00

Limerick to Galway rail service welcomed but O'Sullivan calls for Moyross station and airport link - Limerick Leader

Fifty Years on the NYC Subway

2010-01-26T13:22:00.001-05:00

Fifty Years on the New York City Subway « Fans in a Flashbulb

2009-03-23T20:33:00.006-04:00

Grand Paris

2009-03-19T08:59:00.000-04:00

Sarkozy's daring design dreams for a new 'Grand Paris' | csmonitor.com

Transit Systems of North America - The Map

2009-03-17T10:36:00.003-04:00

From Radical Cartography:

The Map

The Train That Never Was ...

2009-03-09T14:37:00.000-04:00

Sigh .............

"The cost of a similar high speed route across Florida today is probably double the estimated price in year 2000 dollars. We keep spending our money and gas tax dollars on more roads to encourage more cars and we become skeptical when the trains run empty without acknowledging we’ve never built the rails to connect to enough destinations. The roads weren’t crowded either until we built a network."

The Train That Never Was : MooreThink.com:

Obama plots huge railroad expansion

2009-02-17T14:43:00.004-05:00

- From Dave Rogers @ Politico

Last week, Emanuel greatly upped the ante, asking House-Senate negotiators for $10 billion for high-speed rail — far more than either bill provided.

Railroads made Chicago, and now a Chicago-rich White House wants to return the favor: remaking rail with a huge new federal investment in high-speed passenger trains.

The $787.2 billion economic recovery bill — to be signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday — dedicates $8 billion to high-speed rail, most of which was added in the final closed-door bargaining at the instigation of White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel.

It’s a sum that far surpasses anything before attempted in the United States — and more is coming. Administration officials told Politico that when Obama outlines his 2010 budget next week, it will ask for $1 billion more for high-speed rail in each of the next five years.

Yet for all the high stakes, the pieces didn’t fall into place until the end of deliberations on the recovery bill. And the way in which they did is revealing of the often late-breaking decisions — and politics — that shaped the final package.

As a candidate for president, Obama spoke of high-speed rail as part of his vision of “rebuilding America.” Campaigning in Indiana, he talked of revitalizing the Midwest by connecting cities with faster rail service to relieve congestion and improve energy conservation.

“The time is right now for us to start thinking about high-speed rail as an alternative to air transportation connecting all these cities,” he said. “And think about what a great project that would be in terms of rebuilding America.”

But the administration never emphasized high-speed rail when the House Appropriations Committee was writing its bill in January, so no money was included. The first real request came only days before the Senate Appropriations panel marked up, and the committee had to scramble to find room for $2 billion — in part by cutting other Obama priorities.

“I put it in there for the president,” Emanuel said in an interview. “The president wanted to have a signature issue in the bill, his commitment for the future.”

Emanuel himself was excited by the idea, but the decision to wager so much on high-speed rail reflected the fact that other candidates for a signature Obama issue were fading.

Moderate Senate Republicans, whose votes were needed, were resisting the president’s school construction initiative. Modernizing the nation’s electric grid, another White House favorite, seemed to have lost some of its cachet.

High-speed rail sailed through with surprisingly little attention paid to the president’s role.

The same Maine and Pennsylvania Republican moderates who had criticized Obama’s school construction initiative were more accepting of the rail funds, since the Northeast corridor has a major stake in more improvements. To help pay for the added cost, a business tax break — providing a five-year carry back for net operating losses — was narrowed to keep the focus more on smaller firms with receipts of less than $15 million.

At the same time, conservative Republicans seemed almost blind to Obama’s role. Instead, in their campaign to find pork barrel projects in the stimulus bill, they painted the whole funding as a scheme by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on behalf of Las Vegas interests seeking a rail link to Los Angeles. “Sin City to Tomorrow Land” was one description.

Here is Rep. Candice S. Miller (R-Mich.) explaining her vote against the bill Friday despite the benefits to her home state: “Michigan is a state of about 10 million people, and we are the hardest hit, as I said, by this economy. And yet we are expected to get approximately $7 billion from this bill. And apparently the Senate majority leader has earmarked $8 billion for a rail system from Las Vegas to Los Angeles? You have got to be kidding. You have got to be kidding.”

In fact, there’s little evidence that Reid had a decisive role, although he was happy to see his name mentioned for the sake of voters at home.

“It’s amazing. I’m stunned,” he said in an interview Friday, hours before the bill passed Congress. “I’m glad I get the credit in Nevada, but this is Obama’s No. 1 priority. This is his legacy issue out of this bill, because we need these high-speed corridors. ... I’ll take credit but frankly didn’t have much to do with it other than carry forward with what Obama wanted.”

Big hurdles remain. Critics already argue that the money is misplaced in a stimulus bill since it will be hard to spend quickly. Much depends on winning the cooperation of Class 1 freight lines that control many of the rights of way outside the Northeast.

But it is a landmark transportation investment with regional effects in almost every corner of the nation. Just last October, former President George W. Bush signed a bill authorizing up to $1.5 billion for high-speed rail through 2013. Obama’s commitment in the same period will be eight times that.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood is given 60 days to come up with a strategic plan for the funds. The combination of large capital upfront — followed by annual appropriations — fits the prototype for the infrastructure bank once considered for, but never included in, the recovery bill.

“High-speed rail is the infrastructure bank,” said Emanuel, and the legislation gives LaHood discretion to assign “priority to projects that support the development of intercity high-speed rail service.”

There is some precedent. At the height of the New Deal, FDR’s Public Works Administration played a role in persuading the Pennsylvania Railroad to complete the electrification of its Washington-New York line and finish Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. Today, the government could make capital investments that both benefit freight operations and facilitate high-speed passenger service. With the drop in freight traffic, the railroads might be more cooperative, although they are sure to want some liability protection for accidents.

New Day for Transportation with Significant Investment in Rail

2009-02-15T08:14:00.001-05:00

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act now passed by Congress, the public transportation industry stands ready to help Americans get to work on public transit projects nationwide.

"This groundbreaking legislation will give people expanded travel options, while creating or supporting hundreds of thousands of American jobs," said American Public Transportation Association (APTA) President William W. Millar. "Setting the course for years to come, this legislation will begin to craft a greater intermodal transportation system that our nation desperately needs."

The economic recovery legislation provides $8.4 billion for investments in public transportation projects. Of the $8.4 billion provided for public transit, $6.9 billion will be distributed to public transit systems through the Federal Transit Administration's formula program that is already in place. The remaining $1.5 billion will be available as grants for new major projects and modernizing the nation's urban rail systems.

The legislation also includes for the first time, a significant investment of $9.3 billion for intercity passenger rail, including $8 billion for high speed rail corridors and $1.3 billion for Amtrak. Additionally, there is $1.5 billion for a new, intermodal discretionary program that can be used for public transportation, highways, bridges, freight rail, and ports. Separately, an additional $150 million for rail and transit security grants is provided to help make our public transportation systems more secure.

"With public transportation ridership at modern record levels and local and state transit ballot initiatives resoundingly approved by voters, the American people have demonstrated that they want more public transit services," said Millar. "Congress is listening to the public and this legislation is responding to the public will."

Pointing out that Congress also included tax incentives to encourage transit commute benefits at the same level as parking benefits, Millar said, "We are very pleased that Congress, for the first time, has made the transit commute benefit equal to the parking benefit, which is currently $230 per month. This action will provide a tax-free way for employers to encourage their employees to use energy-efficient, fuel-saving public transportation."

"Investing in public transportation and intercity and high speed rail is part of the solution to helping build a stronger economy," said Millar. "Passage of this legislation is a win-win for American workers who need jobs and for the millions of people who take public transportation and passenger rail."

APTA is a nonprofit international association of 1,500 member organizations including public transportation systems; planning, design, construction and finance firms; product and service providers; academic institutions; and state associations and departments of transportation. APTA members serve the public interest by providing safe, efficient and economical public transportation services and products. APTA members serve more than 90 percent of persons using public transportation in the United States and Canada.

SOURCE American Public Transportation Association

A Future Interstate Rail Network

2009-02-14T18:15:00.001-05:00

This is an awesome start in visualizing a national Rail network!

A Future Interstate Rail Network - Redux « the transport politic

Madison Square Park

2009-02-13T20:28:00.004-05:00

be careful what you wish for

2009-02-13T20:27:00.003-05:00

Economist.com - Infrastructure

Be careful what you wish for

Feb 5th 2009 | CHICAGO AND NEW YORK
From The Economist print edition

Spending on infrastructure could easily run amok

“WE WILL create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s,” declared Barack Obama back on December 6th. The words rang blissfully in the ears of enthusiasts for public works across the country.

Not all the money will be wasted

Then came the stimulus proposals in Congress. On January 28th the House passed an $819 billion bill with about $100 billion devoted to infrastructure, according to the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). The Senate’s version, at around $900 billion, is still under debate. Whatever emerges from Congress, it will be merely a “down-payment”, says Ed Rendell, Pennsylvania’s gravel-voiced governor.

A main conflict lies between the need to spend quickly and the desire to spend well. Much emphasis has been placed on projects that are “shovel-ready”, and with good reason. Every $1 billion spent on transport infrastructure creates 35,000 jobs, according to the Department of Transportation. The rush to spend, however, may exacerbate a troubling trend. For years federal money has been distributed haphazardly. Now, as David Paterson, New York’s governor, dryly puts it, “Everyone with a shovel says they’re shovel-ready.” A few bad projects are seeking new life from the stimulus. Connecticut is rumoured to be reviving an old plan to build a road long dismissed as unnecessary.

There is at least one way to reconcile speed with strategic investment. Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution, a think-tank, suggests that money should be spent only on maintaining existing assets such as pipes, roads, public transport and bridges. Money would not be thrown at unworthy new projects. Fixing old roads also supposedly creates 9% more jobs than building new ones. Such a provision, however, is not in place. The states have almost complete jurisdiction over how the stimulus money is spent; Congress is not even earmarking funds for particular purposes.

Some states are planning well. Others are more problematic. Almost half of Massachusetts’s transport request is devoted to buses and trains, which create 19% more jobs than investing in new roads. All the money for roads will go towards maintenance. The transport requests of 19 states are public; of these, more than half have asked for 80% of the funding to go to roads, mostly towards new ones.

One advantage of the stimulus, according to Mr Puentes, is that it will track where money is spent, so that politicians will see which investments are still needed. This presumes that the stimulus is only the beginning of a larger, more strategic plan. Robert Yaro, of New York’s Regional Plan Association, is concerned that there is still no national vision. On January 28th ASCE estimated that $2.2 trillion is needed over the next five years to raise the nation’s infrastructure from a “D” to a “B”. The House bill has only $9 billion for public transport and $30 billion for highways. An amendment to add $25 billion in infrastructure spending to the Senate’s bill failed on February 3rd. This may be a blessing, given how the money is likely to be spent.

Sprawl is Dead - Mr. President

2009-02-11T09:20:00.001-05:00

"The days where we’re just building sprawl forever, those days are over. I think that Republicans, Democrats, everybody… recognizes that’s not a smart way to design communities. So we should be using this money to help spur this sort of innovative thinking when it comes to transportation."

NextBus

2009-02-07T19:14:00.004-05:00

ANDY RIGA

The Gazette

Saturday, February 07, 2009

CREDIT: PETER J. THOMPSON NATIONAL POST FILE PHOTO

Users
of downtown Toronto's Spadina streetcar are getting a taste of the
future. One screen shows the real times of the next streetcars; the
other shows a live map featuring the location of all streetcars on the
route.

With public transit, schedules are more a rough guide than a set-in-stone
certainty. Weather, traffic and mechanical problems throw them off.

In an effort to attract new users and keep current ones happy, some
transit authorities are using technology to give passengers
up-to-the-minute info about the location of buses, subways and trains.

Fifty North American municipalities, including San Francisco, use technology known as NextBus, sold by Toronto's Grey Island Systems. Toronto's TTC just started phasing in NextBus so its real-time info is not online yet.

Here's how it works.

Each vehicle is fitted with satellite-tracking and wireless-communication technology.

The global positioning system equipment retrieves the bus's location from satellites, and the wireless equipment transmits that data to a central computer.

That computer continually estimates the vehicle's
arrival time at upcoming stops. The system takes into account the
vehicle's current position, its intended stops, average speed on a
given segment of road, the season, and traffic patterns.

"If there's a snowstorm, it can be tweaked for a given day," said Owen
Moore, president of Grey Island Systems. The system can also take into
account delays due to road work and detours.

"The idea is if you take the biggest unknown out of public transit - not knowing exactly
when that bus is due to arrive - then hopefully you can make the
experience more enjoyable for passengers and get them to use public
transit next time."

Those predictions are made available on the Internet, cellphones, hand-held computers and signs at transit stops. The signs are rugged and placed out of reach to avoid vandalism. Their size varies. Signs as big as large flat-screen TVs can be installed at major hubs, other smaller ones providing one line of text can be
installed at bus stops.

Transit users can also sign up for email or cellphone alerts for specific transit routes. If you regularly take
the same bus at the same time daily to go home or to work, Moore said, "it will send you a message at a predefined time to let you know it's going to be early or late."

Infrastructure Needs a Bill of its Own

2009-02-06T13:24:00.000-05:00

By Edward L. Glaeser | February 6, 2009 - Boston Globe

PRESIDENT OBAMA is the first urbanite in the White House since Teddy Roosevelt. He certainly knows the vital role that cities play in America. Yet despite the Chicagoan on Pennsylvania Avenue, infrastructure spending in the House stimulus bill follows a business-as-usual pattern that discriminates against density. The only way to break that pattern is to take non-repair-related infrastructure spending out of the stimulus, and craft a separate bill that looks beyond the current recession. Major infrastructure projects, especially in cities, cannot be done quickly.

Per capita transportation spending in the House stimulus package, including transit, is more than 50 percent higher in the 10 least dense states than in the 10 densest states, including Massachusetts. Yet America's highways and rails already make it easy to move goods and people across America's open spaces. The hard slog is getting across dense downtowns. Other elements in the stimulus package also favor farm over city. The subsidies for broadband infrastructure are unnecessary in already-connected cities. Access to the latest technologies is, after all, one reason for cities' economic success. The $6 billion for weatherizing homes will surely do more for rural America than for apartment dwellers. There is urban spending in the bill, but money spent rehabilitating public housing is not the transformative investment that will make cities more productive.

Infrastructure is the skeleton on which the economy hangs. In the 19th century, America built a great transportation network of rails and canals that enabled the wealth of the land to make its way east. America's 19th-century cities - Chicago, Detroit, Pittsburgh - were nodes on that network that grew along with it. In the 20th century, Americans built a highway system that decentralized urban areas. Brown economist Nathaniel Baum-Snow documents that with each extra interstate highway ray, cutting from suburb to city, central city population declined by about 10 percent relative to its suburbs. That suburban exodus reminds us that infrastructure can have far-reaching consequences. Serious, time-consuming planning is needed to make sure that adverse consequences are anticipated and minimized.

A visionary infrastructure strategy cannot fit into a stimulus package. For stimulus, speed is vital. The Big Dig took 21 years. Working in cities is particularly slow because it takes time to tunnel, and because community opposition holds up urban mega-projects. A need for speed will always create an anti-urban bias.

America needs both a stimulus package and new infrastructure, but combining the two in one bill is a mistake. Congress should eliminate any pretense that the stimulus plan is addressing long-run infrastructure needs, and leave in only those infrastructure expenditures, like rehabilitating decaying roads and bridges, that require minimal planning, public approval, and time to implement.

A separate infrastructure bill would take cost-benefit analysis seriously, and direct spending to the projects with the highest returns. This means breaking the infrastructure spending status quo. As the Office of Management and Budget's expectmore.gov website notes, highway infrastructure "funding is not based on need or performance and has been heavily earmarked." To reduce boondoggle projects, localities, particularly wealthier ones, should provide a significant share of the funding. Requiring locales to pony up their own cash helps ensure that new projects are really valued.

The role of cities is vital. According to County Business Patterns, 56 percent of America's wages are earned in the 22 mega-metropolitan areas with more than 2 million people each. A serious infrastructure bill would aid metropolitan areas, but ask for sacrifice in return for subsidy.

Local opposition has the ability to make projects slower, more expensive, and far less efficient. The train ride to New York would be much quicker if Connecticut had allowed the Acela line to run straight. Federal aid needs to be made contingent on efficient routes and limited cost overruns.

The cities that stand at the center of the economy need new infrastructure, but that can't be built in two years. To ensure an infrastructure plan that does not shortchange metropolitan America, major infrastructure needs to come out of the stimulus package and get a bill of its own.

Edward L. Glaeser, a professor of economics at Harvard University, is director of the Rappaport Institute for Greater Boston.

Rider Paradox - Surge in Mass, Drop in Transit

2009-02-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

Rider Paradox - Surge in Mass, Drop in Transit - NYTimes.com

Minibus buzzes around `city'

2009-01-26T19:43:00.000-05:00

silly ...

Minibus buzzes around `city'

MiamiHerald.com

The United States of Transit Cutbacks

2009-01-26T09:23:00.001-05:00

http://t4america.org/transitcuts

Mind the Gaps: Connected Street Networks Key to Economic Stimulus

2009-01-22T08:07:00.000-05:00

"priority stimulus funding should be given to projects that enhance connectivity to the greatest degree, e.g., by reducing block sizes, increasing sidewalk space, and converting one-way streets to two-way streets, and increasing the number of intersections per square mile by eliminating major "gaps" in the network"

Design New Haven: Mind the Gaps: Connected Street Networks Key to Economic Stimulus

On The Rails!

2009-01-17T13:44:00.000-05:00

nice!

In Philadelphia, a Singular Passenger Boards a Train for the Capital

Is mass transit in Metro Detroit for real this time?

2009-01-08T11:35:00.001-05:00

Essay: Is mass transit in Metro Detroit for real this time?

The Detroit News

Atlanta watches with envy as Phoenix light rail debuts

2009-01-08T10:01:00.001-05:00

Atlanta watches with envy as Phoenix light rail debuts | ajc.com

A Thirfty, but Full, Bus Takes Passengers From Manhattan to La Guardia Airport

2009-01-01T12:57:00.003-05:00

A Thirfty, but Full, Bus Takes Passengers From Manhattan to La Guardia Airport
NYTimes.com

Sneak Peek of Light Rail Train

2009-01-01T12:57:00.002-05:00

Hundreds get sneak peek of light rail train | eastvalleytribune.com

Urban President, Suburban Promise

2009-01-01T12:52:00.002-05:00

Urban President, Suburban Promise - Forbes.com

best public transit movie chases

2009-01-01T12:51:00.002-05:00

hmm, need to think if there are anymore .....

OregonLive.com

Weighing 'Green' Jobs vs. Traditional Projects

2009-01-01T12:50:00.002-05:00

"The debate has centered on two competing principles in the evolving plan: the desire to spend money on what President-elect Barack Obama calls "shovel-ready projects," such as highway and bridge construction, vs. spending on more environmentally conscious projects, such as grids for wind and solar power."

washingtonpost.com

Back to the Future

2009-01-01T12:49:00.002-05:00

nice message, visuals and tune ...

The Future (result) of Freeway Expansion | Twin Cities Streets for People

Behind Those Ads

2008-12-22T22:01:00.002-05:00

Quick primer on advertising in/on public transit ...

Media Life Magazine - Your client seen riding the bus

Bored? Tell Congress: Let's get moving

2008-12-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

From Transportation For America:

"Smart investments in our nation's transportation system should be a key component of any economic stimulus package Congress puts together. Help us make sure Congress hears the message loud and clear!

Take a moment now to forward them a recent Washington Post editorial that made a strong, clear case for why investing in a clean public transportation network now will kick-start the economy and lay the groundwork for a longer-term 'green' recovery."

Write Congress ....

How Will Your State Spend its Transportation Stimulus?

2008-12-19T23:11:00.001-05:00

How will your state spend its transportation stimulus?

NYC to DC in 2 hours!

2008-12-16T00:47:00.002-05:00

A boy can dream, right?

Washington Times - EXCLUSIVE: Amtrak to seek high-speed train

Obama, Congress Must Back Up Rhetoric on Recovery

2008-12-15T12:23:00.001-05:00

"Last week President-elect Barack Obama made a promise to the American people and issued a charge to his incoming Administration and the next Congress:

"We won't just throw money at the problem. We'll measure progress by the reforms we make and the results we achieve – by the jobs we create, by the energy we save, by whether America is more competitive in the world." Dec. 6 Radio Address

As to how to achieve this progress, the President-elect proposed to “create millions of jobs by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s.”

While the new President is clearly eager to chart a bold and new course to rebuild our economy from day one — and the new Democratic-controlled Congress should be poised to follow his lead — rhetoric alone will not be enough.

Members of Congress are already hard at work writing the stimulus package, reviewing transportation projects and infrastructure requests from states. Disturbingly, though, this is being done behind closed doors, and only a handful of states have made their wish lists public. Those that have are less than encouraging, focusing overwhelmingly on repaving, or worse, expanding highways in an era when people are driving less and transit is seeing surging demand.

Missouri DOT’s wish list, one of the few made public, includes an eye-popping $800 million worth of projects, 95 percent highway projects. This has next to nothing for St. Louis or Kansas City, population centers that surely need more than just highways. Arizona DOT’s list isn’t much better, with less than ten percent of money going to public transportation.

Congress is proposing to distribute stimulus money for infrastructure projects without requiring the usual local match, meaning that federal taxpayers will pick up the full tab. Given that reality, Congress must require transportation agencies to select projects that meet national goals for the future, rather than merely build yesterday’s highway projects.

If American tax dollars are spent the right way, we should get a three-for-one-return on our investment: a revitalized economy well positioned for long-term prosperity; less dependence on oil; and a reduction in climate-damaging emissions.

This is possible if the economic stimulus package the President-elect is expected to sign on day one includes a $100 billion investment to:

Repair and preserve highways, bridges and existing public transportation service, and support the green jobs associated with this work;
Build modern rail and rapid bus lines and upgrade all forms of service in cities large and small;
Develop high-speed and other forms of inter-city rail; and
Make streets safe for walking and biking.

Such investment will not only move America closer to fulfilling Obama’s vision for a bold, green recovery that will create jobs, reduce our oil consumption, and help America compete and thrive. It also will provide a down payment on a 21^st Century transportation mission to build the second half of America’s transportation network, completing the system that began with the national highway system.

While repairing existing roads and bridges is a necessary expenditure, given that the national highway system has been built, federal resources and attention must go toward supporting the cleanest forms of transportation — public transit, high speed rail, walking and biking. The Transportation for America Campaign has identified more than 65 such ready-to-go projects within the next year, requiring over
$17B in funding to get going.

Given that the stimulus is meant to fund only ready-to-go projects, states, transit agencies and metropolitan areas should quickly turn around a specific list of which projects will be funded, in an accessible and transparent manner. Tracking systems should also be instituted to provide the public with indicators on the number of jobs created, cost-effectiveness, carbon emissions, fuel use and demand forecasting.

U.S. Senator Harry Reid said earlier this month that the stimulus can allow us to “abandon the baby steps and embrace some great leaps forward” on energy, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi added that the recovery is “about innovation and about the future, about building the jobs of the 21st century.”

That change is possible, but only if we put action behind rhetoric. And if we fail, Americans will not see the change the next Congress and Administration were elected on; rather, they will see more of the same."

David Goldberg

Communications Director

www.T4America.org

Perfect!

2008-12-15T10:05:00.000-05:00

TPM Election Central | Talking Points Memo | Obama To Take Big Pre-Inauguration Railroad Tour

Public Transit Use Surges in South Florida

2008-12-14T18:26:00.002-05:00

Traction in a heavy car culture area ...

Public transit use surges in region

New Ridership Record Shows U.S. Still Lured to Mass Transit

2008-12-08T12:42:00.000-05:00

Good news from the latest ridership reports .... continued high usage despite precipitately falling gas prices.

Portraying continued ridership desirability are key to ensuring forthcoming coming from the Federal government.

New Ridership Record Shows U.S. Still Lured to Mass Transit - washingtonpost.com

Obama Pledges Public Works on a Vast Scale

2008-12-06T13:31:00.001-05:00

Obama Pledges Public Works on a Vast Scale - NYTimes.com

Planners Embrace New Transit Vision

2008-12-06T13:30:00.003-05:00

Planners embrace new transit vision | ajc.com

The MTA Bailout Plan - Highlights

2008-12-06T13:30:00.002-05:00

FARES and TOLLS

2009 hikes capped at 8% for bus, subway and commuter train riders, and drivers using existing MTA crossings like the Queens Midtown Tunnel and Triborough (read: RFK) Bridge.
Drivers using now-free East River crossings - the Brooklyn, Manhattan and Williamsburg bridges - would pay tolls.
Ownership and control of city-owned spans shifted to MTA.
All East River bridge and tunnel tolls would be equal to prevent traffic jams created by bargain-seeking drivers.
Motorists using now-free Harlem River bridges would pay lesser tolls - equal to the base subway-bus fare (now $2 but expected to rise to 2.50.)
No toll booths at East River and Harlem River crossings. Payment by E-Zpass or bills sent to drivers without E-ZPass; license plates captured by video for billing.
MTA authorized to raise fares and tolls without public hearings - but only every other year and set at the rate of inflation. More frequent or higher increases would require public hearings.

TOLL REVENUES

East River and Harlem River bridge tolls $1.1 billion - $600 million after expenses, including bridge maintenance costs.

TAXES

Employers in 12 counties, including the state agenciers and authorities like the MTA, pay a new Mobility Tax equal to one-third of one percent of wages ($330 per each $100,000 in payroll).
Annual revenues created: Mobility Tax - 1.5 billion a year for the MTA.

WHAT THE MONEY DOES

Funds raised by the Mobility Tax in the first year would go to MTA operating budget and make proposed 2009 service cuts unnecessary.
Proposed 2009 fare and toll hikes scaled back from 23 percent to 8 percent.
After first year, the Mobility Tax would fund the next MTA capital project that starts in 2010 and is expected to be in the 25 to 30 billion range, currently without funding.
Debt payments on new borrowing would no longer have to come from fares and tolls - a major source of current funding crisis. The Mobility tax also would cover debt costs for existing expansion projects like the Second Ave. subway.
Major expansion of bus service, including Bus Rapid Transit routes to speed bus trips with such things as curbside payment. Details to come in next MTA capital plan being drafted.
The city and counties now giving the MTA subsidies for bus service would no longer have to provide subsidies. For the city, that's a savings worth hundreds of millions of dollars annually. The City will also be free of costs to maintain East River and Harlem River bridges.

ORGANIZATION and MANAGEMENT

Newly appointed board members to have "relevant experience" in one or more key areas of expertise, including transportation and finance.
A new MTA division - the MTA Capital Finance Authority - would be created for Mobility Tax revenues to be placed in a 'lockbox' prohibiting its use for anything but capital projects after first year.
Positions of MTA chairman and Chief Operating Officer would merge. Position would have a fixed term giving greater independence from political interference.
Board members must vacate posts six months after term expires. No more multi-year holdovers.

** NY Daily News: Highlights of the MTA bailout plan

Bumpier Ride Ahead for Charlotte Mass Transit

2008-12-06T13:29:00.001-05:00

Stay Wide Open Charlotte!

"Before the bottom fell out of the economy in September, there were discussions inside CATS and among elected officials about whether to ask voters for more money. The idea was to build the entire system as quickly as possible, because rapid inflation in construction prices was threatening to make some projects too costly and unbuildable.

Bumpier ride ahead for Charlotte mass transit - Local News | CharlotteObserver.com

The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway

2008-12-01T08:50:00.003-05:00

Intense and detailed review of the type face of the country's largest transit network. File and read this one when you're bored ...

The (Mostly) True Story of Helvetica and the New York City Subway: Voice: AIGA Journal of Design: Writing: AIGA

Obstacles to the 2009 Highway Bill Reauthorization

2008-11-28T13:41:00.002-05:00

Rough road ahead | Sagging fuel tax revenues, increased environmental pressures and failing infrastructure are obstacles to the 2009 highway bill reauthorization - American City & County article

New Transportation Secretary Faces Major Problems

2008-11-28T12:19:00.002-05:00

A slice and dice of the Transportation funding in the US and the upcoming SAFETEA bill.

Most poignant:

"A key problem is the Highway Trust Fund, which generates about $50 billion annually for road, bridge and transit projects. The vast majority of this money -- about 82 percent -- goes to roads and bridges, while 15 percent goes to transit and 3 percent toward highway safety.
The fund dates from 1956 and relies on the federal gasoline tax, which has not been increased by Congress in 15 years. The tax is not indexed to inflation, so it remains steady at 18.4 cents per gallon, despite the rise in gas prices."

From Funding to Infrastructure, New Transportation Secretary Faces Major Problems

Queue Up For Public Transit Cash

2008-11-26T12:50:00.001-05:00

One of the central issues for any long term infrastructure projects is to get on the 'radar' as soon as possible. For a relatively bargain base cost (i.e. cost of a study / writer) an agency can get their 'wants/needs' out in front ... sure many get shot down, and likely that has a chilling effect, but its shouldn't deter, especially in these times ... A rep in FL is urging municipalities to get ahead of the game (Florida! Ahead of the game!) ... Rep. Mica Urges Area To Queue Up For Public Transit Cash

Terror Plotting against NYC Subways

2008-11-26T12:34:00.002-05:00

Nothing new, but a new warning was issued last night regarding terror plots against NYC subways (Feds warn of terror plotting against NYC subways); It did get me thinking though, as discussed below, Mass Transit is at the center of 3 contemporary themes, and yet still continues to be relegated to an ancillary issue:

Economic benefits
Environmental benefits
Terror concerns

What other issues of the day are more poignant than these?

GM Must Re-Make the Mass Transit System it Murdered

2008-11-25T15:12:00.001-05:00

I am becoming borderline anti-Detroit as this bailout simmers, Lions, Tigers, Motown, Oh My, what a mess.

Here's another feather in the proverbial carburetor ... a quick primer from Common Dreams on GM and its early meddling with Mass Transit.

GM Must Re-Make the Mass Transit System it Murdered | CommonDreams.org

"FDR forced Detroit to manufacture the tanks, planes and guns that won World War 2 (try buying a 1944 Chevrolet!). Now let a reinvented GM make the "weapons" to win the climate war and energy independence."

I concur.

More: The StreetCar Conspiracy

OK, I still like Detroit the city, but we're really moving into 'Boston' territory here ...

USA Congestion Pricing

2008-11-25T08:27:00.003-05:00

After NYCs failed attempt last year, folks on the Left-side look to take charge:

Planners to consider S.F. congestion charge

Good Transit and Good Jobs Go Hand in Hand

2008-11-21T19:37:00.001-05:00

Streetsblog » Report: Good Transit and Good Jobs Go Hand in Hand

Will We Be Talking About this in 2044?

2008-11-21T14:41:00.001-05:00

A former Interior Secretary wrote an article on the impending decline of the domestic car-making industry and called for a shift in strategy towards 'transportmakers'

"Mr. Udall recognized that the country could not afford the economic consequences of losing all of the automobile industry’s jobs and profits. He proposed that the auto companies branch out into “exciting new variants of ground transportation” to produce minibuses, “people movers,” urban mass transit and high-speed intercity trains. Instead of expanding the Interstate highway system, he suggested that the road construction industry take on “huge new programs to construct mass transit systems.” And he called for building “more compact, sensitively planned communities” rather than continuing urban sprawl."

He wrote that in 1972.

I still can't believe those CEOs took 3 separate jets to 'ask' for money from Congress. How disconnected can you be?

Op-Ed Contributor - Have You Driven a Bus or a Train Lately? - NYTimes.com:

Drive vs. Public Transit - Have You Calculated?

2008-11-20T19:57:00.001-05:00

Grant in Denver did, and, well Grant seems like a sensible guy. Check it out and, if so inclined, math it out yourself ...

Denver Commuter Examiner: Drive vs. public transit

Mr and Mrs Transit Agencies Go To Washington

2008-11-18T22:48:00.003-05:00

Continuing on from the AIG post below (regarding loan defaults for transit agencies) ... thank goodness Congress at least invited Transit agencies to discuss the bailout package, what with all the Detroit talk one would assume cars are the be all and end all of transportation.

It would be a travesty if Transit agencies are forced to make cuts AND raise fares at a critical time when more and more people are being turned on to transit. Yesterdays meeting looks encouraging ...

"Late yesterday, transit industry officials reported a 'very encouraging' development that could lead to a solution by week's end. The remedy would remove the incentive for banks to demand payment from transit agencies, at no cost to taxpayers."

U.S. Transit Agencies Ask Congress for Help in Averting Service Cuts - washingtonpost.com

Winging It: Amtrak will be key part of Obama's plans

2008-11-17T19:20:00.001-05:00

An excellent analysis from this columnist; something you can carry around as a talking point:

"Transportation systems have been a government function since the Romans started building roads and can't exist unless all taxpayers - not just those who use them - support them.

Airlines use airports that today are largely self-sufficient, collecting revenue from passengers. But most of them - including Philadelphia International - were built years ago at taxpayer expense. The air-traffic control system is supported both by user fees and all taxpayers. Some of the cost of aviation security also is borne by all of us.

Likewise, highways and city streets aren't built and maintained solely with gasoline tax revenue from motorists. When you back out of your driveway to start an out-of-town trip, you're on a public street that your property and income taxes helped pay for, on your way to an airport your grandparents helped build."

Winging It: Amtrak will be key part of Obama's plans | Philadelphia Inquirer | 11/17/2008

Friends Don't Let Friends Pay More for Worse Transit

2008-11-17T18:34:00.003-05:00

A note from Michael O'Loughlin, Director, Campaign for New York's Future:

Do you want to pay 3 dollars a ride in exchange for fewer trains or more crowded buses? Didn't think so. Well that could happen if our leaders don't step in and do something about the MTA's multi-billion dollar budget gaps.

My commute is already overcrowded – can you imagine what it will be like if the MTA starts making drastic service cuts in 2009 and can't raise the capital funds needed to maintain the system and expand service for a million more New Yorkers in the years ahead?

I just signed a petition asking our leaders to invest in the transit system that is so vital to New York's economy, our environment and our future – will you do the same? Click on your subway line below to sign the petition representing how you get around:

By investing in transit, we can invest in New York's economy, our environment and our future.

That's why the Campaign for New York's Future is organizing Keep New York Moving Day!

On November 19th – Keep New York Moving Day, we'll be at subway stops throughout the city asking commuters to sign postcards telling local leaders that now's the time to invest in transit.

But you don't have to wait until the 19th. You can sign the petition online right now like I did! Just click on your subway line above.

Click on your subway line or the bus image above and sign the petition today. Then, on Wednesday, look for us at a transit station near you.

Don't miss this chance to make your voice heard!

Transit Ads

2008-11-14T17:21:00.008-05:00

The NYC transit agency (MTA) unveiled their Google Maps ad-wrapped trains ... granted, these can get very gaudy, very quickly ... flip side however is the additional revenue stream. The MTA recently laxed its own regulations to allow fully wrapped cars, that decision can "realize over $125 million in 2008 in advertising revenues. If these new initiatives are implemented on a permanent base, the MTA expects these revenues to grow substantially."

Personally, I like the understated (like this Google Map one) and funny ones below ... I don't like the 17 foot high Sam Champion's of the world smiling at me. I get it. The news is on at 5 and you'll be doing the weather, sports and some inane 'man on the street' comment the Congress.

NYC The Blog: Google Wraps Times Square Subway Shuttle In Advertisement

Montreal's Public Bike System

2008-11-13T17:26:00.001-05:00

More on Biking ... Montreal's Bike system ratchets up #19 on Time's best inventions of 2008 ...

19. Montreal's Public Bike System - TIME's Best Inventions of 2008

Light-rail Can Turn into Money Train

2008-11-13T13:55:00.001-05:00

An interesting, promising and logical trend in housing pricing ...

Light-rail can turn into money train - The Denver Post

Subways of the World

2008-11-13T13:51:00.001-05:00

Oh, yes, this is some good looking map action ...

world subways

Urban Policy

2008-11-13T09:56:00.002-05:00

Vote for the top issue in the (hopefully) new Office of Urban Policy (from Front Seat) ...

Feedback for Obama Urban Policy

Judge Tells Metro And Bank To Deal

2008-11-13T09:01:00.004-05:00

Most industries (and families) have been hit by the recent economic turmoil, specifically the global 'credit crunch' (hello, Detroit , are you there?). Among those being effected are many US Transit agencies.

Long story short, most transit agencies through 2003, received capitol funding through 'lease-back' transactions, where the agencies 'sold' much of their assets (read: buses, train cars, etc) to banks and leased those assets back (thus receiving upfront cash, while paying off over time). Banks were encouraged to assist through tax-breaks on the depreciation of the assets. The tax breaks for the banks ended in 2004, though they still held large portfolio's of transit assets.

Many of these transactions are/were insured by AIG. During these past few months, AIG (and most other insurers) credit rating has been downgraded and, without getting into the technicalities of High Finance, the lease-back transactions came into default. Meaning, all the capitol raised initially (when the agency sold the assets to the bank) are now due - not good.

Congress is 'doing what it can' ... though they seem to be more inclined to keep Detroit afloat ... this article is specific to DC ... note how this potential funding gap could effect Inauguration Day (68 days! - yippee!, but also, is telling regarding cash on hand at transit agencies (i.e. they would have to cut service IMMEDIATELY)

Judge Tells Metro And Bank To Deal - washingtonpost.com

European Tram Makers to Gain From U.S. Streetcar Push

2008-11-13T08:49:00.004-05:00

Quick overview of the current US streetcar market, of note:

"Though the Federal Transit Administration manages a $1.6 billion program for light rail, little of it, subject to complex distribution conditions, has been distributed to streetcar construction under the Bush administration. Financing has come mainly from local communities."

With many local funding sources already identified, lessening the current restrictions on Federal funding (what little of it will be left after the Autumn of Bailout) could lead to a mini-boom for some transit agencies around the country.

European Tram Makers to Gain From U.S. Streetcar Push - NYTimes.com

If Only Public Transit Studies Still Looked Like This...

2008-11-13T08:24:00.001-05:00

Seattlest: If Only Public Transit Studies Still Looked Like This...

NYC Bus Awards

2008-11-12T20:22:00.003-05:00

Annual Straphangers NYC Bus 'awards' announced ... I've always appreciated the exposure these awards bring to transit, of course, eh, not so rosy ... why not tie these awards to funding or mandatory reviews?

Am also mildly amused my sometime wheels M23 staved off what would have been another dubious win.

NYPIRG Straphangers' Pokey and Schleppie Awards

Petition the President-elect

2008-11-10T11:29:00.003-05:00

As the campaign white paper below shows, there were some hefty promises made on the campaign trail in regards to Urban Policy and Transportation, Transportation for America is doing its best to ensure as many promises made can be kept ... help out and sign the petition to the President-elect ...

Transportation for America Petition

Free Bicycle Programs

2008-11-09T22:40:00.004-05:00

Free bicycle programs could provide smart alternatives to inefficient transit systems while a more effective infrastructure can be / is put in place.

These programs become bridges away from car commuting for some and change the perception of viable transportation alternatives cost effectiveness for still more ...

"bike-sharing has provided a simple solution: for the price of a bus, they invest in a fleet of bicycles, avoiding years of construction and approvals required for a subway."

The continued integration of technology and transit accessibility is key to capturing the wave of tech-adept users ...

"Most programs in Germany and Austria work on a different system; members receive cellphone text messages providing codes to unlock the bikes."

Work to be done regarding insurance, etc for these to work in the US, but we'll keep an eye on their progress ...

Memo From Barcelona - Europe’s Bike-Sharing Programs Redistribute the Wheels - NYTimes.com

More info on MetroBike in DC and Bicing in Barcelona.

CA High Speed Rail Interactive Map!

2008-11-09T18:31:00.003-05:00

Very nice interactive rail map of the proposed CA High Speed Rail.

Using technology to 'show' the future of rail and other transit initiatives, should serve to expedite the public's belief in what a truly interconnected transit system can look like and the benefits it would provide. This is a key metric when determining funding in a bureaucratic environment ... enough of that, check it out!:

California High Speed Rail Authority Interactive Map

Presiden-Elect, Urban Policy White Paper

2008-11-09T17:34:00.002-05:00

Truth be told, it will be a long road to hoe to enact all the 'wants' listed; but makes for a good primer on what to expect and the 'campaign' thinking on contemporary Urban issues.

Obama / Biden Urban Fact Sheet

70%+ Public Transportation Ballot Measures PASS

2008-11-09T17:29:00.002-05:00

Kudos to those across the nation with taking Transportation funding as a serious ballot measure.

Over 70% of Public Transportation Ballot Measures Pass