Public transportation
El Paso On Fast Track to Transit
Officials in El Paso, Texas have been working with state and federal officials on a plan to bring rapid transit to the city within three years.
Celebrate (Transportation) Diversity!
Every person is unique. Every day is unique. Every trip is unique. As a result, an efficient and equitable transportation system must be diverse, so people can choose the best option for each trip. For example, today you might prefer to walk or bicycle, but tomorrow find it best to use public transit or drive.
Implications of Driving Less
A new report from the American Public Transportation Association hypothesizes that people who live in places shaped by transit tend to drive less thereby reducing their overall petroleum use and their carbon footprint.
Report Calls for More Transit Investment
A recent report form the U.S. Public Interest Research Group highlights the arguments for increased investment in public transportation.
'Cathedral Thinking' For Transit
This editorial argues that cities should build transit the way they used to build cathedrals: with a long-term mindset from the start.
Transit's Environmental Benefits
A recent study from the Washington Public Interest Research Group shows the environmental benefits of public transit.
New York's Transit Needs Congestion Pricing
This editorial from The New York Times argues that the city's public transportation system needs congestion pricing to stay alive.
The Party Train
Metrolink is Southern California's regional rail system linking several counties. The 15-year old system with 7 lines, 54 stations, and 388 route miles serves over 40,000 passengers in the Southland. Metrolink says its mission is "to provide the people of Southern California safe, reliable and environmentally friendly commute option." Sure, but can it also serve as an interesting venue to host a 4-year old's birthday party?
One birthday boy in particular loves trains and is a fan of a popular TV series featuring trains. His mother told me that their family trips were often planned around using rail transit to get to destinations in Central and Southern California. So what better way to celebrate his birthday than to invite his friends -- accompanied by parents of course -- for a trip on a commuter train? Children that age are probably more used to birthday parties where they are entertained by clowns or magicians. Would these children, growing up in Southern California's car-centric culture be entertained at a party where the view through a train window was the main attraction?
Tunnel Vision: Has Tysons Missed the Train?
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In 1956 Pres. Dwight Eisenhower shepherded the Interstate Highway into existence, fulfilling a decades-long aspiration to link the nation with highways that could move both people and materiel as efficiently as those he had seen in Germany. Later, he would warn us against the military-industrial complex, but with a bit more foresight he might have warned against the asphalt-industrial complex, as well.
