After reading this story about a transit agency surveying their customers, I thought to myself: do riders really want another survey asking whether they are satisfied or how clean the stations are? Although clean stations are certainly better than unclean stations, I suspect that these are not transit riders' major priorities. (And when I say "transit riders" I really of course mean "myself").
Mass Transit
Washington DC Imagines Itself Without Transit
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority is celebrating its 35th anniversary and is finding ways to ascertain exactly what the agency has brought to the region.
The Atlantic
ULI Descends Upon LA With Ideas for Union Station
Carter Rubin at LA Metro’s The Source reports on ULI’s vision for Union Station, which Metro bought for a song earlier this year.
The Source
Mass Transit Projects' High Cost Give Minimal Results
Factors such as age, labor costs, real estate, and construction all factor into why cities are paying more money for transit projects, but are still getting less on their return, writes David Lepeska for The Atlantic Cities.
The Atlantic Cities
Creative Planning Helped to Avoid Transit Cuts
The Milwaukee County Transit System had planned to reduce service due to a reduction in state aid in 2012. According to Jeramey Jannene, "with some last minute creative planning, they were able to avoid many cuts thanks to the use of CMAQ funds."
Urban Milwaukee
Why I Gave Up the Bus...For a Bike
Wed, 11/02/2011 - 09:45
In August, I moved into a high density apartment complex just 1.5 miles from my office and a five minute walk to a bus stop. One of the central advantages of the building's location was its access to alternative transportation modes. While I could park my car for "free" (the real cost is built into the lease), I was interested in keeping it parked as much as possible. Now, after nearly three months of experimentation, I'm ready to give up the bus, and the reasons are central to understanding the future of transit in the US.
VIA Clashes With San Antonio City Council Over Wireless Streetcar Plan
VIA Metropolitan Transit Company met with the city council regarding future plans involving a new streetcar line. According to Vianna Davila, "VIA must drastically change its streetcar proposal if it wants the city to help pay for the project."
My San Antonio
Shanghai Crash Ignites Public Anger Amid Fractured Government Response
Officials are investigating the cause of a crash in which more than 20 people were seriously injured Tuesday riding the Shanghai subway. Citizens have voiced their frustration at ambitious rail projects they view as neglecting safety.
Reuters
Britons are Driving Less
British cities report 9% fewer car trips per person and a 5% decline in distance traveled by car. That's because fewer young people are deciding to learn how to drive, says Prof. Phil Goodwin of the University of West of England.
TheCityFix.com
More Transit, Please
The Atlanta Regional Commission has delivered a massive wish list of 436 transit and transportation projects to be funded by a new sales tax increase. Ariel Hart reports that the proposal indicates that the region is clamoring for mass transit.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Latin America’s Bus Rapid Transit Boom Offers Lessons for the U.S.
Bus rapid transit (BRT) is often the most feasible, quickly implemented and cost-effective way to improve mobility in the United States, concluded a distinguished panel of transport experts at a Brookings Institution event.
TheCityFix.com
DC Streetcars to Be a Shot in the Arm
It was nearly 50 years ago, when streetcars were seen on the roadways of downtown Washington, DC. Dan Tangherlini, the former transportation director for the District discusses why streetcars matter in the United States capital.
The City Fix
New Toronto Mayor Kills Transit Dreams
The newly installed mayor of Toronto has swiftly abandoned an $8.1 billion mass transit plan for the city.
The Toronto Star
Indianapolis Transit Proposal Focuses On Frequency Over Coverage
After a year of outreach and research, Indy Connect has published its report yesterday outlining recommendations for the next 25 years of public transit expenditure. They call for $2.4 billion on transit and $8.4 on road expansion and maintenance.
the transport politic
One Nation Under One Card
A plan at the national level in India intends to put all buses, trains, rail, metro, ferry, taxis and even auto rickshaws under a common, contactless smart card.
TheCityFix
Political Cleavage Intensifies Debate On A More Connected LA
Christopher Hawthorne, the architecture critic at the LA Times the contradictory evidence surrounding LA's machinations toward becomming a post-suburban city. He finds public opinion fractured as the MTA finalizes plans for two Westside subway lines.
Los Angeles Times
Moscow Metro Gets a New Map
With the debut of the latest map of the Moscow Metro, TheCityFix's Jonna McKone takes a look at mass transit maps from across the globe and chats with mapmaker Cameron Booth.
TheCityFix
Time-Based or Distance-Based Transit Fares: Is One Better Than the Other?
Is there a difference between the two most common fare structures in public transit?
TheCityFix
Taking the 'Mass' Out of Mass Transit
Is the isolation of personal rapid transit truly viable for mass transit?
TheCityFix
Making the Transit-Land Value Connection
When the link between transit operators and real estate developers was severed in the early 20th century, transit became both unprofitable and unresponsive to market demand, and land value-lowering MTA cuts are just one example, says Stephen Smith.
Market Urbanism
