A proposed bill would distribute $100 in transit fare to District residents and provide $10 million to improving bus and streetcar services in underserved neighborhoods.
The Washington, D.C. Council’s Committee on Transportation approved a proposed act that would give District residents a $100 monthly transit subsidy in an effort to boost ridership by bringing in new users and support low-income riders who never stopped depending on public transit.
As John Besche reports in Greater Greater Washington, the program will automatically enroll all eligible D.C. residents, but Besche notes that the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) will only receive funds when riders actually spend it on trips.
Councilmember Charles Allen, who sponsored the bill, acknowledged that “low-cost or free service isn’t worth much if the system doesn’t meet riders’ needs.” Accordingly, “The bill also provides a $10 million Transit Equity fund for WMATA and the District Department of Transportation to improve bus and streetcar service, and prioritize underserved areas where people are dependent on public transit.” The support would come at a critical time for the beleaguered WMATA, which has been experiencing service disruptions, delays, and mechanical problems.
Opinion: Fare Evasion Is a Red Herring
The loss of revenue from fare evasion is a drop in the bucket compared to the fiscal cliff facing major U.S. transit agencies.
Report Lays Out a New Path for Bus Service in the D.C. Region
Ridership on the WMATA bus system, down an estimated 13 percent between 2012 and 2017, will need drastic innovations to reverse, according to a new report by the Bus Transformation project.
D.C. Buses to Begin All-Door Boarding
Some bus lines will start letting riders board through both front and back doors this fall as part of Metro’s efforts to improve service speed and reliability.
Downtown Los Angeles Park Wins National Award
Vista Hermosa Natural Park, designed by the landscape architecture firm Studio-MLA, has won the ASLA 2023 Landmark Award. Completed in 2008, Vista Hermosa was the first public park built in downtown L.A. in over 100 years.
Norman, Oklahoma Eliminates Parking Mandates
The city made a subtle, one-word change that frees up developers to build parking based on actual need and eliminates costly unnecessary parking.
Boston Transit Riders Report Safety Concerns
Almost three-quarters of current and former riders report feeling unsafe while using MBTA services.
When it Comes to Transportation, It’s All About Options
Debunking the notion of the personal automobile as liberator.
Prioritizing Equity in Federal Transit Funding
TransitCenter recommends several transit capital projects deserving of federal transportation dollars.
California Housing Bills Streamline Affordable Housing
A series of current and proposed bills are paving the way for more affordable housing production in the state, where environmental laws are often deployed to delay or block new development.
City of Grand Junction Police Department
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Code Studio
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
City of Waukesha, WI
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Montrose County
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
