A majority of bus drivers favor riders paying fares before they get on the bus and better bus lane enforcement.
To get the perspectives of the people on the front lines of New York's bus ridership woes Alon Levy and Eric Goldwyn surveyed drivers. When asked about improving service, "The top fix they’d like to see is off-board fare collection," Alon Levy and Eric Goldwyn write for CityLab. This would also allow passengers to board through all doors, which drivers also overwhelmingly favor. They also favor better enforcement of bus lanes.
Levy and Goldwyn surveyed 373 Brooklyn drivers for their article. "Brooklyn is perhaps in greatest need of their contributions. It is the most populous borough, with the greatest number of bus riders, and it lacks the subway coverage of Manhattan," Levy and Goldwyn write.
Levy and Goldwyn argue these drivers are in a good position to understand how to improve service and attract riders. "Reformers sometimes assume that labor is always hostile to efficiency and innovation, because of union opposition to measures that could reduce staffing. In the case of buses, such an assumption is unwarranted and counterproductive," they argue.
Read the full story: To Build a Better Bus System, Ask a Driver
Toledo Bus Service Cut Amid Falling Ridership
TARTA, like many transit services around the United States, has lost riders. Officials hope a new downtown hub can stem that tide, even as the transit authority cuts service.
In New York: No Bus Ridership Without Congestion Relief
Bus ridership has dropped for many years in New York City, but much of the bleeding is concentrated in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Could the congestion problems of the central city be the reason for the declining use of bus transit?
NYC releases new renderings for $5.5 billion Interborough Express
The slated stations will have a modern look, enhanced lighting and improved audio announcements.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
California city breaks ground on transit connector
The project includes three mobility hubs and a pedestrian bridge.
After public outcry, Massachusetts city releases housing development tracker
Cambridge’s tracker currently shows 250 housing projects in various stages of development.
40 years after approval, Chicago breaks ground on new park
The park honors Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, the city’s first permanent non-native settler.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority