Buses

New York Subway Ridership Hits 65-Year High While Bus Ridership Declines

Subway ridership statistics for 2014 were cause for celebration at the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), but the city's bus lines are not experiencing the same growth in popularity.

April 27, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

MTA Testing Bike Racks on Staten Island Buses

What is the one transit facility New York lacks that every other major city in the country has? Bike racks on buses. A new system was tested recently on the Verrazano Narrows Bridge, but it's a long way from delivery.

March 11, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

A bus next to the re-located light rail station at Denver's Union Station

Trains Are Always Better than Buses, Right?

Josh Barro provide examples galore of why the answer to that question isn't always yes—where costly rail investment has been to the detriment of existing transit. His column targets proposed projects, such as New York's LaGuardia Airport AirTrain.

February 11, 2015 - New York Times - The Upshot

Electric Buses Stretching to New Lengths

Take a spin on the country's first articulated electric bus (minus overhead wires), manufactured by BYD Motors Inc. in Southern California and tested recently on the Los Angeles Orange Line.

January 7, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

New York MTA Buses to Alert Pedestrians When Turning

Following the lead of programs in Los Angeles, Portland, and Baltimore, a pilot program by the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority will install warning systems to alert pedestrians to turning buses.

January 2, 2015 - New York Daily News

Wall

Why Accusations of 'Racism' Don't (Usually) Work

Conservatives and liberals tend to define "racism" very differently. As a result, accusations of racism tend to be unsuccessful outside ideologically homogenous environments.

November 18, 2014 - Michael Lewyn

Map Shows the Transportation Agencies Buying Buses and Trains

Looking for a mapping tool that makes it easy to reference news about which agencies are buying what kind of rolling stock and when?

October 1, 2014 - Next City

New Jersey Transit Announces Rolling Stock Investment Plans

New Jersey Transit recently announced plans to buy larger trains and buses to increase the capacity of commute infrastructure into and out of New York City.

September 16, 2014 - Asbury Park Press

New Bill Allows Expanded Bike Racks on California's Transit Buses

Governor Jerry Brown recently signed a law to allow all 40-foot buses throughout the state to increase their bike rack capacity.

September 12, 2014 - LA Streetsblog

How Important is High Frequency Transit Service?

Earlier this month, Portland’s TriMet restored high frequency bus service to ten bus routes around the city. Jarrett Walker makes the case that the frequency of service can make or break a city’s transit system.

March 24, 2014 - Human Transit

Detroit Motor Bus

The Derelict State of Detroit’s Buses

In a recent article for the Washington Post, Matthew Dolan details the sub-par state of bus service in Detroit—a city where residents live without cars in quickly growing numbers.

March 21, 2014 - The Washington Post

The fronts of three double-decker buses in London

A Call for 'Cooler' Buses

Edward Glaeser pens an opinion piece on the missing ingredient in the bus riding experience—cool. Not necessarily Mick Jagger cool, but definitely Steve Jobs cool.

March 6, 2014 - The Boston Globe

San Francisco's Electric Bus Pollution Problem

There are no emissions of pollutants or noise from these electric buses that receive power from overhead wires; but it's the wires that are viewed by some as visual pollution. Powered from the city's hydroelectric dam, they are truly carbon-free.

December 15, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

Portland Pilots Project to Raise Pedestrian Awareness

With smartphone use eclipsing 60% of mobile subscribers, "distracted walking" is a growing problem in communities across the United States. Portland is testing out several technologies to prevent pedestrians from walking in front of buses.

November 4, 2013 - Governing

Will Removing Buses Improve Downtown Pittsburgh?

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is moving forward with plans to remove buses and bus stops from Downtown Pittsburgh in an effort to decrease congestion on the streets and sidewalks. The plan is supported by the presumptive next mayor.

October 7, 2013 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Can BRT Ease the Pain of Commuting from Sydney's Northern Suburbs?

Sydney's public transport system has long been criticised for its scant network, aging infrastructure and long journey times. Nicole Hasham reviews whether a new route through the city's northern beach-side suburbs will address these issues.

September 15, 2013 - Sydney Morning Herald

The fronts of three double-decker buses in London

Is London Neglecting Its Most Popular Mode of Public Transport?

Carrying 2.3 billion passengers a year, London's buses are the most popular they've been in more than fifty years and 60 percent more utilized than in 2000. Is the city doing enough to plan for future demand and threats to service?

September 11, 2013 - The Guardian

Improved Public Services a Beneficial By-Product of Detroit Bankruptcy

The addition of 50 new police cars, ramped up bus service, and long overdue streetlight repairs are all being planned as bankruptcy proceedings allow Detroit to increase funding for public services.

July 29, 2013 - Detroit Free Press

Applying the Brakes to the Streetcar Revival

With Los Angeles, Charlotte, Washington D.C. and many more cities hoping on board, seats are filling up quickly on America's streetcar bandwagon. However, experts caution gung ho cities about unreal expectations for improving mobility.

May 24, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Famous Mexico City traffic

How Mexico City Went From Commuter Hell to Paradise in Two Years

Mexico City's emergence as a "commuter's paradise" due to a focus on people and places, rather than cars and driving, has earned the city this year's Sustainable Transport Award from the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP).

January 18, 2013 - National Geographic

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.

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