Public Transit

$22 Billion Elizabeth Line Finally Opens in London, With the Queen in Attendance
May 17, 2022 was a big day for transit in London.

Driver Shortage Undercuts the Potential of L.A.’s Recent Bus System Redesign
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority implemented a complete overhaul of its bus system in three waves over the course of 2021. A shortage of drivers for the system has made it impossible to implement that vision.

Austin’s Transit CEO Moving to D.C.
After overseeing a major system redesign and plans for its largest-ever expansion, the head of Capital Metro will take over Washington, D.C.’s transit agency.

NYC 25x25 Plan Would Reclaim ‘13 Central Parks’ From Cars
A plan backed by New York City Mayor Eric Adams would repurpose 25 percent of the city’s street space for multimodal transportation and pedestrian plazas.

Louisiana Capital Shifting to Electric Transit
The Baton Rouge area is now served by a fleet of nine all-electric buses.

Fare-Free Transit Hasn’t Reduced Car Trips, Data Says
Fare-free transit isn’t the climate change benefit that many have hoped, according to recent writing by David Zipper for Bloomberg.

Transit Agencies Will Face Challenges in Getting Federal Dollars
While recent federal legislation allocates billions to transit projects, local leaders face difficult choices as they struggle to match federal funds while ridership remains below pre-pandemic numbers.

Can Portland Have its Climate Goals and Expand its Highways Too?
Portland wants it both ways, but so do most places. But if Portland can't quit the car habit, which cities can?

Post-Pandemic Transit Likely To Remain Less Commuter-Focused
While the future of transit ridership depends on a range of still-uncertain factors, the commuter-centric patterns that characterized pre-COVID transit service are probably a thing of the past.

Opinion: Utah Transportation Bill a Step in the Right Direction
A Utah mayor writes in support of state legislation that tasks state agencies with coordinating major transit projects, citing it as a positive step toward accommodating Utah’s explosive growth.

Federal Infrastructure Funding a Rare Opportunity to Improve the Nation’s Bus Shelters
Transit systems faced with decreasing ridership could accommodate access to the most widely available form of transit by building bus shelters. The federal infrastructure bill provides a big opportunity to do so.

San Francisco Bus Rapid Transit Performing Well, One Month In
After a month of service, the Van Ness BRT line has cut travel times by roughly nine minutes and spurred increased ridership.

Houston Transit Ridership Highest Since the Pandemic Began
Ridership on Houston trains and buses rose sharply in March, thanks in part to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and a limited return to offices.

Study: Transit Boards Don’t Reflect Their Ridership
Across U.S. cities, transit agency boards are overwhelmingly more suburban than their riders, causing a disconnect between decisionmakers and the people who regularly use transit.

People Mover Proposed for San Diego Airport
The $4 billion project promises to connect San Diego to its international airport in under ten minutes.

Controversial North Hollywood-Pasadena Bus Rapid Transit Line Approved
A controversial project to connect the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys by bus rapid transit has final approval. Los Angeles, Glendale, Burbank, and Pasadena will have a new connecting transit line as soon as 2024.

Chicago Plans ‘Better Streets for Buses’
The city of Chicago is taking first steps toward a commitment to better bus service in the design and configuration of the city's streets.

‘Universal Basic Mobility’ Pilot Launches in Los Angeles
A new program will bring electric car sharing, an e-bike library, on-demand shuttles, and other services to South Los Angeles in an effort to give residents more transportation options.

Tampa Bay Commits to Electric Regional Rapid Transit
The transit agency’s board voted to use all-electric buses in its planned bus rapid transit fleet, but criticism of plans to expand a freeway to accommodate the new route remain.

Atlanta Introduces Electric Buses
In a nod to Earth Day, MARTA added three electric buses to its transit fleet this week, with plans to expand the electric fleet to 12 buses.
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