Transportation

Open for a Month, San Francisco's Transit Terminal Shut Down Due to Cracked Beams
The $2.2 billion Salesforce Transit Center, which opened to much celebration on Aug. 11, closed down abruptly Sept. 25 after workers found a cracked steel beam. A second cracked beam was later found. Work began Sunday to shore up the structure.

World's First Autonomous Tram Now Operating in Germany
A Siemens tram is carrying passengers now, but the project remains a pilot as the tram is not commercially available.

BART Development Law Signed
Under a law signed today by Governor Jerry Brown, Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) gains the power to rezone its properties. It's a decisive victory for state preemption over local control in the face of California's housing crisis.

Denver Wants Travelers to Ditch Their Cars
A new initiative will provide access to the city’s shared mobility services to get commuters to find alternatives to driving alone.

Public Transit in the U.S. Could Be Better. So Why Isn’t It?
Transit ridership has surged in other countries but lags here in the United States. The possible reasons for this are varied as are proposed solutions for improving American transit systems.

Bike Infrastructure Enshrined in Swiss Constitution
Nearly three-quarters of the population agreed that the federal government should promote cycling.

Can Bikeshare Work Without Bike Lanes?
One journalist argues that missing ingredient for a flourishing bike culture isn't rental bikes; it's safe places to ride.

Smaller Cities Rejecting Dockless Bike Share
Two cities, of similar size (about 90,000 residents), and located in different corners of the country, unceremoniously dispatched dockless bikeshare pilots in recent weeks.

California Gas Tax Supporters Get Good News from Latest Voter Survey
In a turnaround from prior voter surveys, a poll released Wednesday on November propositions found a slim majority of voters opposed to repealing the state's first legislative gas tax increase since 1989. Rent control opponents received good news too

Weekly Scooter Media Brief: September 21-27, 2018
Recent electric scooter news is defined by tragedy.

Caltrain Ending Weekend Service to San Francisco Until 2019
Caltrain will end service into the city of San Francisco while it converts the route to electric power.
Portland's TriMet Making Plans to Get on the Electric Bus
Electric buses have arrived. Portland is only the latest example.

Voters in Four States to Decide on Transportation Sales and Fuel Taxes
Californians will determine whether to repeal recent fuel tax and user fee increases; Missourians to vote on a 10-cent gas tax hike over 4 years; Coloradans whether to hike the sales tax, and the most interesting measure will be decided in Utah.

Friday Funny: A Teacher's Dream of a Better Commute Comes True
The Reductress published a satirical post in which students discover their teacher takes three buses to get to work and decide to reward her with a better commute...made possible by better bus service.

A Parking-Focused Alternative to Congestion Pricing
Congestion management using parking strategies would be more politically palatable while delivering significant outcomes.

More MARTA Plan Shifts Resources From the Clifton Corridor to the Beltline
The final version of the More MARTA plan—a plan to spend $2.7 billion on the Atlanta region's public transit system—will be up for consideration in October.

Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee Becomes Debate Issue in Illinois Gubernatorial Race
Republican Gov. Bruce Rauner might as well have accused his Democratic opponent of wanting to hike the gas tax. J.B. Pritzker denies he plans to introduce a VMT fee but admits that he's open to all ideas to raise revenue to maintain infrastructure.

Nation's First Truck-Only Toll Program Off to Auspicious Start
After the Rhode Island General Assembly passed controversial legislation in February 2016 spearheaded by Gov. Gina Raimondo (D), the first two of what will be 13 truck-only toll gantries became operational on June 11. Results are looking good.

As Phoenix Light Rail Extension Debate Devolves, Questions About Funding
Transit advocates are saying the Koch Brothers are responsible for a sudden outbreak of controversy surrounding the South Central Light Rail Extension in Phoenix.

With a Growing Number of Transit Projects Planned, L.A. Considers Renaming Rail Lines
Like many cities, L.A. already has two trains in the blue color family. With more rail projects in the works, some think it's time to update the system.
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Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie