Transportation

Seattle's HUGE Transit Victory on Election Day
In dollars, Seattle region's Proposition 1 was second only to Measure M, a $120 billion sales tax measure in Los Angeles County, although the comparison is lacking in at least three respects. Prop 1 did not pass in all three Puget Sound counties.
At Least 120 Dead in Indian Train Derailment on Sunday
A fractured rail is suspected as the cause of the worst train crash in India since 2010. The Indore-Patna Express train derailed near Kanpur in northern India. At least 200 are injured.

Coal Train Lawsuit Settlement Leaves Unanswered Questions
A lawsuit in the state of Washington between environmentalists and BNSF Railway over the environmental impacts of coal trains has been settled out of court.

Colorado to Launch Road Usage Charge Pilot Next Month
Colorado residents are now being recruited to participate in a four-month program to evaluate how motorists react to being charged by the mile driven rather than gallon of fuel burned. Sagging fuel tax revenues are the impetus for the pilot program.

A New Normal Needed on the Streets Around Trump Tower
With no signs of the protests outside of Trump Tower going away, Nicole Gelinas has a suggestion for Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Megabus Cutting Back Operations in Chicago
The Chicago hub of Megabus operations will be just another stop between Ohio and Texas.

Another Fare Increase Coming to New York Transit
Expect a decision on how much the New York MTA plans to raise fares by January 2017.

Metro Detroit's Millage Tax Comes Within Half a Percentage Point of Passing
A $4.6 billion transit plan proposed by the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan received 49.5 percent of the vote on November 8. The millage tax would have funded bus rapid transit and regional rail within a four-county region.

Baltimore Transit Advocates, Politicians Pushing for a Better Bus Plan
First came the demise of the $2.9 billion Red Line light rail project, then came the $138 million BaltimoreLink bus system project. Now a coalition of union and political interests are pushing for a "People's Alternative."

Surprise: Cleveland's Public Square Won't Reopen to Buses After All
The plans for the renovation of Cleveland's Public Square took years to finalize and evolved several times along the way to delivery. Now one final decision will impact bus transit in and around the city.

A Potential Downside to $120 Billion in Transportation Investments in Los Angeles
The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times warns that along with new transit lines comes new housing for residents who want to enjoy the benefits of reduced auto-dependence. Plans need to ensure minimal housing displacement around the new stations.

New Look MBTA Trains Debut in Boston
Boston residents got their first look earlier this week at the new trains that will grace the T tracks in 2019.

All-Door Boarding a Missed Opportunity in NYC
American transit systems are increasingly moving to structures that allow pre-paying and all-door boarding. David Meyer argues that these systems have proven their worth and fears of fare evasion aren't enough to justify inferior services.
WMATA Stepping Up Efforts to End Sexual Assaults on Transit Lines
The Washington Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) recently launched a new campaign to combat sexual harassment and assault—especially toward some of the most marginalized members of the community.

Crunching the Safety Data Reveals the Need to Improve Traffic Lights
After completing an eight-year study of traffic collisions, the Seattle Department of Transportation realized that one way to immediately improve traffic safety would be to improve signalization an key intersections.

State Departments of Transportation Finally Turning Their Attention to Safety?
Angie Schmitt sees encouraging signs of a change of perspective in some state DOTs, which seem to be following the national lead of Vision Zero Campaign.

The Critical Importance of Bicycle Infrastructure to Public Health
The lead editorial in the December issue of American Journal of Public Health provides the introduction for two research papers on the relationship between bicycling safety and infrastructure expansion in Boston and Vision Zero in U.S. and Sweden.

More Bad News About the State of New Jersey Transit
The New Jersey Transit system, with an operating budget reduced to 10 percent of its 2009 total, has become more of a vessel for nepotism than a provider of safe transit service, according to a recent editorial.
D.C. and Arlington Explore Connection by Gondola
A feasibility study suggests a gondola system across the Potomac would be cheaper than a new Metro station.

Tokens Finally a Thing of the Past for Philly's Transit Riders
The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) are expecting to roll out the final components of the new SEPTA Key system, allowing all riders to pay the fare with something other than tokens.
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Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)