Free #transit spurs $1B project in Miami

WSVN-TV - Groundbreaking ceremony held for $1B project: "According to City of Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado, free public transportation options, including the Miami Trolley and the Metromover, are making pedestrian urban living easier in Brickell, and growing retail places, like Mary Brickell Village, are making the area a vibrant place to live. "I think there was a perception that downtown was difficult, that it was dangerous, and that is no longer the case," said Regalado."

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Here's what can mass transit do for you | The Tennessean | tennessean.com

Here's what can mass transit do for you | The Tennessean | tennessean.com: "Sure, gas prices and economic conditions have increased the interest in mass transit. But the real benefits are so much greater than what is represented by the response to current economic response.

Reducing traffic means less “rush hour” frustration, fewer harmful fumes, better air quality and, with use of technology while riding on mass-transit options, some additional productive time for either personal or professional use."

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Florida #transit advocates getting organized

A unified front on transit | TBO.com: "TAMPA --
A nationwide movement is under way to build coalitions of transit riders who confront the same dilemma local bus agencies face: Ridership is at record levels but a decline in government funding is forcing cuts in service.

Until now, the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority have languished in the exhaust fumes of nationwide efforts to create coalitions of riders and advocacy groups to promote transit.

For the first time, though, an effort to unite transit interests, ranging from passengers to business and environmental groups, has begun to emerge locally."

Atlanta, GA, free shuttle expanding service.

Buckhead’s Free Shuttle Simplifies Routes, Optimizes Service for Commuters: "Beginning July 1, Buckhead’s free shuttle, the buc, is changing its routes and schedules. These changes are designed to increase service frequency during the peak hours of use – weekday morning and afternoon rush hours – by eliminating lunch hour and Saturday service. Routes will also be simplified, with one primary route connecting MARTA rail stations and major employment locations along Peachtree, Piedmont and Lenox Roads.

“The buc was launched nearly a decade ago, and it has provided a valuable service for Buckhead commuters, shoppers, visitors and residents,” said Denise Starling, executive director of Livable Buckhead and the Buckhead Transportation Management Association (BATMA), which manages the buc. “But the time had come for us to take a look at the system and make sure that it was optimized to cost-effectively provide the best possible service for our core riders – our commuters.”"

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Free rides featured in Asheville bus changes | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com

Free rides featured in Asheville bus changes | The Asheville Citizen-Times | citizen-times.com: "ASHEVILLE — One of the biggest ever overhauls of the city transit system — which provides more a million rides a year to workers, students and others — kicked off Monday, complete with free bus rides."

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Transit tax to appear on Nov. ballot | The Carrboro Citizen

Transit tax to appear on Nov. ballot | The Carrboro Citizen: "The Orange County Transit Plan includes expanded bus hours and service provided by Chapel Hill Transit, TTA and Orange County; route enhancements along Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard; an Amtrak station in Hillsborough; and light rail that would connect UNC Hospitals to Alston Avenue in Durham."

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Denton, Texas offers free transit June 18 - 23.

DCTA joins area effort to promote mass transit | Denton Local News - News for Denton, Texas - The Denton Record-Chronicle - Denton Record-Chronicle: "A gasoline receipt is good for a week of free rides for area commuters, thanks to the Denton County Transportation Authority, Dallas Area Rapid Transit and the Fort Worth Transportation Authority.
Inspired by the American Public Transportation Association’s National Dump the Pump Day, the agencies are working together to encourage commuters to take advantage of their services from June 18 to June 23."

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Want a future? Get transit.

Hillsborough in dire need of transit upgrades - Tampa Bay Times: "Hillsborough County has a choice to make: It can continue to cut service and pretend that mass transit plays no role in the region's future. Or it can invest in the very sort of transportation system that communities across the country are building to make themselves more competitive. The voters' rejection of a broad transportation plan two years ago clearly was a setback. But the county should learn from the loss, not wallow in it."

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