Kasim Reed wants 45% of transportation funding in metro areas for transit | Political Insider blog

ajc : "The long-awaited transportation blueprint didn’t offer any recommendations for a mass transit funding split, but suggested a historic investment to the growth of transit. It pointedly said lawmakers should encourage the “development of responsible, well-funded and coordinated public transportation” in metro areas."

Thousands of Nashville students take advantage of free MTA rides

tennessean: "Thousands of Metro students are taking advantage of Mayor Karl Dean’s program that allows them to ride city buses for free.

More than 4,600 students - grades 9 through 12 - are riding Metro Transit Authority buses for free just by showing their student IDs. It’s all part of Dean’s StrIDe program."

Confirmed: Sprawl and Bad Transit Increase Unemployment

Metro Jacksonville: "A new study [PDF] from researchers at the U.S. Census Bureau, the Comptroller of the Currency, and Harvard University, however, addresses those shortcomings and confirms the original theory of spatial mismatch: Geographic barriers to employment — sprawl, suburban zoning, poor transit – do indeed depress employment levels."

In Texas, many people are afraid to advocate public transit

Advocate : "Victoria Transit offers fixed bus routes with stops throughout the city, provides a service to help people get to work and has routes for people with disabilities.

Each year, the number of passenger trips increases, and residents have expressed interest in more routes being offered in town and in less highly traveled parts of the city.

With the indication that there is a growing demand for public transportation, should the city of Victoria invest more in public transportation?"

In Alabama, too many of our neighbors can't get where they need to go

arise : ""Our state's current transportation system simply can't be sustained," Forrister said. "Alabama's failure to invest in public transportation means too many of our neighbors can't get where they need to go when they need to get there. That doesn't just hurt them; it hurts our entire state's economy.""

Good #publictransit would save people a lot of time and money in Hernando, Florida

hernando today : "This would also enable elderly citizens to cancel their dependence on driving their own cars, even purchasing automobiles, canceling car insurance, saving hundreds or thousands of dollars, and providing a safer more secure mode of transportation to the drivers and to the community at large. This system would give passengers more independence, freedom and savings. It would enable parents to be less dependent upon providing rides to their children and free up their own time."

Palm Beach County more people want #publictransit instead of more roads

Sun Sentinel: "An increased focus on public transportation is a shift for the county, which has poured much of its investments in the past into building and expanding roads. Part of the shift is because residents are asking for it.

In a county survey asking how residents would rank transportation priorities, some 61 percent included expanding Palm Tran as a top priority. Compare that to 53 percent who included expanding and building new roads as a top priority."

People want frequent buses. Best way? Make them free

Pinellas bus riders to U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor: We want more frequent service! - SaintPetersBlog: "Congress woman Kathy Castor took a ride on a Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority bus this morning to find out what her constituents need in a bus system. During what she calls a transit town hall, Castor spoke with about a half-dozen regular bus riders about their commutes. The most common theme: buses don’t run frequently enough."

Public Transportation Industry EXPO highlights leadership and industry innovations

Your Houston News: ""Public transportation offers more than just mobility, it also shapes communities," continued Melaniphy. “Our industry is about the future, and public transit is a crucial part of the solution to the nation's economic, energy, and environmental challenge.""

Colorado Springs: Rally for public transportation at city hall Oct. 20

gazette : "The Community Transit Coalition is holding a rally and march in support of public transit and to mark an increase in funding in Mayor Steve Bach's 2015 proposed budget. 

The event will take place from 4:30-5:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 at city hall (107 N. Nevada Ave).

The organization will hand out bus passes to attendees of the event such as a full month unlimited pass, multiple 20-punch passes and single day passes.  

The mayor’s proposed budget for 2015 includes a more than $470,000 increase for transit operating and capital improvement project funds. The goal is to increase frequency on one bus route and provide grant match for a transit and pedestrian accessibility on four routes. 

For more information visit https://www.facebook.com/communitytransitcoalition or email communitytransitcoalition@gmail.com."

GOTCHA electric transportation service in Charleston offers free service at colleges

Post and Courier: "Flood said he started GOTCHA Ride in 2009 as a way to offer free, safe and eco-friendly transportation on college campuses using a fleet of electric vehicles that he developed with co-founder Drew Sfugaras. GOTCHA is an acronym for "green-operated-transit carrying humanity around.""

Mass transit key to state's transportation future, supporters say

Post and Courier: "Some 80 percent of people surveyed in 2013 agreed that better public transit is needed, according to the study.

Maria Parker of Charleston said she can drive to work in 25 minutes but the CARTA bus service takes over an hour to get to her job in North Charleston. She lived in Germany where she did not need a car because of the advanced rail transit that cost $1,000 per year for a pass, which she said is much less than the cost of owning and maintaining a car.

Tom Fressilli of Mount Pleasant said the area needs Amtrak passenger trains running west. The route from here to Atlanta goes first to Washington D.C., he said.

"This is not rocket science. We put a man on the moon. We've got an economy geared toward cars and asphalt," he said.

The annual number of passengers on the local bus service run by CARTA has climbed past the 4.9 million mark. But as rider demand rises, the agency is scrambling to find funds to replace an aging fleet."

Half of South Carolina does not drive

Post and Courier: "Half of S.C.'s population does not drive an automobile. About 10 percent of the people driving on our roads should not drive because they lack a valid license or insurance. These facts make the S.C. Department of Transportation's decision to hold its Sept. 23 public meeting on Daniel Island difficult to respect."

Birmingham's public transportation system must be fixed

AL.com: "I have been riding public transportation for over 40 years in cities all over the world and by far MAX is the worst. If a bus is late, that does not really bother me as much as it does when buses never come or do not take the prescribed route. That is when I get upset, especially when I pay for a 31 day pass to get me back and forth to work. What is the need for bus stops if the buses do not drive the route?  On several occasions I have had the bus driver ask me what the route was."

Greenville - #freetransit leads to more transit

MyrtleBeachOnline.com: "With increased growth has come increased demand for the trolley, leading to the announcement earlier this month of two new trolleys being added to Greenville's fledgling fleet. The first of those began providing parking transportation for Greenville Drive baseball games Monday and started regular downtown service Thursday night."

Phoenix Mayor Wants To Improve Public Transit

KJZZ : "Phoenix is creating a citizen’s committee meant to help improve public transportation in the city. Mayor Greg Stanton said he wants to triple the amount of light-rail lines in the city, increase bus routes and make the city friendlier to bikes and pedestrians."

How public transportation could help Nogales

Green Valley News: Columns: "Lopez nailed it, saying a public transit system “Goes directly to quality-of-life issues in Nogales.” The study estimated that 400 people ride the hodgepodge of locally and haphazardly operated buses daily, but trends show rider numbers increase as bus routes become established and dependable."

Driving drops in Arizona as more ride public transportation

tucsonsentinel : "Public transit use rose across Arizona as the number of miles driven dwindled, according to a new report that called for shifting funds from “unnecessary” highway projects to mass transit."

If buses benefit all, why not spread the cost and increase use by removing fares?

Becky Yanni: The community benefits from public transportation | StAugustine.com: "While the Sunshine Bus service clearly benefits those residents who use it, even larger benefits accrue to all St. Johns County citizens in the form of economic development, reduced congestion, more livable communities and cleaner air.

Public transportation stimulates economic development."

Texas - Residents push for public transportation

www.statesman.com: "During a July 9 public hearing regarding federal Community Development Block Grants, issued by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, nearly 20 residents gathered to tell the City Council how difficult getting around the area without personal transportation can be.
Ernest Tomes, a blind Pflugerville resident, was the first to approach the council and spoke of his experiences with the lack of proper public transportation in the city and his struggles for personal independence."

Gift of car more evidence that auto-system does not work

The US is hopelessly car-dependent. This is devastating to poor people, making life more difficult in many different ways.

Nonprofit provides car to help single father - NewsAdvance.com : News - Local Lynchburg, Virginia Area: "Presbyterian Homes, a Lynchburg nonprofit, runs the local branch of the national Ways to Work initiative, a program that provides low-interest loans, credit rehabilitation and other services for working families."

Oil industry needs you back in your car, NOW!

Bicycles are such a threat to the oil industry, that they have police physically attack riders. Why don't they physically attack people who are dumping carbon into the atmosphere?

photo https://www.facebook.com/transitmiami?

Cars don't fit in cities

Transit Miami: "Mobility is about space - each red circle contains 70 passengers. (via Rak Singh)"

Ft. Collins Colorado BRT fare-free until Aug 24th

MAX now rolling in Fort Collins - Loveland Reporter-Herald: "The first bus rapid transit system in the Front Range debuted in Fort Collins on Saturday.

MAX, a service of the city of Fort Collins and Transport, the city's public transportation provider, will be free to ride throughout the summer."

Ben Hill considers public transportation service

MySouthwestGA.com: "“There are a lot of different people who don't drive or don't have vehicles and they have a hard time getting around. We understand that and we've tried to figure out how to do it,” said Frank Field, Ben Hill County Administrator."

People no longer want to be car-dependent

Transportation For America : " While 64 percent in Nashville say they expect to live in walkable places where they don’t necessarily need a car, only 6 percent say they currently live in such a place."

Call for Public Transportation

Horizons Newspaper: "Creating a transportation system for Prescott would decrease the amount of traffic and pollution in the city. It would give the people a way to get around our spread out city and access remote locations.
Some people don’t see this idea in a positive way. They believe it would be too expensive and undermine our town’s infrastructure. Although these concerns are valid, the benefits will outweigh them."

Lack of #publictransit locks people in poverty - especially in the south

In Climbing Income Ladder, Location Matters - NYTimes.com: "The study — based on millions of anonymous earnings records and being released this week by a team of top academic economists — is the first with enough data to compare upward mobility across metropolitan areas. These comparisons provide some of the most powerful evidence so far about the factors that seem to drive people’s chances of rising beyond the station of their birth, including education, family structure and the economic layout of metropolitan areas."

Drought and flood, flood and drought. It's #climatechange

Photo By Joe Raedle/Getty Images 

Drought now affecting two thirds of Texas - Houston Chronicle: "The Lone Star State can't seem to stay out of the heat. In a new drought report by the Texas Water Development Board, the state saw worsening conditions that now affect two thirds of Texas."

Flooding in the South Swamps Birmingham, Atlanta; Child Found Dead in Mississippi, 1 Dead in Georgia - weather.com: "Severe thunderstorms dumped heavy rains across the Southeast on Monday and caused flash flooding in central Alabama, where crews in small boats and military trucks had to rescue dozens of people from their homes and cars."

Koch Brothers Quietly Seek To Ban New Mass Transit In Tennessee

ThinkProgress: "The Tennessee Senate passed a bill last week that, if approved, would broadly ban mass transit projects in the region, an anti-transit effort that’s gotten some help in the state from Charles and David Koch."

Austin Texas, bad #publictransit means more drunks on the road

Austinite Creates Change.org Petition To Denounce City's Public Transportation Shortcomings: Austinist: "The glaring flaws in the quality, infrastructure, and availability of public transportation in Austin have received increasing attention in the weeks following SXSW. "

Gretchen Nielsen: On giving up my car and riding the bus

azstarnet : "Having been converted, I’ve joined the Bus Riders’ Union. The back of our bright, yellow T-shirts display the words of Enrique Penalosa: “An advanced city is not one where even the poor use cars, but rather one where even the rich use public transport.”

We need more Tucsonans to wise up and live like city folks who wouldn’t dream of being a slave to a car. As an incentive to get real, bus fares should be lowered. Everybody in Tucson will be better off when more of us — rich and poor, young and old — are leaving the driving to a pro."

Columbiana's free public transportation trolley begins rolling around town April 1

AL.com: "The trolley is part of the city's new public transportation service that will run along a still undetermined route in the community and give passengers a ride for free. Donations will be accepted."

Raleigh mayor sums up the #publictransit race to the top in one bite

NewsObserver.com: "“In order for us to remain competitive, we must address the fact that we need a robust public transportation system,” the mayor said in her 15-minute speech at the Raleigh Rotary Club. “This is key for our economic development. Without it, we will be overcome with our success and choke ourselves off with congestion.”"

Guest Column: Effective public transportation for our city

HISTORIC CITY NEWS: "If this city wants to solve our parking crisis the only solution is effective public transportation. When we can development real mass transit to and from our city, non-automotive visitation from St. Johns County and other cities will increase resulting in less pressure on existing parking space making futile plans to squeeze in more unnecessary.

I believe in our city everyone understands the need for viable mass transit to alleviate congestion on all levels and promote minimum impact tourism. We must realize that this is rapidly becoming a crisis that can’t be ignored for much longer. As your commissioner, using my qualifications, experience and expertise, I can and will create and implement a real plan and lay the groundwork for the good of every resident of our neighborhoods, our businesses and the good of our city’s future."

Three Texas Lakes Hit Record Low Levels as Drought Deepens

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

weather.com: "According to a drought update issued Friday by the National Weather Service in Ft. Worth, Texas, Lakes Granbury, Nocona, and Ray Hubbard each plummeted to new record lows since dams creating those lakes were completed in the 1960s. "

Houston among top cities in public transportation ridership growth

khou.com : "Houston, which has been more notable for its sprawl than its public transportation offerings, had a large ridership gain. So did Seattle, Miami, Denver and San Diego. The New York area's behemoth transit network saw the greatest gain, accounting for one in three trips nationally.

Transit advocates argue that the public increasingly values the ability to get around without a car. They offer as evidence the nation's urban shift and the movement to concentrate new development around transit hubs.

"People want to work and live along transit lines," Melaniphy said. "Businesses, universities and housing are all moving along those corridors.""

Another privatization scam exposed

WJBF-TV ABC 6: ""Is it more expensive to have the private contractor in there?" we asked. "Most certainly, it is more expensive plus it limits what you can do," says Lockett.

During the Finance Committee meeting, Commissioners questioned the Finance Department's number, suggesting employee benefits or other factors were not included, and that the comparison was not "apples to apples".

"Those were the bottom line numbers. It includes all of the costs, not just salaries and fringes," says Susan Kain, the Finance Department's grand coordinator.

"So, it shows when the city ran transit for a six month period, it was less expensive," we asked Kain. "Correct," said Kain. "So, there was no manipulating of the numbers?" we asked. "Absolutely none," she said."

When will enough be enough. The private auto system does not work. Does. Not. Work.

washingtonpost : "The man who crashed into a crowd of pedestrians at the South By Southwest festival in Austin will be charged with two counts of capital murder and 23 counts of aggregated assault, police said Thursday morning."

Houston sees public transportation ridership rise

Houston Chronicle: ""People always ask, 'Are Houstonians going to be willing to give up their cars?' Well, a lot of people already have," O'Brien-Molina said."

Baton Rouge expanding #publictransit

CATS on target for March 30 expansion rollout | NOLA.com: "The Capital Area Transit System is set to roll out its expansion at the end of the month, with additional routes and shuttles that CEO Bob Mirabito says are meant to increase interconnectivity among Baton Rouge neighborhoods, shorten bus wait times and increase the amount CATS buses are on the road by about 40 percent."

Cars are not freedom, choice is freedom - TrAC, Miami

Nonpartisan PAC aims to increase the priority of public transportation in Miami-Dade - Miami-Dade - MiamiHerald.com: "“We want accessible transportation options,” said Francine Madera, 30, one of TrAC’s supporters. “We want choices.”

TrAC’s vision is to have “freedom in movement” where residents and visitors of Miami can choose if they want to walk, bike, take public transportation or drive.



...Viciedo hopes to change the habits and perceptions of Miami residents who see a car as a symbol of freedom.

“Freedom is having ultimate choice,” Viciedo said. “If you can choose how to get around, that is freedom.”



Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2014/03/04/3973479/nonpartisan-pac-aims-to-increase.html#storylink=cpy"

I-55 in Arkansas nearly impassable for 36 hours due to wrecks, ice

wptv.com: "The combination of ice, jackknifed trucks and minor traffic accidents have made Interstate-55 in Arkansas nearly impassable for about 36 hours, with crews unable to reach the problem areas."

Tupelo moves forward with public transit options

WTVA.com: "TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) — A hot button issue has once again come up before the Tupelo City Council: public transportation.

Everyone on the council believes there's a need for public transportation in the city. The problem is how to pay for it."

Got transit? #Publictransit wins 8,000 jobs for Atlanta.

State Farm Opts for Atlanta Transit Over Sprawl | Streetsblog USA: "The insurance giant will eventually house a total of 8,000 employees at a truly massive mixed-use development connected to a MARTA rail station. Developer KDC is planning a 2.2 million square-foot project at a 17-acre site by the Dunwoody MARTA station near Perimeter Mall. The development will include 585,000 square feet of office space for the initial lease to State Farm, which plans to expand, as well as 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space and a 200-room hotel, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle."

Public transportation would benefit Troy, Alabama

The Troy Messenger: "With a well planned and well run public transportation system, new and old employers would thrive with a larger work force being made available by adding all those people who had no way to get to work. This would in turn generate more tax revenues that would allow the city to renovate and repair some of the older historic buildings in the downtown Troy area. It would also allow Troy to expand existing services and create new ones for its residents. A good start would be for the city to purchase two twenty-five person buses to run two separate routes in the city. One route could cover Troy University to handle students and support staff. This same bus would also be used to cover large key employers in the city and transport seasonal agricultural workers. The second bus would be used to pick up the elderly, people in need of health care, and people who need to buy groceries or shop. The use of the second bus to assist the elderly and people in need of health care is especially important as these people are the most at need in any community. This is also true in a small town like Troy with no mass transit and where many of the elderly may not have any friends or family to help them get to the doctor or to the grocery store. As a side benefit, having a city employee check in on the elderly for a regular bus pick up insures that if something has gone wrong in their home, there is someone there to check in on that person and get them help if they need it."

Free trolley proposed for St. Augustine Beach

StAugustine.com: "A comment from St. Augustine Beach Mayor Andrea Samuels, who suggested creating a free or low-cost shuttle from St. Augustine Beach to St. Augustine and back, seemed to be generally agreed upon as a good idea.

“We want people to leave their cars at their hotels,” Samuels said. “We need public transport. I think (the city and beach) can work as a team to drive the economy.”

St. Johns County Commission Vice Chair Rachael Bennett said there are visitor destinations all over the county.

“Up until now, we’ve all planned automobiles. I think we’re starting to enter a new paradigm about how we get around. The county is building bridges with the cities. We’re all working for the same goal,” she said.

However, she added, the county’s been listing its infrastructure needs for the next 10 years.

“We’ve had to close our beaches because they were full (of cars),” she said. “People are parking in neighborhoods.”"

#Freetransit system in North Carolina records 6% growth

http://www.appalcart.com

AppalCART Public Transportation Authority Reports Six Percent Ridership Increase Over Last January | High Country Press: "Feb. 10, 2014. AppalCART, the public transportation authority serving all of Watauga County announced a 6 percent ridership increase on its routes over January a year ago. The authority recorded 148,129 passenger trips last month versus 139,154 for the month of January 2013. "

Proposal for #freetransit in Austin, Texas from 13 years ago. Still relevant.

Bus Riders Union of Austin, Texas: "Urban sprawl results from the real estate-intensiveness of a transportation system that relies on the single-occupancy personal auto for most metropolitan trips, particularly peak-hour home-to-work trips. Roughly 75% by acreage of Austin's metropolitan developed real estate is now occupied by the transportation system, by roadways and parking lots. This is the sole reason for the low densities found in newly developing areas. Absent the parking lot, the modern regional mall is a far denser concentration of retail activity than was ever found in the Central Business District, and homes in new residential subdivisions are likely to sit on smaller, not larger, lots than are found in older neighborhoods. But while a neighborhood such as Hyde Park can be served by a two-lane Duval and a two-lane Speedway, the roadway systems serving newer subdivisions comprise 5-and 7-lane arterials. Only by reducing the sheer volume of vehicular traffic can sprawl be reversed."

Miami Beach free trolley loop starts Monday

In an effort to improve access to businesses during the FDOT Alton Road construction, the new free service operates from 8 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Sunday. Free four-hour parking at Fifth & Alton Garage.

Free is cheaper for Palm Tran Connection

Sun Sentinel: "Offering Palm Tran Connection riders to travel fare-free on regular Palm Tran buses that pick up at bus stops ends up saving the county about $21 per trip, according to county projections."



'via Blog this'

Candidate for mayor of Athens, Georgia, calls for #freetransit

flagpole.com : "Platforms Announced: Mayoral candidate Tim Denson and Commission District 3 candidate Melissa Link both released ambitious, lengthy and decidedly liberal campaign platforms last week. 

Denson wants to set a goal of cutting Clarke County's 35 percent poverty rate in half by 2025. To that end, he's proposing a number of policies, including universal pre-K education, free and expanded public transit, easing restrictions on home businesses, focusing economic development on small, local businesses, paying all ACC employees a living wage (that's already happening), encouraging affordable housing and increasing support for adult education like GED classes."



'via Blog this'

Time for Bexar to focus on mass transit

San Antonio Express-News: "A workable mass public transportation network, and the infrastructure to support it, is a much better alternative to building double and triple-deck freeways to accommodate the million or more cars and trucks, which will otherwise be occupying and polluting our community.

It's time to refocus our attention on mass public transit and the creation of a safer, more pedestrian-friendly community as the best way for people in San Antonio and Bexar County to get around."



'via Blog this'

NC trying to take the "politics" out of transportation funding

Port City Daily: "“To help determine these priorities, each division is asking local residents to provide their thoughts on which transportation improvements are most important. Projects can be as large-scale as an interstate improvement or as small as a new turn lane or traffic signal, and can be for any mode of transportation, including public transit, bicycle/pedestrian, ferry, aviation and rail,” the release from the DOT said."

'via Blog this'

Buses should be frequent and free, then you will see where to put rail

It is starting to sink in. Public transport is about moving people, not large capital projects.

Tampa Bay Times: "The answer is, obviously, a more efficient way to get around in a region that badly needs it.
This means not only rail routes that make sense, but an infinitely better bus service that goes where we need to go.
And also, no small point here, an easy and welcoming ride.
It has to be affordable, dependable, there when we need it weekends and at night, with plenty of sensible routes."

Going Carless: A Radical Act? #carfree

Carless in OKC: Going Carless: A Radical Act?: "That’s it. That one gesture is a revolutionary act of defiance. Choosing not to drive a car flies in the face of the status quo in almost every way that you could hope for. Why is that? Let’s talk about it.
"

'via Blog this'