Public Transportation

Transportation and This Year's Elections   

The Hill - October 27, 2014

In less than two weeks, voters across the country have an opportunity to safeguard and improve investments in transportation that make a real and positive difference daily in the lives of businesses and commuters.  A series of state ballot initiatives facing voters this Election Day has a chance to shape our transportation future. Voters should consider the importance of maintaining our commitment to building and repairing America's roads and bridges when casting their ballots this fall.
Last week, I wrote about why Millennials might shun the cars that their parents loved and relied on. They simply have more alternatives, from bikeshare systems to better public transit to Uber and Lyft. They have less money to spend on car payments, thanks to rising students loans and the big-city cost of housing. And they're simply less interested in ownership of all kinds of things. In the era of oversharing, digital everything, constant connection, smart phones, Twitter and FourSquare, it's quite possible that Millennials are simply less interested in that refuge - the quiet, the solitude, the detachment - offered by privately owned vehicles.  

Americans Blow a LOT of Money Stuck in Traffic   

USA Today - October 26, 2014

Few things are more soul-crushing than spending hours upon hours sitting in traffic. Well, new research is about to make it just a little bit worse - by assigning a massive dollar figure to all that time spent in gridlock.  That's right, the Centre for Economic and Business Research in conjunction with Kirkland, Wash.-based company Inrix has released the results of a study that looks at the economic and environmental tolls of gridlock across the United States and Europe. "Over this period, the total cumulative cost of traffic congestion for these economies is estimated to be a staggering $4.4 trillion."
Transit System/Partners
Railway Track and Signal - October 27, 2014
October 27th, 2014, marks the 110th anniversary of the New York City Transit subway system. The first train ran north from City Hall to 145th Street and Broadway. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) notes that the New York City Transit system that now benefits 5.8 million daily customers sprang from a single line that didn't leave the confines of Manhattan. 
Railway Age - October 27, 2014
Southeast Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) says its $130 million smart-card payment system, now dubbed "SEPTA Key," will be implemented on Philadelphia-area buses and subways beginning early next year, with implementation on light rail transit operations to follow.  SEPTA regional rail service will be incorporated into the smart card program in 2016, the agency said.
Progressive Railroading - October 23, 2014
MTA New York City Transit's (NYCT) ridership reached unprecedented milestones in September, breaking the previous single-day ridership record five times in a single month, agency officials announced yesterday.  Newly available figures show 6,106,694 riders took the subway on Sept. 23, making it the highest daily ridership ever since figures were first recorded in 1985.  
CBS - October 23, 2014
Wi-Fi access will be available at about 70 NJ TRANSIT stations by the end of the year, officials said Thursday.  Currently, about 40 stations offer Wi-Fi. Larger stations such as Hoboken, Metropark and Newark Penn were outfitted first, WCBS 880's Levon Putney reported.   
Safety and Health

MTA Tabs Former NTSB Director Mayer as Chief Safety Officer    
Progressive Railroading - October 28, 2014
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) yesterday announced the appointment of former National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Managing Director David Mayer as the agency's first chief safety officer, a position created to reinforce safety as a top priority for all MTA agencies.  Mayer will begin his new duties Dec. 1 and report to MTA Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Prendergast. "Having someone to oversee and lead safety initiatives throughout the system can only enhance and improve our efforts," said Prendergast in a press release. "David's experience with the National Transportation Safety Board, and exceptional work on safety projects in all modes of transportation, makes him the best person for the job." 
Labor News
The Oregonian - October 24, 2014
The Amalgamated Transit Union Local 757 has voted to ratify its new contract with TriMet, Oregon's largest transit agency.  Bruce Hansen, president of ATU Local 757, announced Friday afternoon that the union, which represents bus drivers, MAX operators, mechanics and support staff, had approved the deal, which goes into effect immediately. 
Washington Post - October 24, 2014
Most large Bikeshare systems - those racks full of clunky rental bikes parked in docks that have been springing up all over American cities - are far from self-regulating. The number of bikes at the docks fluctuates, with full stations that can't take more bikes and empty ones that can't rent them out, which can paralyze movement between them.  
Green News
Utah Pulse - October 23, 2014

The Utah Clean Air Action Team, convened and facilitated by Envision Utah at the request of Gov. Gary Herbert, has recommended investment of additional resources in public transit and active transportation as a key way to improve air quality along the Wasatch Front.  The Clean Air Action Team noted that about half of polluting emissions originate from automobiles. By expanding public transit and encouraging more walking and biking, per capita driving could be reduced by 10% by 2050. That would reduce daily automobile emissions by about 8%, contributing to improved air quality.

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