No free rides, pretty boy

Nice piece in GOOD Magazine on the “Big Mammas” of U.S. transit.  Shows what it takes to build a truly robust system.  But there are costs saved, obviously, after these investments–and not just intangibles like gained productivity and air quality but costs of fuel, public health, etc.

Learn ‘em youths some transit

You hear a decent amount about transit agency work with youth around safety–watch out for train tracks, etc.  I don’t know how much transit agencies are doing to make transit riders out of younger riders (youth and  young adults).  So, this work in Philadelphia seems really interesting.

It’s also something of a relief to know that Austin isn’t the only community dealing with challenges implementing rail transit; Norfolk, Virginia seems to be having similar challenges.

Transit and foreclosures

Interesting article documenting a new study examining how locating a home near transit can affect whether or not it goes into foreclosure.  It may be a bit of a stretch, but certainly, conversations about transit-oriented development in Austin have included serious consideration of how to make affordable housing possible for those residents who really need transit (don’t have a choice), so this bears review.

Take a hike

No one really wants or likes to see transit fares hike up, but the hikes unveiled in the Washington, D.C. Metro seem quite reasonable to me.  Austin got into trouble when fare hike discussions began because they hadn’t made any changes to fares in quite some time, so the correction seemed fairly drastic to many of those most affected (disabled, seniors, impoverished, etc.).  Washington seems to have done this more prudently, with a ten cent increase that, evidently, will stave off service cuts.  That seems to be the exception, rather than the rule, in transit nationally these days, but I hope it becomes a trend–absorbable increases in fares, rather than service cuts.

Easy on the eyes

I don’t really know how much visual aesthetics play a role in a person’s transit experience–whether or not some chooses to ride transit based on how beautiful or ugly they find a station or a bus to be.  I would suspect it plays some role, though maybe not a make-or-break one (as in, “I’d ride, but the station is just so ugly.”).

Nevertheless, I stumbled onto these striking subway stations around the world and was pretty mesmerized.  Obviously, I’m going to ride transit regardless of how nice it looks, but this almost becomes a tourist attraction.  I don’t know that it’s the kind of thing I’d support having massive public financial backing (i.e., higher fares or taxes for stunning subway stops), but it would certainly make me look forward to riding, and it would become the pride and joy of a city or area.

Dallas charges ahead

This update on progress for the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) plan to expand light rail certainly makes this Austinite green with envy, to a certain extent; after all, we have no rail here except for the two Amtrak trains a day and all the freight cars.  So, it’s frustrating for a sprawling megaplex like Dallas to have light rail expansion discussions while we’re struggling, as a relatively compact city, to open a single line.

Nevertheless, I think it’s laudable that Dallas is moving as quickly as they are with light rail, particularly to connect DFW to downtown Dallas–given the distance between them and the significance of DFW to travelers around the world.  What’s also interesting to me is the debate over alignment–how the City Council adamantly wants the line to go to the convention center hotel, even if it means spending over $250 million more than other alignments would cost (not including the political capital other lines might require).

Obviously, it makes good planning sense to have transit, particularly rail transit, connect key points of assembly, but I think it’s important that such considerations not lead to dramatic increases in cost.  I haven’t seen the exact map of the alignments under consideration in Dallas, but I would submit that transit riders can absorb a slight walk (a handful of blocks) to key destinations.  Before Dallas spends hundreds of millions of dollars extra (particularly stimulus dollars) to ensure the line goes right up to the convention center hotel’s front door, it should consider the possibility of asking its riders to walk a few blocks rather than cough up a lot more in tax dollars.

Level playing field

This story in the Houston Chronicle is framed around light rail in Houston, but I think it warrants broader attention.  Essentially, it seems as if the federal government will think about how transit can support more sustainable land use patterns than sprawling suburbs.  By thinking more broadly about how transit can reinforce walkable neighborhoods and not just connect suburbs, the Obama administration stands to make a greater impact on congestion.

Goooooooooo……Houston?

I don’t really enjoy sending compliments Houston’s way, even though I love my family and most close relatives live there, but I do think Houston deserves props for moving full speed ahead on light rail.  Land is Houston is used so haphazardly that it remains to be seen whether transit can ever make a meaningful dent on single-rider car use, but I really applaud Houston for going after it and setting an example for many other cities to consider.

Rolling rolling rolling…keep them railroads rolling

I’m encouraged to see Republican Florida Governor Charlie Crist sign a bill into law that encourages more high speed rail in Florida–a state that’s seen some success with commuter rail but could really benefit, I think, from inter-city rail.

I’m particularly pleased that the bill includes some “restoration and enhancement” funds rather than just new lines.  As I’ve said before, it’s a lot cheaper to maintain than to build new, but it’s not always as politically “sexy,” so I’m glad Crist is willing to commit to maintenance, not just new capital.

Disabled enabled

Good news for riders of “paratransit” services–where transit agencies provide door-to-door services to those unable to get to a bus stop along a fixed route.  Technology now exists to allow agencies to track where those paratransit shuttles/vans are and  get them to clients more quickly.  Let’s hope that innovations like this encourage those debating between taxis or driving themselves to err on the side of transit.