Public Transit

Los Angeles County's transit agency has increased its marketing efforts in recent years. This piece from The City Fix suggests the push has been an effective tool and that other transit agencies should take note.

December 11, 2009 - The City Fix

With 100 percent subsidies, transit agencies could drop the pretense of being businesses and serve many more people -- or so proponents say. Agencies aren't so sure.

November 24, 2009 - InTransition Magazine

The recession has made many commuters more transit-dependent while shrinking the public coffers that may for the bulk of transit service. Without further subsidies, agencies face tough choices because of this "incredible paradox."

November 18, 2009 - InTransition Magazine

A few days ago, I was trying to take a streetcar in Toronto- and the streetcar was just as congested as any suburban arterial. The lines in front of streetcars were so long that I couldn't get into the first streetcar. Or the second. Or the third. Instead, I had to wait a few minutes (horrors!) for the fourth streetcar. I asked myself: what if streetcars only ran every hour, instead of every few minutes? Would the streetcars be equally crowded? Of course not. People would abandon the streetcars and start to use cars (if they owned them) and buy them (if they did not yet own them).

October 19, 2009 - Michael Lewyn

Arlington, Texas, is home to the Dallas Cowboys' football stadium. But as the largest American city with no public bus or rail lines, getting to the stadium is no easy task.

September 19, 2009 - The Dallas Morning News

Scheduled for completion in 2036, a 12.5 mile extension of Los Angeles' subway is progressing too slowly for some officials. That includes the city's mayor, who is hoping to pick up the pace.

August 23, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Despite strong opposition from taxi driver associations, a new bus rapid transit system is set to open later this month in Johannesburg, South Africa.

August 23, 2009 - AllAfrica

Big metropolitan transit agencies are struggling through the recession, with many considering cutting services and raising fares, according to astudy by Transportation For America and Transportation Equity Network.

August 20, 2009 - Reuters

Philadelphia's public transit system is preparing to launch a new service that makes bus and train arrival times available to riders' handheld devices.

August 7, 2009 - Plan Philly

A huge but largely under-noticed portion of public transit money goes to paratransit -- equipment and services to transport disabled people. Now, cheaper alternatives are emerging.

July 28, 2009 - Governing

An American-born transit planner who help usher in congestion pricing and smart transit card technology in London has been nominated to chair New York's transit system.

July 16, 2009 - The New York Times

The recently passed House climate bill only dedicates 1 percent of funding to public transportation projects. Some are arguing that needs to be increased when the bill heads to the Senate.

July 9, 2009 - The Washington Independent

This post from Treehugger compares subway fares from around the world.

July 2, 2009 - Treehugger

The story of how an iPhone application charting public transit arrival times led to as-yet-unanswered questions about who owns this public data -- or whether it can be owned at all.

June 29, 2009 - SF Appeal

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) says service cuts are imminent, and invites the public to weigh in on how the cuts will play out.

June 25, 2009 - Chicago Tribune

As attention to energy efficiency and climate change continue to pervade the thinking and planning of the future transportation system, we are increasingly challenged to make very real decisions about the prudence of various investments. The current context for decision-making offers perhaps the greatest uncertainty regarding the future witnessed in the lifetimes of people in the planning profession today.

June 23, 2009 - Steven Polzin

A debate over the MBTA fare hike will begin soon in earnest, focusing on whether the MBTA needs money.

June 16, 2009 - The Boston Globe

Municipal Railway officials in San Francisco recently unveiled a proposal to remove a certain amount of bus and street car stops.

June 13, 2009 - San Francisco Chronicle

More Chicago area residents are riding transit when compared to figures form 2003, and they're riding more often.

May 1, 2009 - Chicago Sun-Times

The government of New South Wales is considering a plan to remove fares for public transit.

April 28, 2009 - The Daily Telegraph