Transportation News Roundup
It's been a busy couple of days for transportation news over at Planetizen, the primo source for urban planning news on the Web!
Did you know for example that California's Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger kiboshed efforts to obtain over a billion dollars in federal funding for 29 projects to improve commuter rail lines, choosing instead to seek funding for one line only: a nearly 800-mile bullet train link between San Diego and San Francisco? His reasoning was that it would improve its chances for actually receiving the stimulus money.
For those wishing to commute somewhat less than 800 miles, there is a new study from US News and World Report documenting the U.S. cities with the shortest commute distances. Reasoning that high rates of public transportation don't necessarily translate into shorter commuting times, the researchers looked for cities with shorter commuting times first. They found that the 15 top cities are characterized by various combinations of walkable neighbourhoods, extensive investments in cycling infrastructure, and excellent transit services. With fewer people on the roads in cars, commuting times drop for everyone.
Meanwhile, over at the Freakonomics Blog, Eric Morris argues that transit services shouldn't treat everyone equally. Wealthier users tend to travel longer distances on more expensive modes (i.e., commuter rail) and during peak hours, while poorer riders use buses during off-peak times. He is therefore pleased to learn that New York's MTA is going to institute reduced off-peak fares. This should only be a first step, in his view: transit authorities should also consider distance-based fares.
Such pricing regimes can vary, but those for safety should not. That's the argument from the Obama Adminstration, which is seeking legislation to set and impose safety standards for the nation's transit systems. The Administration is concerned over the number of accidents in subways and light rail systems, which went up over 180% in the five years between 2003 and 2008.
Surely some of this can be blamed on the deplorable state of America's transportation infrastructure. That's the argument of Bob Herbert, writing in the New York Times, who laments that America appears to have forgotten the economic importance of transportation infrastructure. He speculates on two alternate futures: One in which the nation has invested in light rail, electric vehicles and a smart grid, and the other in which the nation's roads, bridges and rail tracks continue to deteriorate to unusability. Which future the country actually gets will depend, he says, on decisions made now.
Commuters in Minneapolis/St. Paul might have a more sunny take on their infrastructure: they just saw the opening of the $317 million, 41-mile Northstar Commuter Rail line connecting Minneapolis to western exurbs in Anoka County. It is expected to be used by long-distance commuters working in the Twin Cities.
Those in England, however, may well agree with Herbert: many of that nations' train stations are deteriorating. The condition of these stations (some of which date to the 19th century) is so bad that Transport Secretary Lord Adonis is personally touring the worst of them to determine what is to be done. According the BBC website, "the signs of decay...are everywhere." And just to make sure the government knows the extent of the problem, they're soliciting readers to submit their candidates for the worst station on their website.
At the other end of the age-o-meter is the freshly-minted LRT system in LA. Christopher Hawthorne, writing in the LA Times, celebrates the opening of the Gold Line Extension, and believes that the region's light rail connections are "remaking the physical and psychological terrain of Los Angeles in profound ways." At a basic level, he argues, more transit means more pedestrians, as well as new connections forming between parts of the city -- and populations -- that have for too long been divided.
This is precisely why Enrique Penalosa (the "father" of Bus Rapid Transit) is disappointed by the Ahmedabad BRT in Gujarat, India. In an interview with the Indian website DNA, he points out that the ample parking lot at the station should have been given over to enhance pedestrian accessibility. Making space for pedestrians is essential if a city is going to have lively public spaces -- and, he adds, vibrant local shops.
Finally, the Netherlands is considering a distance-travelled fee on motorists. Starting in 2012, GPS units mounted in each Dutch car would record the kilometers travelled and transmit this to a collection agency, which would then send drivers a bill, for 7 U.S. cents per km, raising it to 16 U.S. cents by 2018. Passed by cabinet, the bill still needs parliamentary approval.
So there you have it...the highlights from just one day in transportation news. Clearly -- there's a lot happening in sustainable transportation news, so much so that it's hard to keep track of. As this review demonstrates though, Planetizen is a great source for transportation news.
posted by The Centre for Sustainable Transportation at
8:46 PM
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