Voters in four suburban cities will decide next year whether to abandon Dallas Area Rapid Transit, a potential blow to the $850 million system that carries more than 50 million riders annually.
Compared to other forms of transit, public buses are cheap, flexible and plentiful. But policymakers aren’t that interested in buses, and ridership is declining. It’s a problem that needs fixing, argues Steven Higashide.
The Regional Transportation District’s Accountability Committee issued a report urging the transit agency to attract riders before they establish post-pandemic routines of commuting to work by car, highlighting poor ridership as a top concern.
States like Arizona and Texas have positioned themselves as hubs for autonomous vehicle testing and deployments, in part, by creating regulatory landscapes that are easy for new companies to navigate.
The state capital has a modest-sized transit system, so taking out the farebox during the pandemic was easy and so far everyone likes the outcome. But making free bus service financially sustainable could be harder.
The concept that everything should be within a short walk or bike ride keeps coming up, but making it a reality raises challenging questions.
Before self-driving vehicles can be safely deployed in cities, the technology must learn all of the diversities of driving and pedestrian behavior, like the technically illegal “Pittsburgh left.”
The city will begin its $230,000 campaign to try and increase public transit ridership, which dropped 80 percent in March 2020 and is still 60 percent below pre-pandemic levels.
Ridership on trains and buses has plunged, yet crime is on the rise. Transit advocates say now is the time to change how to handle fare evaders and illegal behavior. But will the riding population feel safer?
Duluth Transit Authority has proposed reducing the number of bus routes by half and creating two high-frequency routes that will have buses running every 10-15 minutes throughout the day.
The $3.4 billion contract with the Sacramento-based company will begin in 2024 and provide Amtrak with at least 73 new hybrid battery trains. Siemens Mobility claims the new trains will increase sustainability and comfort.
The transportation sector accounts for 29 percent of the state’s greenhouse gas emissions and switching freight trains from diesel to electricity could significantly reduce that measure. But officials predict the changeover could be costly.
Loretta Weinberg, the “Jewish grandmother” of the Garden State’s political arena, has battled with Chris Christie and Andrew Cuomo to get better transit for the common worker. Now, it’s time to say goodbye.
As COVID fears lift in Arizona and other states, people with disabilities are using ride services again, but there's a dire driver shortage. That has left many riders waiting in extreme heat.
While wealthy cities have managed to grow transit ridership, overall numbers have dropped by nearly 50 percent since 1970. The decrease in riders makes it harder for officials to support future transit investments.
Some New York legislators have proposed using federal infrastructure funds to revive the city’s streetcars, providing a nostalgic alternative to the bus. But transit advocates think the money should be used elsewhere.
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