Category Archives: Transportation Headlines

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Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 15

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Reducing flight delays at O’Hare (Welcome to the Fast Lane)

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says a plan to modernize Chicago’s airport — the nation’s second busiest — is a go. The airfield will get two new runways, as well as new taxiways and a runway extension, which Secretary LaHood says should help reduce delays. Now, if they could do something about the weather…

Larger passengers may lead to bus design changes in the U.S. (Bloomberg)

The federal government at present assumes the average passenger weighs 150 pounds on a bus. But the Federal Transit Administration has proposed raising that to 175 pounds — meaning that’s what manufacturers have to take into account when designing safety features. The agency — putting it diplomatically — says the proposal reflects “changes” in the weight of Americans in recent decades.

Mapping all of America with key Census data — block by block (Primary Resources)

The Metro Library’s blog takes a look at the New York Times’ mapping project using census data collected between 2005 and 2009. As Primary Resources explains, readers can use the NYT data to look at trends within their own census tracts or even smaller areas such as city blocks. It doesn’t look like the NYT did much with transpo data — but I encourage our readers to play around with this database to see if they find anything interesting. If so, please let us know at sourcemetro@gmail.com. I just spent the past few minutes looking at some data on my own neighborhood. Interesting stuff.

Transportation headlines, Monday, March 14

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

A bike shop in Tokyo on Friday evening after the earthquake struck. Photo by Alex Williams, via Flickr.Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

In pursuit of a way home, commuters turn to bikes in Tokyo (The Urban Country)

Facing an arduous commute with rail lines shut down and roads clogged or damaged, many people in Tokyo visited the local bike shop to buy a bike. Some reports indicate that shops sold out of bikes quickly, perhaps because many of the city’s residents face commutes too long to walk.

Japanese rail lines running on limited basis (Bloomberg)

Many rail lines around the country on Monday were running, at best, limited service. Crowds were very heavy in the Tokyo subway, which is normally the world’s busiest with eight million daily boardings.

Interactive map of the damage from the Japanese earthquake and tsunami (New York Times)

The map shows the great extent of the damage to the country and its infrastructure and also allows viewers to see well organized photos from across Japan. The photos are informative, surreal and in many cases very sad.

Toll lane project faces renewed opposition in Congress (L.A. Times)

Rep. Gary G. Miller (R-Diamond Bar) and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles) both told The Times they oppose Metro’s ExpressLanes project to charge single motorists a variable toll to use carpool lanes on parts of the 10 and 110 freeways. Rep. Miller said it’s a form of double taxation; Waters said it creates a system of haves and have-nots. The story also noted that similar congestion pricing projects have been implemented in many other locales, including San Diego, Texas and Florida, where the toll lanes caused rush hour speeds to rise in both the toll lane and general purpose lanes. It remains unclear if the project could be stopped at this point even if Congress and the White House were to oppose it, which hasn’t happened anyway. Metro received a $210-million grant — initially approved by the Bush administration — to try the tolling experiment for one year. The money is also being used to purchase new Metrolink rail cars, rebuild the El Monte Transit Center and add an extra carpool lane on the 10 freeway between downtown L.A. and the 605 freeway. For more information on the toll lanes, which could open by 2012, visit the ExpressLanes FAQ on Metro’s website.

Census maps for L.A. County (blogdowntown)

Check out the informative maps created with recently released data from the 2010 Census. One of the maps tracks population growth (or loss) by census tract in L.A. County. Among the tracts that were big gainers: Playa Vista on the Westside and tracts in downtown L.A. and downtown Pasadena.

Transportation headlines, Friday, March 11

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Tokyo commuters form 200-meter taxi line as trains shut down (SF Gate)

Tokyo’s famous rail systems were shut down after the devastating 8.9-magnitude earthquake that struck Japan yesterday. This led to a taxi line longer than two football fields forming at the city’s main rail station as commuters clamored to get home to their families. No subway related casualties have been reported.

Greenest homes are those near public transit (USA Today)

A study from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency reveals that homes near public transit are more energy efficient than suburban homes – even Energy-star rated suburban homes. The reason is simple — by being “location efficient” residents can greatly reduce the largest energy drain suburban households face: transportation.

Amtrak reaches 16-straight months of ridership growth (Progressive Railroading)

After its best February on record, Amtrak is riding a 16-month wave of ridership growth. The rail company attributes the growth to the improving economy, new marketing initiatives and the addition of WiFi on trains in the north east. Ridership is expected to rise even more with gas prices. In Southern California, Amtrak’s Pacific Surfliner ridership increased by 6.1 percent and the L.A. to New Orleans Sunset Limited increased by 12.6 percent.


Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 10

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

The world is his parking spot (The Economist)

New Yorker economics writer John Cassidy recently penned a blog post opining that New York City was adding too many bikes too quickly, there weren’t enough cyclists to fill them and that the bike lanes didn’t meet the cost-benefits criteria of good economics policy. As would be expected, cycling advocates (and others) subsequently almost exploded in outrage. Here is a very well reasoned response to Cassidy that points out that driving has its share of “costs” that Cassidy seemed to overlook — namely the pollution it causes. Cassidy has written a second post on the subject in which he defends his original position. Fun!

High-speed rail coming to..Victorville? (L.A. Weekly)

Here’s a good look at some of the Nevada politics in play over the proposed Desert Xpress high-speed rail line between Victorville and Las Vegas. The gist of it: No one seems to have any idea if people will really drive 80 or so miles from L.A. to jump on the train in Victorville for the rest of the journey, nor are there any guarantees that the line would be extended to Palmdale, which puts it somewhat closer to L.A., Metrolink and the Anaheim-to-San Francisco high-speed rail (if that gets built). Of course, all this depends on the Xpress getting some big money from the feds and that’s no sure thing — although it may help that Sen. Harry Reid is now backing the Xpress after getting some recent backing from an Xpress supporter in his reelection campaign. Fun!

High-speed rail not coming to downtown Riverside (Riding in Riverside)

Planning is underway for an eventual extension of the California high-speed rail line from Los Angeles to San Diego, via the San Gabriel Valley and Riverside. But the train won’t actually stop in downtown Riverside with choices narrowed to other locales preferred by local government or other institutions. Among those is the old March Field Air Force base. Okay, Source readers — let’s stop and think about this one. One of the big arguments in favor of high-speed rail is that it can go straight into cities, sparing travelers the time-gobbling drive to the nearest airport. Unless, of course, the station is at the…airport. Fun!

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, March 9

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Build America Bonds for transportation (National Journal)

The latest installment of the National Journal’s “Expert Blogs” asks a panel of Washington insiders whether they think the Build America Bonds program should be revived for transportation investments, as has been proposed by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.). The program, which expired last year, was started by the Obama Administration to help localities pay for building critical infrastructure. In the past, Metro took advantage of the program to raise over $500 million, and an extended B.A.B. program could help finance parts of 30/10.

Study: Los Angeles traffic congestion is number one in U.S. (again) (L.A. Weekly)

Several studies have already pointed out that L.A. has some of the worst traffic, but this one — from a firm that offers traffic navigation services — ranks some of the most congested freeways in the nation. Perhaps unsurprisingly, parts of the 405, 10, and 5 freeways are all in the top 10. If there’s good news it’s this — Metro is involved in road or transit projects on all these corridors. Steve will post about that a little later this morning.

Could Farmers Field reshape L.A.’s thinking about public transit? (Neon Tommy)

The first blue ribbon committee on the proposed downtown L.A. stadium convened yesterday with traffic on the mind. One of the advantages of the downtown location is the high density of transit service in the area. But officials want to know that would-be stadium builder AEG is going to have a good plan in place for handling large crowds. At the hearing, Fixing Angelenos Stuck in Traffic executive director Hilary Norton posited that you just need to get someone to try transit once and they’ll appreciate the benefits.

Transportation headlines, Tuesday, March 8

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Driving’s back up…or is it? (New Republic)

While the total mileage driven by Americans is at its highest level since 2007, the amount that each person drives has remained about the same over the past decade. But this blog post doesn’t delve into theories why. Leave your theories on the comment board please.

Financing the Nation’s Infrastructure in Our Age of Cutbacks (The Transport Politic)

Yonah Freemark at The Transport Politic takes a look at the state of transportation infrastructure in the United States and finds a country that seems for the most part content to let its roads and rails decay. On the federal level there is talk of grand plans for transportation investment but no clear plan to fund these investments — the main funding mechanism, the federal gas tax, has remained unchanged since 1993 and no one on either side of the aisle seems interested in changing that. States also seem disinterested in transportation improvements — as evidenced by recent decisions in Florida and other states to decline high-speed rail projects. The glimmer of hope lies in cities like Los Angeles and Denver where citizens have voted to tax themselves for better transport infrastructure. Could L.A.’s 30/10 Initiative be the last chance for meaningful transportation investment in the nation?

Zipcar deal expected to save city [Chicago] $400,000 (Chicago Sun-Times)

Here’s a smart public-private partnership that would be great for any city (ahem…) to look into. The city of Chicago has entered into an agreement with car-sharing giant Zipcar to reduce costs associated with government vehicles by giving city employees access to Zipcars. City employees will be able to reserve Zipcars for $5.95 an hour and taxpayers will save $400,000. Chicago taxpayers currently spend $135 million each year on city vehicles.

Should the EPA regulate greenhouse gases? (Science Insider)

That’s the subject of a House of Representatives energy committee hearing today, with Science Insider live blogging the event. Some in Congress do not believe greenhouse gases need regulating and are skeptical of climate science — so the hearing should be a good overview of both the science and the politics. Science Insider is live blogging. If you believe in greenhouse gases, then you already know one common source: your vehicle’s tailpipe.


Transportation headlines, Monday, March 7

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

For electric car owners, a way to share juice (New York Times Green blog)

A new app called PlugShare would help electric car owners find homeowners willing to let them plug in and recharge their vehicles. The firm that came up with the app says it will mostly help electric vehicle owners in a pinch for some juice.

Fact-checking Florida’s high-speed rail debate (PolitiFact Florida)

Statements from elected officials on both sides of the debate over a Tampa-Orlando line are often only half-correct, barely correct or outright false. Hmm. This is a fun read.

Should Expo Line’s Westwood station have parking (L.A. Streetsblog)

A good look at a still unresolved issue involving the Expo Line Phase 2 stop on Westwood Boulevard, which is just a short walk to the busy intersection of Westwood and Pico boulevards. On one hand, no parking would still allow for a dropoff area, as well as open space that could be used in a variety of ways. If there is parking, there’s room for 170 spaces. Any thoughts from readers on this? Please leave a comment.

Arroyo Seco Parkway turns 70 (Primary Resources)

In case you missed it, here’s a good look by the Metro library’s blog at the history of the Parkway, which opened in 1941 and put a lot of people back to work. The library dug up a lot of photos and illustrations of the Parkway, now better known as the Pasadena Freeway. Excerpt:”The six-lane, six-mile long highway was designed for 27,000 automobiles a day. These days, it carries more than 122,000 cars daily.”

Best transit agency list includes Metro (U.S. News)

Metro was ranked 7th in the country based on the magazine’s formula that took into account spending on transit, safety and ridership. Other cities making the top 10 were Portland, New York, San Francisco and Honolulu. Of course, U.S. News’ rankings of different things have also been criticized–the New Yorker recently devoted a story to ripping it’s annual college rankings, which it found to be very subjective.

Transportation headlines, Friday, March 4

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

How universal is transit’s geometry? (Human Transit)

Jarrett Walker pens another thoughtful piece that clarifies the so-called “geometries” of transit. In the article he proposes an alternate planet with an alien race very different than ours – he calls them “borts.” Despite the alien nature of the borts, Jarrett demonstrates with a few simple assumptions, their transit needs are the same – proving the universal aspects of certain transit planning concepts.

Residents express concern about Green Line (The Beach Reporter)

One Measure R project that doesn’t get much press is the Green Line extension into the South Bay. The project is still in the draft environmental review stage and under the current schedule is still many years from getting underway. But that hasn’t stopped some South Bay residents from worrying about what a rail line through their neighborhoods might mean. Many of the concerns are typical: worries about increased traffic congestion, noise and vibration from passing trains and  safety.

Parking permit revenue down due to transit pass success (PCC Courier)

Introduced in spring of 2010, I-Pass is a partnership between Pasadena City College and Metro that offers full-time students discounted transit passes – a nice incentive to get students out of their cars while saving the college from building more pricey parking garages. But the success of the program has led to a reduction in parking permit revenue that, ironically, helps fund the I-Pass program. While the program has been a success – 15 percent of full-time students own I-Passes – it’s not enough to make the program sustainable without a subsidy. There are plans to integrate I-Pass sales into class registration, which would hopefully increase the number of students buying passes.


Transportation headlines, Thursday, March 3

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

Backfire! With Cleaner Cars, People Drive More (Treehugger)

In Sweden, the law of unintended consequences is on full display. The country prides itself on its green credentials. But its national transportation agency has reported that the popularity of more fuel efficient cars has actually lead to an increase of car-based emissions. The conclusion: When people start saving money by driving fuel efficient cars, sometimes they end up driving even more than before.

Top World Bank Economist: U.S. Should Invest in Infrastructure (Infrastructurist)

Infrastructurist pulls together some juicy quotes about the critical need for the U.S. to increase its investment in infrastructure. More broadly, according to a financial analyst at Morgan Stanley, the key is increasing spending on enhancing productivity. Infrastructure, education and research and development investment would all do the trick.

UCLA faculty assess the opportunities presented by California’s planned high-speed rail system (Daily Bruin)

With the California High-Speed Rail Authority Board in town, here’s a timely piece. Four researchers at UCLA are examining how communities along HSR routes can maximize the economic and social benefits of a station. By studying systems in China, Germany and Japan, they’ve concluded that two keys are locating stations in city-centers and providing ample connections to local transit services.

Speaking of the CAHSR board, they’re meeting in Los Angeles this morning in the Metro Board Room starting at about 9 a.m. A live webcast is available here.

Transportation headlines, Wednesday, March 2

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Here is a look at some of the transportation headlines gathered by us and the Metro Library. The full list of headlines is posted on the library’s blog.

If congestion pricing is so great, why don’t businesses do it? (The Atlantic)

The writer argues that most people don’t want to pay extra to (hypothetically) cut in line at the grocery or (in reality) have a faster drive. Yet, her own arguments suggest that in many cases people will pay more for convenience. Maybe they don’t like it and others resent them for it — but they do it.

Muni objects to state criticism of its lines (San Francisco Chronicle)

The California Public Utilities Commission has released a long list of problems it found with the Muni rail system, alleging there’s bad wiring and that the system is in disrepair. Muni officials are fighting back, saying that the oldest system in the state is in good working order and that they’re tirelessly working to keep it that way. An intriguing standoff, considering the Muni averages 145,000 boardings a day in one of America’s most celebrated cities.

Buses versus high-speed rail (KALW News)

On the East Coast and in the Midwest., low-cost bus services have been on the rise connecting cities such as New York and Boston (for example). They’re not super fast, but they get the job done and this post wonders whether feisty bus companies could one day drain ridership from high-speed rail. This is a very interesting read.