Metro has long used clever advertising campaigns to communicate certain “rules of the rail” to customers. Now Metro St. Louis is trying something similar. According to a post on the agency’s blog (disclosure: they were blogging before us) St. Louis buses and trains now have bold signage telling riders a few key messages: “Loud Music is Loud”, “Foul Language is Offensive”, “Undercover Officers on Board” and my personal favorite, “Public Urination is Illegal”. A thoughtful commenter on the blog brings up a good point: “People don’t pee in elevators because they want to be disrespectful, they do it because there is no where else to go. Install a bathroom in/near metrolink stations and 100-1 it solves the problem better than a sign.”
Even though we’re already a couple of weeks into 2010, it’s never too late to set out some goals or wishes for the new year. That’s just what the Environment Defense Fund’s Way2Go blog has done with this list of their top 10 transportation wishes for the year. Some of my favorite items on the list: improving pedestrian safety, making real-time transit data a reality (“At the very least, riders should know when the next bus is coming”), and implementing pay-as-you-drive auto insurance. The last is a great way to encourage people to try alternatives by sensibly making it cheaper to drive less.
Pasadena real estate guru Brigham Yen has a post on his blog with news that the Filmore Gold Line station will be getting a nice cosmetic upgrade in the form of a pedestrian plaza. Transforming the currently rather lifeless cul-de-sac with landscaping, bike racks, seating and other amenities is expected to take six weeks. Brigham has some nice pictures of the current state of the station as well as a conceptual drawing of the proposed improvements.
The rest of today’s headlines, compiled by the Metro Library, after the jump.
As Bicycle Sharing Plans Develop, LaBonge Would Rather See Bike Stations
LAist
Bicycle Sharrows Could Be On L.A. Streets By May
LAist
EPA Chief: We Need To Do More To Reduce VMT
DC StreetsBlog
Flying Bicycle Lane Lets You Soar Above Traffic
Inhabitat
Forums To Focus On 710 Tunnel
La Canada Valley Sun
Gold Line Fillmore Station Getting Makeover
Brigham Yen
Harnessing The Web: SAN’s eMedia Initiatives Inform Travelers, Connect With The Community (San Diego International Airport’s social media and cross-marketing)
Airport Business
High Speed Rail To Cross Taylor Yard
EGP News
LaHood Wants More TIGER Aid In The Congressional Jobs Bill
DC StreetsBlog
Las Vegas Monorail Bankrupt; Ambac Faces Exposure
Reuters
Less Cars, More Public Spaces
City Parks Blog
Mark Your Calendars: LADOT To Hold Meetings About Bus Service Cuts
LAist
Mayor’s “Online Budget Challenge” Forces Players To Pick Privatized Parking
LA StreetsBlog
[New York] MTA Unveils Open Data Policy, Clearing A Path For NYC Transit Apps
StreetsBlog
New Transit-Funding Rules Make Streetcars More Desirable
Wall Street Journal
Night-Owl Bus Riders Face The End Of The Line
OC Weekly
NTSB To Consider Final Report On Chatsworth Rail Crash
Los Angeles Times
The Rise Of the Megaregion: The Idea Of “Megaregions” Is Getting A Bit Too Much Mega-Hype (although transportation is “one area of public policy where a megaregional approach really does make sense”)
Governing
[Washington, D.C.] Metro General Manager John Catoe Jr. To Resign
Washington Post
Way2Go’s To Do List: 10 Transportation Wishes For 2010
EDF Way2Go Blog
The Wilshire Subway: Oh, Say, Can You Sea?
CityWatch
Would You Mind Turning That Down? I’m Trying To Ride Public Transit
NextStop
Categories: Transportation News