Transportation headlines, Monday, March 8

by Fred Camino , March 8, 2010

The Boston Globe has an opinion piece that calls for the end of the anti-urban bias in national politics. For those who doubt such a thing exists, one only has to look at national subsidies of highways, homeownership and suburban school system – all of which lure families out of central cities and into sprawling suburbs. The author notes that investment in trains is not necessarily the answer as any transportation investment tends to favor suburbs since dense cities already have a fantastic way of getting around – walking.

LAist reports that nice chunk of money, in the sum of $89 million, is headed to California public transportation as part of grant from the American Recovery and Investment Act. The Metro Blue Line is going to get almost $70,000 of that cash for a traction power substation. The big winner this round is Metrolink – the agency will receive $4.7 million for track improvements and positive train control, as well as other improvements.

The Snob On a Bus blog has an interesting idea to encourage regular ridership on public transit: frequent rider miles. Taking a cue from the many private business that employ similar incentive programs, the Snob believes a program that encourages ridership by offering some sort of freebie after so many rides would go a long way in getting repeat customers on Metro buses and trains. She even went so far as to contact Metro to share the idea. Unfortunately, Metro’s response was clear: due to the reduction in funding, it’s not possible to offer free rides. Maybe so, but to this Metro rider it seems like a darn good marketing idea.

The rest of today’s headlines, compiled by the Metro Library, after the jump.

Diamond Lil: A Busload Of Sustainable Dining (Restaurant owner and self-professed “public transportation junkie” retrofits a 1957 GMC bus as a fully featured eatery on wheels)
GOOD

Enviros, Villaraigosa Slam Out Of State Oil Companies For Threatening CA Greenhouse Gas Laws
StreetsBlog LA

The Failed State Of California: The Changing Landscape Of America
New Geography

Feds Gives $89 Million In Public Transit Funds To California
LAist

First Two Metrolink CEM Cars Have Arrived! (includes video and photos of unloading at port)
Metrolink Blog

Frequent Rider Miles?
Snob On A Bus

High-Speed Rail’s Airport Connection
Transport Politic

Initiative To Rewrite The Entire State Constitution Takes A Step Forward
LAist

LaBonge Calls For Arts District Rail Spur: Proposal Would Extend Red And Purple Lines To Sixth Street
Los Angeles Downtown News

Life’s Last Journey On A Street Car Named Descanso
Eastsider LA
Pacific Railroad Society’s Descanso Streetcar History Page

Obama To Nominate Ex-Army General To Head TSA, Sources Say
CNN

On A Bike, Reinventing L.A. (video : a day in the life of local biketivist Ramon Martinez)
YouTube
Bicycle Kitchen

PCC, Metro Team Up To Provide Low-Cost Transit
Pasadena Star-News

Rebuilding America From Ore To Assembly
Huffington Post