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 Headlines blog, which you can also access via email subscription or RSS feed.
Residents want a reduce Bergamot Transit Village (Santa Monica Daily Press)
A coalition of neighborhood groups held a protest outside Santa Monica City Hall on Monday, imploring city officials to reduce the size of the planned commercial and residential development next to a future Expo Line stop. Their big complaint: traffic is bad enough in the area without adding 325 or more residential units amid a 766,000-square-foot development. As one critic says, housing in the area is in short supply — meaning many workers have to commute to their jobs in Santa Monica. Which, of course, is also a pretty good argument for building as many residential units as possible.
Transit agencies have a powerful story to tell legislators (Welcome to the Fast Lane)
Source: U.S. Department of Transportation.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood uses new national transit ridership stats — 2011 was the second-highest transit ridership year since 1957 — to argue Congress needs to pass a long-term transportation spending bill. Excerpt:
The benefits of transit are enormous. Transit helps connect Americans with jobs, education, medical services, groceries, and more. It helps us spend more time with our families, avoid the stress of driving in traffic, lighten the burden on our congested roadways, lower our dependence on fossil fuels, and reduce our carbon emissions. And, for the many Americans who don’t drive, transit provides the only way to get where they need to go.
APTA’s ridership study tells us that Americans need and want public transit. But FTA, APTA, and transit agencies across the country can’t meet the current and growing demand for transit services unless Congress passes a long-term transportation plan.
The above chart also makes a compelling argument that transit ridership is tied to both gas prices and employment.
Bike thief (New York Times)
Filmmaker and cyclist Casey Niestat has had his share of bikes stolen during his time living in New York City. Click above to watch his film in which Niestat steals his own bike several times to demonstrate how few people are willing to stop a bike theft in the Big Apple. He finally gets caught — after dozens of people ignore him. Great video.
Categories: Transportation Headlines
I’m from New York City and even we New Yorkers can’t build housing fast enough (8 million people live in the 5 boroughs and counting). The problem in some Los Angeles areas, it seems, is that they don’t want their city turned into New York or Washington or Boston: more focus on mass transit, expansion of the rail system, less dependence on the car, etc.
The Bergamot Transit Village is exactly what Santa Monica and Los Angeles County needs! Over 300 housing units would be built to go along with an expanded Expo Line to Santa Monica in the coming years. That should be a no-brainer no matter where you live.
Traffic in LA is already the worst in the nation as it is. As Metro continues to expand mass transit (especially rail transit), it only makes sense that Santa Monicans and West LA residents should look at the big picture and support the Bergamot Transit Village.
Coming from Chicago, I assure you that the Midwest does not equate to ample parking.
Somehow Sustainable Living, According to Westsiders means.
1. Empty Streets, Plenty of Free Parking close to a destination at all times of the day, No Traffic
2. Tons Commercial Hubbub, Jobs, Activities, Restaurants, etc. of New York.
You want Empty Streets? Move to the Midwest. There you can have parking lot after parking lot after parking lot after parking lot. Cheap Free Parking all day!
But where are the stores?
They’ve been turned to parking lots!
I’m not even a transportation planner and I get the logic. Jeez.