http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/masstransit/ en-us Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:27:37 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271082/posts ... Q. President Obama has talked about his desire to wean Americans off automobiles. A. What we’ve talked about is getting to a concept that we call livable communities, where people don’t have to get in a car every day. You can use light rail, you can use buses, you can use walking paths, you can use your bike. Q. The conservative columnist George Will recently denounced you as the “secretary of behavior modification,” in reference to your plan to have Americans give up cars. A. When George came over here for lunch, I could tell from the tone of... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2271082/posts#comment Sat, 13 Jun 2009 15:27:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2259195/posts Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood defended the pro-mass transit policies of the Obama administration today, and fired back at conservative writer George Will, who devoted an entire column to attacking LaHood earlier this week. "We have to create opportunities for people who want to ride a bike or walk or take a streetcar," he said. "The only person that I've heard of who objects to this is George Will." Will wrote a column in Newsweek magazine criticizing the secretary, whom he dubbed "Secretary of Behavior Modification," for supporting measures to wean commuters off automobiles. LaHood, a former Republican congressman from Illinois,... The Boston Globe http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2259195/posts#comment Wed, 27 May 2009 18:04:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2256597/posts Note: The following text is a quote: YOU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report Warden Message: Colombia High Threat Environment for Terrorism & Crime CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS Americas - Colombia 22 May 2009 RELATED REPORTS 14 May 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: COLOMBIA CONFIRMS H1N1 2009 INFLUENZA CASES 20 Apr 2009 FARC CONTINUES TO TARGET COMMERCE IN EXTORTION CAMPAIGN 25 Mar 2009 TRAVEL WARNING: COLOMBIA 20 Mar 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: COLOMBIA BLACK MARCH ADVISORY 27 Jan 2009 WARDEN MESSAGE: BOGOTA, COLOMBIA, EXPLOSION; REPORTS OF TWO FATALITIES The U.S. Embassy Bogotá issued the following Warden Message on May... OSAC.gov - Consular Affairs Bulletin - Report http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2256597/posts#comment Fri, 22 May 2009 22:51:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2243292/posts Gov. David A. Paterson called on Saturday for the Legislature to vote early this week on a financial rescue plan for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority despite being unsure if there were enough votes to pass the measure in the Senate. ... The authority rescue plan centers on a payroll tax to be paid by employers in the 12 counties served by the transportation authority. The tax would generate about $1.5 billion a year. But four suburban Democratic senators have blocked the plan, saying the tax would burden school districts, nonprofit groups and businesses. Every Democratic vote is needed to pass... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2243292/posts#comment Sun, 3 May 2009 18:40:21 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2237552/posts Unless the state intervenes, in five weeks New Yorkers will face steep fare hikes on buses, subways and commuter rail lines. They'll also face deep cuts in train and bus service. ... Five years ago, the MTA's labor costs were $5 billion. Now they are nearly $7 billion. The big drivers have been pension and health-care costs, up 42%. MTA employees, even those who perform what might be called retail jobs, like station clerks, can retire as early as 55 with generous pension and health benefits. This is not compensation for a lifetime of low wages. Average pay for the... Wall Street Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2237552/posts#comment Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:44:46 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2205147/posts LOS ANGELES — Suppose the federal government gave you and your neighbor $500 each to buy a new bike, but what you really wanted was a $250 shopping spree for running gear instead. So you offered to sell your $500 federal check to your neighbor for $250 in cash so everyone’s dreams could be realized. That is essentially what several cities in Los Angeles County planned to do with federal stimulus money, until the local transportation authority, its face slightly reddened, pulled the plug on the plans. A spokeswoman in Washington for the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure said... The New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2205147/posts#comment Thu, 12 Mar 2009 16:31:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2153519/posts Hopping on a streetcar to get to work has a 1930s vibe to it. While streetcars continue to ride the rails in many European cities, they have largely vanished from American cities, and they have a nostalgic aura. But in spite of this, and spurred by the current economic downturn, Americans continue to use public transportation at record levels. More than 2.8 billion trips were taken on public transportation in the third quarter of 2008 -- a surge of 6.5 percent over the third quarter of 2007 and the largest year-to-year increase in 25 years. Light rail had the highest... KTNV-TV / Driving Today http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2153519/posts#comment Wed, 24 Dec 2008 01:42:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2140981/posts The Greater Toronto Area needs a gazillion dollars to fund Metrolinx, a mega mega transportation system of light rail, commuter trains, subways, highways, roads, and bicycle paths designed to reach every ward in an 8,000 square kilometre operating region approaching six million people. It will cost more than governments can afford, say its government backers. The answer, the backers say, is a toll road system that extends across the GTA and finances the transit megaproject. I have a better idea. Install the GTA-wide toll road system and scrap Metrolinx. Once roads are tolled, the population growth that is now projected... Financial Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2140981/posts#comment Mon, 1 Dec 2008 20:15:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139161/posts A state commission appointed by Gov. David A. Paterson is expected next week to propose a rescue package for the financially imperiled Metropolitan Transportation Authority that includes a new tax on corporate payrolls and tolls on the East River and Harlem River bridges, several people informed of the plan said on Wednesday. The commission, led by Richard Ravitch, a former chairman of the authority, will also recommend an increase next year in fares on subways, buses and commuter railroads, as well as in tolls on the bridges and tunnels it currently controls. But those increases would be much smaller than... New York Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2139161/posts#comment Thu, 27 Nov 2008 14:47:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138918/posts Nov 26, 2008 5:00 pm US/Eastern "Feds Warn Of Terror Plot Against NYC Subways Homeland Security: Expect Larger Police Presence In NYC And In Major Cities Across U.S. During Holidays" ARTICLE SNIPPET: "NEW YORK (CBS/AP) ― Federal authorities are warning police of a possible terror plot against the New York City subway and train systems during the holiday season, prompting local officials to beef up security at stations. An internal memo obtained by The Associated Press says the FBI has received a "plausible but unsubstantiated" report that al-Qaida terrorists in late September may have discussed attacking the subway system. A... WCBSTV.com - Breaking News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2138918/posts#comment Wed, 26 Nov 2008 23:29:57 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103250/posts Click on the link to view the Beijing to Tianjin High Speed Rail link The Chinese are really up to something. Skyscrapercity forum http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2103250/posts#comment Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:59:20 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083268/posts At a time when public transportation systems around the country are struggling with soaring fuel costs and pinched budgets, the bus system in Rochester has done something that few others would contemplate: This month, it lowered its single-ride fare. Rochester’s Regional Transit Service is no behemoth. It carries 15 million riders a year, as many as the New York City transit system carries in two days. But as economic hard times have reduced tax revenues and increased demand for government transit subsidies, its experiences may provide valuable lessons for larger cities that are planning fare increases, like New York, Minneapolis... NY Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083268/posts#comment Tue, 16 Sep 2008 05:00:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063928/posts Mass transit is not a greener form of transportation. Some transit systems take twice as much energy per passenger than private cars do and are highly dependent on fossil fuels, according to studies from the Department of Energy (DoE). But how can this be? A full bus or trainload of people is more efficient than private cars, sometimes quite a bit more so, says Brad Templeton, founder of ClariNet Communication Corporation. However: Transit systems never consist of full vehicles, but in order to encourage riders, systems offer frequent service which results in emptier vehicles outside of rush hour. Transit vehicles... ncpa.org http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2063928/posts#comment Mon, 18 Aug 2008 21:19:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043713/posts Dust storms that fouled Kern County’s air in May could mean months of delay for two major Kern County freeway projects. A project to widen Highway 46 from Holloway Road west to Highway 33 at Blackwells Corner will almost certainly be delayed for five months or more, said Ron Brummett, executive director of the Kern Council of Governments. And the Westside Parkway in Bakersfield, a freeway that’s to run west from a point near Highway 99 to Heath Road, might also be delayed if dickering over air quality standards goes on too long. The Environmental Protection Agency, Brummett said, is... The Bakersfield Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2043713/posts#comment Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:46:48 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041771/posts Think there's no such thing as too much parking? Take a look at Tysons Corner, where there's more parking than jobs, more parking than office space, more parking than in downtown Washington. That must change, said advocates and politicians seeking to transform Virginia's largest business hub from suburb to city. Reducing parking, charging for parking and finding new uses for the acres of parking that separate Tysons' buildings and the people inside is at the heart of plans to remake the area.... "Who wants parking spaces to be the hallmark of a development?" said Clark Tyler, chairman of a Fairfax... Washington Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2041771/posts#comment Mon, 7 Jul 2008 12:34:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2037335/posts While watching CSpan yesterday they were debating a bill to pour more dollars into mass transit. I got to wondering how the majority of CongressCritters and their staff get to work. Do you think they utilize DC's mass transit system? self http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/2037335/posts#comment Fri, 27 Jun 2008 17:35:31 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027092/posts A group of teenagers on a MAX train robbed some recent high school graduates from Boise who were on a road trip to Portland, police said. Police arrested Alan Jamerson, a 17-year-old described in court papers as the ringleader in the Wednesday robbery. He was charged with four counts of second-degree robbery and appeared in court today. Three other suspects, ages 13, 15 and 16, were taken to juvenile detention on robbery charges. The teenagers from Boise were waiting at the Overlook Park platform in North Portland and told police that 10 to 15 young men started to harass them.... Oregon Live! http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2027092/posts#comment Fri, 6 Jun 2008 15:25:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993152/posts HARRISBURG -- With a section of a Pittsburgh bridge dropping 8 inches and an Interstate 95 support pillar cracking in Philadelphia, Gov. Ed Rendell is turning up the heat under the Legislature to provide infrastructure repair funds more quickly. Mr. Rendell sent a letter to all 253 legislators yesterday urging quick passage of a $240 million "supplemental debt authorization." His program of borrowing would enable state officials to fast-track repairs on some of the state's 6,000 bridges classified as structurally deficient, along with fixing ailing highways, repairing "state-owned, high-hazard dams" and beginning flood mitigation projects. Also yesterday, Mr. Rendell called... The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993152/posts#comment Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:59:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980924/posts Driving down to Austin lately has become a real trip. I-35 is usually packed for most of the 185 miles, and what used to take three or four hours now can take five or six. Flying down can take almost as long, when you figure in airline security delays, more flight delays, and the time it takes getting into and out of crowded airports. But what if it took 45 minutes to travel from the Metroplex to Austin by train or an hour to make a trip to Houston? Advocates of high-speed rail lines are floating these ideas once again... Fort Worth Weekly http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980924/posts#comment Wed, 5 Mar 2008 21:47:33 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980539/posts n a bulletin released Friday to U.S. law enforcement officials, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is warning of “continued strong terrorist interest” in targeting mass transit systems in the U.S. The 10-page threat assessment, labeled “Unclassified/For Official Use Only” and obtained by NBC News, cautions that the “U.S. mass transit and passenger rail systems are vulnerable to terrorist attacks because they are accessible to large numbers of the public and are notoriously difficult to secure.” Previous rail attacks in Madrid, London and Mumbai “could inspire terrorists to conduct similar attacks in the United States,” the report adds. However, the authors... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1980539/posts#comment Wed, 5 Mar 2008 03:47:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1974455/posts n what may have been the first hint of victory for opponents of the Trans Texas Corridor, a high-ranking Texas Department of Transportation official said Thursday he regretted his agency's communication failures and said one proposed version of the corridor, a 10-lane super highway with rail and utility pathways, will "probably not" be built in East Texas, based on the overwhelming resistance to the idea expressed at public hearings on the project this month. Phillip Russell, assistant executive director for innovative project development at TxDOT, was the keynote speaker at the Lone Star Legislative Summit at SFA Thursday, where he... The Daily Sentinel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1974455/posts#comment Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:17:00 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948679/posts FORT WORTH, Texas, Jan 3. -- Just before New Year's Eve, a Fort Worth mother was kicked off the public bus for reading the Bible aloud to her children on the way to church. "What kind of person pulls over public transportation and kicks out a mother and her children for reading their Bible on the way to church?" said Kelly Shackelford, Chief Counsel for Liberty Legal Institute, the legal organization representing Christine Lutz. "Freedom of religion exists on public transportation just like anywhere else." Christine Lutz was reading the Bible to her children while on the way to church... Standard Newswire http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1948679/posts#comment Sat, 5 Jan 2008 12:26:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902740/posts Governor favors linking rate to cost of road work Maryland's gasoline tax would go up in 18 months -- and possibly sooner -- if Gov. Martin O'Malley's plan to add $400 million a year in transportation funding is approved by the General Assembly. Although an immediate increase in the gas tax is not part of the $2 billion revenue plan the Democratic governor has been rolling out over the past week, he said Monday that he will push to tie future increases to the rising cost of road and bridge construction materials. At present rates of inflation, that would average... Baltimore Sun http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1902740/posts#comment Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:31:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1899565/posts FReep This Poll! What is the best way to reduce traffic congestion? * Widen and/or build more freeways. * Add more carpool only lanes. * Improve mass transit options. * Encourage working from home. * Limit new housing development. Go to the North County Times/The Californian link provided. Scroll down a bit and look for the poll on the right hand side. Vote your choice. Poll should remain active until Thursday (09/20/07) evening. North County Times/The Californian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1899565/posts#comment Thu, 20 Sep 2007 14:47:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1896816/posts After conducting business as though it were a private entity rather than a public trust, the Texas Department of Transportation is now trying to turn the tide of public opinion in its favor. The Keep Texas Moving campaign is a $7 million to $9 million effort designed to promote various transportation projects in the state. According to the campaign site, www.keeptexasmoving.com, Texans can learn more about such projects as the vast Trans-Texas Corridor and "its promise for Texas." Unfortunately, TxDOT has a history of not being entirely forthcoming about transportation plans. Last year, agency officials and the road-building consortium Cintra-Zachry... San Antonio Express News http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1896816/posts#comment Sat, 15 Sep 2007 01:13:28 GMT