Today’s Headlines

  • Washington D.C.’s transit system is looking at a budget deficit even if it hikes fares (GGW)
  • Arizona officials acknowledge their state’s era of ‘roads before transit’ is over (AZ Rep)
  • Columbus, Ohio, helping private company bid for stimulus cash to build high-speed rail cars (Dayton DN)
  • The government agency that regulates transport of dangerous cargo has been co-opted by industry (AP)
  • Google developing its own solar power technology (Reuters)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Photo: Bradlee9119 via Flickr

Needed: A Federal Program to Boost Transit Service

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Editor’s note: This article originally appeared on Transit Center and is republished with permission.  On March 13, 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the Federal Transit Administration responded to the emergency by enabling transit agencies to spend federal funds to run buses and trains. It was a break with longstanding policy. Normally, federal grants are reserved […]

On the Pitfalls and Benefits of National Transit Safety Standards

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The second hearing in three days on the Obama administration’s proposal for national transit safety rules made headlines mostly for its affect on the Washington D.C. area, where Sen. Barbara Mikulski’s (D-MD) blistering critique of the local Metro rail system prompted high-level management switches. "There’s a saying in our business," APTA President William Millar (above) […]

Will Private Transit Startups Help or Hurt Public Transit?

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The rise of private transit operators like Bridj, Leap, and Uberpool has raised questions about equity in places including the Bay Area, where such services are fast replicating. A related issue is the impact they will have on traditional public transit systems. Private transit vehicles have been described as “like a lounge on wheels,” with […]