Transit
Basics
The Transit Budget in Congress Only Looks Good in Comparison to Trump’s Threats
Back in March, the Trump administration released a budget proposal that included draconian cuts to transit. Now budget bills are moving through the GOP-controlled House and Senate, and while the threat to transit isn't as severe as what the administration was calling for, it's still alarming.
August 1, 2017
Boston’s Fairmount Line Could Be a National Model for Commuter Rail, But It’s Not There Yet
Commuter rail in the United States mostly caters to affluent suburbanites who commute to the city center. Even though these lines pass through working class city neighborhoods that stand to benefit enormously from better transit, the service they provide passes those communities by. It doesn't have to be that way.
July 31, 2017
Richmond, Virginia, Shows How Smaller Cities Can Get Serious About Transit
The city has started work on its first BRT route, which could be the beginning of an 80-mile network.
July 20, 2017
The Bus Network Redesign in Indianapolis Will Be Like Launching a Brand New Transit System
What Indianapolis is doing deserves attention, especially from other spread-out American cities looking to spend their transit dollars as efficiently as possible. The big change is a complete reshaping of bus service, which will be like setting up a brand new transit network.
July 11, 2017
Dallas Council Members Say Bus Network Overhaul Can’t Wait
Dallas's winding, confusing bus routes are ripe for rethinking, and the City Council wants to act fast.
July 10, 2017
St. Petersburg Transit Chief Gives Up Car For a Month-Long Listening Tour on Buses
The CEO of the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority is changing his schedule -- and getting an earful.
July 6, 2017
With Seattle Transit Funds Under Siege By State Legislators, the Governor Rides to the Rescue
Things are looking up transit riders in Washington, where Democratic Governor Jay Inslee fended off attacks on transit funding. But in Ohio, Republican Governor John Kasich delivered a blow to transit service with a stroke of his veto pen.
July 5, 2017
What If Atlanta Taxed Parking to Keep Housing Affordable?
A tax on parking could generate funds for affordable housing and transit in Atlanta. The question is whether the city has the political appetite to enact it.
July 3, 2017
As Jobs Sprawl Outside Indianapolis, Transit Tries to Keep Pace
The suburbanization of jobs in Indianapolis has put more and more entry-level positions far from the urban transit network - out of reach, in other words, for many people without advanced degrees who need those jobs. But to their credit, suburban employers and local governments have been working together to make the best of this situation.
June 30, 2017
An All-Too-Rare Idea to Improve Transit: Put People Who Ride Transit in Charge
It's hard to improve transit service if the people who oversee transit policy don't know what makes for good service. And yet, agency boards are often dominated by political hacks with little or no transit expertise -- many don't even know what it's like to ride the transit systems they oversee. Dallas is trying something different.
June 30, 2017
