Transit
Basics
Think of Trump’s Budget as an Attack on Cities
Yesterday Donald Trump released a budget outline that calls for severe cuts to transit, and the reaction was swift and scathing. The National Association of City Transportation Officials called it "a disaster" for cities. Transportation for America said it was a "slap in the face" for local communities that have raised funds to expand transit.
March 17, 2017
Trump’s Budget Takes an Axe to Transit
The Trump administration has released its budget blueprint, and it's a bloodbath for everything that's not defense spending. In keeping with the budget's general hostility to cities, transit would be hit especially hard.
March 16, 2017
Columbus May Offer Free Transit Passes to All Downtown Workers
For the last year and a half, Columbus's Capital Crossroads Special Improvement District has been piloting a free transit pass program for 844 downtown workers. The share of workers in the program who commute via transit increased from 6 percent to 12 percent, and now it might be expanded to all 40,000 workers downtown.
March 13, 2017
Atlanta’s Streetcar Investment Is Not Paying Off
Unable to assemble new funding from the state to significantly improve the rapid transit system, the city of Atlanta chose to focus on a cheaper-to-implement streetcar line. But more than two years after launch, ridership on the streetcar is falling far short of expectations.
March 9, 2017
Why Cities Are Starting to Decriminalize Fare Evasion
With renewed public attention on the excessive criminalization of poor people and people of color, some transit agencies and law enforcement officials are reevaluating their fare evasion policies.
March 8, 2017
Charlie Baker’s Transit Policy Isn’t About What’s Best for Boston — It’s About His Image
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker has carefully cultivated the image of a business-minded Republican intent on running government more efficiently. But when it comes to transit, Baker's spending priorities are not consistent with his pragmatic persona.
March 7, 2017
A Fixation on Parking Threatens Transit Progress in Atlanta
Darin Givens is frustrated with how Atlanta is planning for the future. “We don’t feel like the city is building transit that fits needs, or places that fit transit,” says the founder of local advocacy site Thread ATL. “You see nodes of density nowhere near transit, located nowhere near a MARTA station or a regular MARTA bus. We’re not matching development and transit.”
March 2, 2017
Talking Headways Podcast: Transit Predictions for 2017
This week we’re joined by Yonah Freemark, author of the Transport Politic and Streetsblog’s new series Getting Transit Right. Yonah and I predict what's in store for transit in the next 12 months and break down the results of last year’s transit predictions.
February 27, 2017
Local GOP Reps Counting on Elaine Chao to Trip Up Transit Projects
Acting on the behest of Congressional Republicans opposed to high-speed rail, earlier this month Transportation Secretary Chao delayed a $647 million grant for Caltrain electrification, throwing its future in doubt. It looks like Republicans in other states were watching and learning.
February 27, 2017
Will Caltrain Electrification Win Out Despite the California GOP?
The electrification of commuter rail service between San Jose and San Francisco was all but ready to begin construction when Donald Trump's transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, pulled the rug out from under the project earlier this month. Local officials are trying to adjust on the fly to salvage the project.
February 27, 2017
