Transit
Basics
The Looming Transit Breakdown That Threatens America’s Economy
While federal transit funding stagnates, the nation's largest rail and bus systems have been delaying critical maintenance projects. Without sustained efforts to fix infrastructure and vehicles, the effects of deteriorating service in big American cities could ripple across the national economy, according to a new report from the Regional Plan Association [PDF].
November 16, 2015
Transit vs. Highways: Which Came Out on Top in Local Elections?
There were several local ballot measures with big implications for streets and transportation yesterday, and results were all over the map. Here's how three of the most notable votes turned out.
November 4, 2015
House Transpo Bill Spells Trouble for Transit Projects Across America
A provision in the House GOP's new transportation bill threatens to upend how transit agencies fund major capital projects, delaying or killing efforts to expand and maintain rail and bus networks.
October 23, 2015
Simple, Creative Ideas to Build a Better Bus Stop
Waiting for the bus can be a pain. To make transit more appealing, nothing beats frequent service, but studies have shown that if you're going to wait, small improvements like shelters and information about when the next bus is coming can make the wait feel shorter.
October 1, 2015
Without Transit, American Cities Would Take Up 37 Percent More Space
Even if you never set foot on a bus or a train, chances are transit is saving you time and money. The most obvious reason is that transit keeps cars off the road, but the full explanation is both less intuitive and more profound: Transit shrinks distances between destinations, putting everything within closer reach.
September 28, 2015
North Carolina Lawmakers Try to Sabotage Durham-Orange Light Rail
State lawmakers in North Carolina launched a sneak attack this week on plans for light rail between Durham and Orange County -- and nobody's sure exactly who's behind it or why they did it.
September 17, 2015
A Major Bike Lane Upgrade, Brought to You by Portland’s Transit Agency
Michael Andersen blogs for The Green Lane Project, a PeopleForBikes program that helps U.S. cities build better bike lanes to create low-stress streets.
August 18, 2015
Cities Lead the Way as U.S. Car Commuting Takes Historic Downturn
The decline is small in number, but in the scheme of things, it's huge: New census data [PDF] out last week show car commuting among Americans is finally, after decades of growth, starting to reverse itself.
August 17, 2015
People Won’t Ride the Tysons Corner Metro If They Can’t Walk to Stations
A year after the Washington Metro opened the Silver Line in Northern Virginia, apartment rentals are booming and development is roaring ahead. But Martin Di Caro of WAMU reported Monday that the Metro itself isn’t meeting expectations:
August 5, 2015
Transit Union Slams DRIVE Act
Yesterday, the Senate passed both a three-month transportation extension and a six-year reauthorization bill (albeit with three years of funding), which the Senate hopes to workshop with the House in the fall. The bill’s name itself -- the DRIVE Act -- raised the hackles of transit advocates. Looking deeper, it seems those advocates have more to worry about than just semantics.
July 31, 2015