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DOT Head Sympathizes With Transit Cuts…But Says Meager Budgets Will Continue
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Transportation For America’s United States of Transportation Cutbacks
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This map—courtesy of our friends over at Transportation For America—show how widespread the negative effects of the recession has been. Click on a pin to see transit agency details, and what cuts are being considered (yellow pins designate a Stranded at the Station case study).
In a speech given earlier this week to the heads of transit agencies from across the country, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood expressed support for growing transit systems in American cities, but warned that a “lousy economy” would hinder efforts to increase levels of federal investment.
The speech, given as part of the annual conference held by the American Public Transportation Association in Washington, D.C., included a question and answer session, where transit heads expressed frustration at the lack of a permanent, transit-friendly successor to the federal surface transportation policy which expired last fall (Congress has been passing a series of short-term extensions in the meantime). Passengers across the country have been hurt as transit agencies faced with widening budgetary shortfalls—due to decreased commuter traffic resulting from high levels of unemployment, and decreased tax revenue in general—are forced to choose between cuts in service and fare hikes. (New Jersey Transit, New York City’s MTA, and Washington D.C.‘s WMATA have all recently been faced with these decisions)
More after the jump…
Posted by NARP
Tags: apta, budget cuts, commuting, economy, fare increases, public transportation, ray lahood, recession, service cuts, t4america, transit, travel,Flag Stops: Getting At the True Cost
Monday, August 16, 2010
The Federal Railroad Administration released a summary of the applications received for the next round of high(er)-speed intercity passenger train funding—$8.5 billion requested by 25 states, with only $2.3 billion available. These applications drive home the error Congress is making in reducing next year’s funding figures for the high speed rail program. Former Rep. Al Swift and the American High Speed Rail Alliance share NARP’s sense of urgency that Congress must increase the available funding if we want a train network that will help us meet our mounting energy and mobility challenges. Fortunately, it’s not too late to make your voice heard—the full Senate has yet to finish its version of the 2011 transportation spending bill, and the measure will likely go to a conference committee once the Senate acts.
Other noteworthy stories:
—Malcolm Kenton
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: al swift, american high speed rail alliance, bridge over the valley, congress, gary friedly, high-speed rail, portland press herald, public transportation, save money, take action, transportation funding, us dot,The Debilitating Aspects of Auto Dependence
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
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Here are excerpts from Erik Weber’s excellent piece for the DC-area smart-growth blog Greater Greater Washington, challenging the notion that an automobile-based transportation system increases freedom of mobility. The havoc wreaked on the nation’s midsection by the latest blizzard underscores the necessity of intercity passenger train service to keep people moving when cars and planes fail. The more people have the train travel choice available to them, the less we will be crippled by the hazards of increasingly severe weather (thanks to climate change), gas price fluctuations, and congestion on the roads and in the skies.
—Malcolm Kenton
Residents of Washington’s outer suburbs struggled Wednesday night with horrendous traffic on the city’s commuter routes. At the same time, many DC residents were enjoying happy hours, snowball fights and otherwise carrying on with their lives. By the time people in the central city were fast asleep, many suburbanites were still fighting to get home.
People often say they prefer driving over transit because a car allows you to go where you want, when you want. Events like last week’s storm or the week-long blizzard last February highlight problems with this strategy.
Even under normal circumstances, though, how many of us drive to work at 6 am “to avoid traffic” or forgo a shopping trip “because the parking lot is too crowded” or take a detour on a trip because “the football game is letting out?” As Carla Saulter, the Seattle Bus Chick, has said, driving a car doesn’t necessarily mean being in control.
Posted by Malcolm Kenton
Tags: auto dependence, development patterns, lexington ky, natural disasters, public transportation, smart growth, suburbia, transportation and land use, walkability, washington dc,AAA Says: “using public or alternative transportation options could save you money”
Tuesday, August 09, 2011
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| Your Driving Costs 2011 |
It took them awhile, but they’re here with the rest of us. Maybe not all the way. But this is a confirmation: rationality can only be put off for so long.
The District of Columbia’s Department of Transportation blog, goDCgo, took a look at the AAA’s 2011 edition of Your Driving Costs, a report that has been put out annually by the Association since 1950. The findings of the report are no surprise: driving is getting more expensive. If you drive a midsized sedan 15,000 miles in a year, you can expect to pay around 58.5 cents per mile, or $8,775 in total for the year. That’s up 1.9 cents per mile from 2010, or $285. (Keep in mind, AAA is using $2.88 per gallon. That was average price of a gallon of gas at the end of 2010. However, the average gas price for the summer of 2011 is nearer to $3.65 per gallon, pushing the AAA’s figure around 21% higher). But goDCgo came up with something else—something quite surprising:
If you commute to work by car, figure about $58 in total vehicle expenses per 100 miles. If that seems like a lot, driving a more fuel-efficient model or using public or alternative transportation options could save you money.
That’s right: the AAA admitted that you can save money by getting out of your car. Syllogistically, America’s leading automobile advocate is saying that communities with an overdependence on cars cost American families. And keep in mind, this concession from AAA comes just a few weeks after this refreshing bit of calling-a-spade-a-spade from Car & Driver’s July 2011 issue, where the magazine looked at the decline of America’s transportation network:
”The inevitable conclusion is that we cannot possibly build enough roads to satisfy demand, so we must consider alternative transportation systems… we need to take a hard look at what role highways should play and how they fit into the broader transportation network.”
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There are still huge obstacles to overcome in the pursuit of a modern and balanced transportation system (including a biggie next month, when the House will attempt to move forward a bill that slashes transportation funding by a third). But when the automobile lobby is calling for balanced transportation choices for the public, it’s safe to say train and transit advocates have succeeded in making our case, and that the facts are on our side.
-Sean Jeans-Gail
Posted by NARP
Tags: aaa, cost of driving, fuel efficiency, gas prices, public transportation, transportation alternatives,©2010 National Association of Railroad Passengers | » NARP website
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