Posts Tagged "transit"
As transit becomes ‘must-have economic development tool,’ will Congress help?
An excellent piece in the Washington Post this morning caught up to the topic we have been raising here for some time: Good transit service and walkable locations with nearby places to live, eat and shop are essential for economic development in today’s world. Which makes us wonder: Is Congress listening?
New training academy brings together key leaders from three ambitious regions
Twenty-one local leaders representing three regions with ambitious plans to invest in public transportation gathered today in Raleigh, NC, to kick off the first yearlong Transportation Innovation Academy, sponsored by T4America and TransitCenter.
15 issues to watch in ’15, Part II: Places
It’s a challenge to craft a list of only five states, regions and cities that have important or notable things happening this year. Whether states attempting to raise transportation revenue this year, states changing key policies and continuing to innovate how they choose or build transportation projects, or local communities going to voters to raise money for new projects, there’s no shortage of places worth watching this year. Here are five that rose to the top, but tell us what you think we missed, in your area or elsewhere.
House bill extends transit benefit through 2014, leaving permanent extension in doubt
Transit commuters would get two weeks’ worth of additional tax benefit under a House bill introduced yesterday.
Leaders say St. Petersburg transit measure key to economic success
Voters in Pinellas County, Florida, which includes St. Petersburg and borders Tampa, have the chance to approve a one percent sales tax next week that will raise $130 million per year. The money will kickstart a 24-mile light rail system, improve and expand their bus system by 65 percent, build bus rapid transit lines, and increase important regional connections.
After spurning it for decades, suburban Atlanta county seems poised to join regional transit system
Though many cities or counties will be deciding ballot measures to raise local funds for transportation in a few weeks, in many states local jurisdictions have to get permission from their state legislature to decide those questions locally. One of the most notable examples of this will be taking place in a county in the heart of metro Atlanta, Georgia.
Denver’s ambitious transit expansion plan was almost left at the station
Denver’s amazing bet on an ambitious and comprehensive plan to expand their transportation network a decade ago very nearly crashed upon takeoff. Getting creative and staying committed to the vision helped them weather an economic storm and pull off “a public transit miracle.”
Transit still more popular with millennials, despite their upbringing
One of the deepest studies of attitudes about public transportation, published yesterday, finds that core fundamentals like speed, reliability and cost are far more important to millennials than wi-fi or smartphone apps. They’re open to riding it even more, but like everyone else, find that there just aren’t enough neighborhoods being built that have great transit options.
Four senators introduce bill to help finance transit-oriented development
Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ed Markey (D-MA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) have introduced an important bill to make it easier for communities to support economic development around transit stations. For any community with a high-capacity transit line – subway, light rail, bus rapid transit – encouraging walkable development around the stations is […]
From state to town, Michigan takes strong steps toward a better transportation future
Perhaps no place illustrates the national positive trends in transportation at the ballot box (and state legislatures) better than Michigan, where citizens voted to raise taxes for transportation investments in cities and counties across the state, at least one anti-transit elected official was ousted, a Republican governor led the charge for regional transit investment in the state’s biggest metro and when given a chance to bail in the name of “cost savings,” voters doubled down on their existing transit systems.
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