tagged w/ Public Transportation
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Detroit is hellhole, but this is what happens to a major manufacturing city when the government decides to screw the people, send all the jobs overseas and then encourage people that the police will protect them.
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People who catch the bus in Detroit may be waiting awhile Friday. About 100 Detroit Department of Transportation bus drivers are at work, but are refusing to drive their buses.
WWJ Newsradio 950′s Scott Ryan spoke with Henry Gaffney, spokesman for the D-DOT bus drivers union AFL-CIO Local 26, who said this was not an organized maneuver by the union.
Gaffney said it’s a matter of bus drivers fearing for their safety, citing an incident that happened Thursday afternoon.
“Our drivers are scared, they’re scared for their lives. This has been an ongoing situation about security. I think yesterday kind of just topped it off, when one of my drivers was beat up by some teenagers down in the middle of Rosa Parks and it took the police almost 30 minutes to get there, in downtown Detroit,” said Gaffney.Detroit is hellhole, but this is what happens to a major manufacturing city when the... more
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Scion’s iQ brings urban style, comfort and functionality to the auto-market. The iQ embodies the ideals and values of Urban Mobility with its sleek design, safety features, tight handling and roomy interior. As the world’s smallest 4 seater, the iQ is full of big ideas in a concentrated, compact, innovative design.
What are the most innovative features of the iQ?
Scion’s iQ brings urban style, comfort and functionality to the auto-market.... more
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Concept vehicles like Terreform's Hug n' Kiss land car, Gordon Murray's T.25 & the Libert-E electric scooter are just some of the highlights from this year's Urban Mobility segments that inspire you to think about the future of urban transportation and challenge you to explore your world consciously. Check out another innovative new vehicle, Scion's iQ, which is turning concept into reality in this week's Urban Mobility.Concept vehicles like Terreform's Hug n' Kiss land car, Gordon Murray's... more
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If you have ever been to Disney then you know about its famous monorail system. But did you also know that the Disney monorail was the first daily operating monorail in the Western hemisphere, or that it carries some 50 million passengers per year? Other monorails have made an equally impressive impact, including the Tokyo monorail, which averages 127,000 passengers a day. With such proven results in moving large numbers of people, why are monorails only largely designated to shuttle services between airports and hotels?
(Photo credit: Getty Images)
The monorail, like the PRT, has had a difficult time getting the green light for developing new and more complex systems. Primary resistance has come from local government agencies deeming monorails a high-risk investment. A major disadvantage for the monorail system is its incompatibility with other types of rail infrastructure, which would make service on mainline (train) tracks impossible. This means an entirely new system would have to be installed, which would be both costly and time-consuming. There are several advantages however, of these systems – mainly that they require less space both horizontally and vertically than conventional railways. Monorails also have a smaller footprint and are seen as a more attractive alternative to traditional railways, they are quieter and safer as they are incapable of derailing.
Personal Rapid Transit systems, like the ones featured in this week’s video segment are similarly attractive as monorail systems in terms of public transportation services. Their quiet ride, safety and low environmental impact make them an ideal solution for mass transit. However, as with the monorails, they also face tough opposition from groups citing lack of research into urban integration and access considerations on elevated tracks.
If you could choose a new type of public transportation for your city, what would it be?If you have ever been to Disney then you know about its famous monorail system. But... more
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Personal Rapid Transit systems, like the one found in London’s Heathrow airport, sound like the perfect solution to air and noise pollution caused by other forms of mass transit. The biggest hurdle to overcome, as noted by Vectus’ designer Christoffer Ogeus, is not the technology itself but the price-tag associated with constructing new PRT networks.
Costing nearly $80 million to build, systems like the PRT are not a top priority for most urban areas as policy makers are afraid to take risks on ‘unproven’ investments. As seen in previous Urban Mobility segments, the design and technology exist to build cleaner and safer means of transportation; however, getting the projects beyond the development phase is another story.
How would you convince your local policy-makers to consider systems like the PRT for your city? Or do you think there are other alternatives to government-funded transportation projects?Personal Rapid Transit systems, like the one found in London’s Heathrow airport,... more
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Personal Rapid Transit systems, or PRT's like those found in London's Heathrow airport, offer an energy saving form of personal transportation. Consisting of electric, lightweight, fully automated vehicles, the PRT system runs on demand to pick up passengers at one stop and drive them directly to their destination, eliminating intermittent stops like that of buses and trains.Personal Rapid Transit systems, or PRT's like those found in London's... more
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City transportation can be hectic, loud, hot and smelly - choice adjectives people have used to describe their daily commutes. Pod car systems like the Personal Rapid Transit, or PRT, would eliminate many of the headaches faced by urban commuters by providing quiet, electric, single passenger pods designed to save time and energy.
How would you describe transportation in your city?
Be sure to check out current.com/urbanmobility for more news, community discussions and upcoming videos about Urban Mobility.
City transportation can be hectic, loud, hot and smelly - choice adjectives people... more
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HopStop, a web and mobile application that provides door-to-door directions in 37 metropolitan centers, has expanded into 20 additional markets (listed below), including San Diego, Honolulu and Columbus, Ohio.
The company has also redesigned its site, which includes enhanced navigation options and better sharing features.
http://mashable.com/2011/06/20/hopstop-redesign/HopStop, a web and mobile application that provides door-to-door directions in 37... more
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Jesus had two dads. And He turned out just fine. Gay rights group is putting this poster on public transportation in Dublin Ireland.Jesus had two dads. And He turned out just fine. Gay rights group is putting this... more
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In honor of Earth Day, Brett Erlich showcases all of the fun and exciting things that you're missing out on by not taking Earth-friendly public transportation.
infoMania is a weekly half-hour satirical show that puts a comedic spin on the 24/7 media overload. Picture the ultimate office water-cooler, only with funnier co-workers who willingly stay up late imbibing all forms of media so you don't have to. Hosted by Brett Erlich and co-starring Sergio Cilli, Erin Gibson, Ben Hoffman and Bryan Safi, infoMania airs on Thursdays at 11/10c on Current TV.
Go to http://current.com/infomania for more, and make sure to check out our Facebook profile for special features at http://facebook.com/infomania.
Current Media, the Peabody-and Emmy Award-winning television and online network founded in 2005 by Al Gore and Joel Hyatt, engages viewers with smart, provocative and timely programming -stories that no one else is telling in ways that no one else is telling them. Current's programming shines a light where others won't dare and boldly explores important subjects -- opening minds, sparking conversations and forming deep connections with its viewers. The channel's audience is comprised of affluent, curious, social and connected adults who crave the kind of entertaining, enlightening, witty and informative programming found on Current's TV and online properties. Current is now available via cable and satellite TV in 75 million households worldwide - 60 million households in the US - through distribution partners Comcast (Channel 107); Time Warner ; DirecTV (Channel 358 nationwide); Dish Network (Channel 196 nationwide); Verizon and AT&T. In the UK and Ireland, Current is available on BSkyB (Channel 183) and Virgin Media (Channel 155), and in Italy, Current is available on Sky Italia (Channel 130). Viewers can also find Current online at http://www.current.com.In honor of Earth Day, Brett Erlich showcases all of the fun and exciting things that... more
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Props to the Azns with titanium cojones. Standing by the door. They must be part time ninjas.
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5 / KCBS) — A shocking video shot by a Muni passenger last Friday showed a train full of passengers being operated with the door gaping open during the ride.
On Friday night, Alex Merenkov boarded the L Taraval train during rush hour. At the Van Ness station, one of the passenger doors did not close, prompting Merenkov to record his commute.
http://sanfrancisco.cbslocal.com/2011/04/05/video-shows-door-staying-open-during-muni-train-ride/Props to the Azns with titanium cojones. Standing by the door. They must be part time... more
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Boston’s MBTA public transportation We are working the mbta website issue now.Stay home. That’s what Governor Deval Patrick is encouraging all non-essential workers to do today. The blizzard is still coming down, despite my fears last night that it might not snow at all.Boston’s MBTA public transportation We are working the mbta website issue... more
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Diesel era ends for MTA buses
Metro will become the only major transit agency in the U.S. with a fleet run entirely on alternative fuels. Officials say the shift has sharply cut emissions of cancer-causing pollution.
Buses
The MTA took delivery of its first natural gas buses in 1995. The technology has increased the price of a standard bus by about $50,000. Diesel coaches cost around $400,000. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)
By Dan Weikel, Los Angeles Times
January 12, 2011
After almost two decades of effort to reduce vehicle emissions, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will retire its last diesel bus Wednesday and become the only major transit agency in the nation with a fleet that is totally equipped with alternative-fuel technologies.
In an urban area where diesel buses began operating in 1940, the MTA now has 2,221 buses powered by compressed natural gas, as well as one electric bus and six gasoline-electric hybrids.
Transit officials estimate that the elimination of diesel engines has reduced the release of cancer-causing particulates from the bus fleet by 80% and greenhouse gases by about 300,000 pounds a day in one of the smoggiest areas of the country.
MTA officials say that compressed natural gas buses cost more to buy and maintain than those powered by diesel but that the increased expenses are offset over the long run by lower fuel costs.
"Not only is this an important step for air quality, it sets the bar for other transportation agencies to follow," said Joe Lyou, president of the Coalition for Clean Air, a statewide organization based in Los Angeles. "Now when an MTA bus pulls up, you don't run away anymore from the huge cloud of exhaust."
The last diesel coach is a 40-foot New Flyer purchased in 1998. It operated out of the MTA's Venice division, where it logged many of its 383,180 miles on routes along Wilshire Boulevard, Venice Boulevard and Pacific Coast Highway.
No. 3004 will be ceremoniously retired and towed away during an event at the MTA's Support Services Center in downtown Los Angeles. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, MTA Chief Executive Art Leahy, other elected officials and members of the authority's board of directors will be on hand.
Officials plan to auction the vehicle, which is probably worth a few thousand dollars because of its parts. Before the sale, however, mechanics will disable the engine so no one can operate it again.
"We've been on this path for 20 years or longer," Leahy said. "What this means is that we are not importing as much foreign fuel to run our bus system and we are running on much cleaner fuel. It's a great day for Los Angeles."
Statistics from the American Public Transportation Assn. show that the MTA is well ahead of Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, New York and other large metropolitan areas in replacing diesel buses with more environmentally friendly vehicles.
According to the association, a couple of dozen smaller transit agencies, including those in Oxnard and Santa Barbara, have already replaced their entire fleets, while other agencies across the nation have made significant progress.
"I applaud Metro," said William Millar, president of the transportation association. "It is important to note that this achievement did not happen overnight. L.A. Metro and its predecessor organizations have been at the leading edge of clean bus fuel technology for about a quarter of a century."
The Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission began experimenting with alternative fuels such as natural gas, methanol and ethanol in the late 1980s. Those tests continued after both agencies became the MTA in 1993.
The MTA took delivery of its first natural gas buses in 1995. The technology has increased the price of a standard bus by about $50,000. Diesel coaches cost around $400,000.
Since then, the authority's clean-fuel buses have traveled about a billion miles, and officials say they regularly receive inquiries from transit agencies around the world interested in shifting to alternative power sources.
Though the MTA has converted its fleet, the agency still contracts with private bus lines that rely on diesel fuel. Of the 187 private buses, 82 have diesel engines, but transit officials say those should be phased out in the next several years.Diesel era ends for MTA buses
Metro will become the only major transit agency in... more
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Air pollution: The silent killer
Air pollution: Silent killer in the city
By Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN Chief Medical Correspondent
November 16, 2010 8:53 a.m. EST
How to protect yourself from polluted air
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
* Air pollution can raise the risk of lung and heart problems, Dr. Gupta says
* Urban pollution kills more than a million people annually, according to U.N. figures
* Cities around the world are trying out solutions to tackle the problem
Kobe, Japan (CNN) -- For the last several days, I have been in beautiful Kobe, Japan, reporting about the World Health Organization forum on urbanization and health.
Given that more than half the world's population now lives in cities, with the number expected to increase significantly, the implications on individual health are becoming pretty clear. A lot of the discussion here has been specifically on the quality of the air we breathe, and the news has not been great.
For starters, an Environmental Protection Agency report found the air in many cities is simply too dirty to breathe. Think about that: as things stand now, toxic pollution has become a particular disease of the world's urbanites, affecting more than a billion of its citizens.
And, if you look more closely at the impact of pollution, you see more than half the burden on human health is on people in developing countries already crippled with poverty and few resources.
As things stand now, toxic pollution has become a particular disease of the world's urbanites.
--Dr. Sanjay Gupta
For example, here in Kobe, there is an obvious marriage between the industrial sector filled with at least 15 large factories, and residential areas close by. Walking around the city, you quickly see the consequences of explosive urban growth. The combination of factory emissions with exhaust from trucks, buses and automobiles is proving toxic to human health.
Today, urban pollution kills a million people a year, according to the United Nations. And, conventional wisdom was that it took a long time to develop health problems associated with pollution, but it is simply not the case. A study published in 2007 found that on days when pollution is high, cities see spikes in emergency room visits over the next 24 hours. Just one day.
If you live in a city, chances are you might not even notice just how polluted the air has become. Turns out that within four days of breathing the dirty air in, your body sort of becomes accustomed to it, despite the fact that your airways becomes more inflamed and restricted, and your risk of lung and heart problems start to rise.
The good news is that fixes are being tested in many cities around the world. In Shanghai, coal-free downtown areas have been established, which has already resulted in lower particulate matter. In New York City, there is a ban on idling trucks and buses. And in Bogota, transport management policies have led to increased use of mass transit.
Having spent time in many major cities on every continent in the world, it is safe to say "urbanization" is here to stay. As individuals and as societies, however, it is up to us to try to make the beautiful city we live in a safer and healthier one.Air pollution: The silent killer
Air pollution: Silent killer in the city
By Dr.... more
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Traveling as locals had never felt better; after 10 hours on the train we reach Choum where we changed to a packed up pickup; 6 people inside the car and 7 people in the bed, and the WTYSL team were of course those 7 hardcore people in the back on top of a pile of luggage stacked 3 feet over the bed’s capacity and held in with net. Throughout the 4 hours through the canyons and dune-ridden landscapes boasting shades of red, tan and yellow, we felt as if we had landed on Mars.
Arriving at Atar, it takes us one hour plus to mobilize the owner and driver of a bush taxi to take us to the capital. Without enough sleep the driver finally agrees to take the team and 2 more passengers down south. In the car with 10 people packed like sardines at 40 degrees Celsius (105 Fahrenheit), the air surrounding us becomes a sauna. A 6 hour ride turns into a 10 hour struggle against the machine a.k.a. the car we are traveling in. First problem: 2 hours after departure the tire bursts and changing it adds 45 minutes to the ride. Second problem: finding another tire to replace the next flat adds another hour. Third problem: at every police control the engine dies, forcing us to get out of the car and push-start the taxi again. It usually took us 3 or 4 pushes before the engine finally agreed to get back into the game. 4th problem: 6 hours down the road the car stops – we are out of fuel. The driver hitchhikes back to a town to pick up more fuel and the incident added 1 hour to our bush taxi experience.
http://whattookyousolong.orgTraveling as locals had never felt better; after 10 hours on the train we reach Choum... more
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Our quest to ride the iron train-cum-public-transport derives from our vision to travel as locals do, while giving us a way to connect, share and receive ideas and thoughts with the recently urbanized nomad population of Mauritania: the unofficial border country between Western Arab and sub-Saharan Africa.
http://whattookyousolong.orgOur quest to ride the iron train-cum-public-transport derives from our vision to... more
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YO!Youth Outlook is working with Census 2010 to create awareness around the importance of completing the survey conducted every 10 years, which is connected to more than $400 billion dollars in funding for education, healthcare, housing, jobs, and infrastructure.
YouthOutlook.org
NewAmericaMedia.orgYO!Youth Outlook is working with Census 2010 to create awareness around the importance... more
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Peter packs his rucksack and makes his way to the Panama Canal. First stop across the border, Tijuana.Peter packs his rucksack and makes his way to the Panama Canal. First stop across the... more
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Cities around the world could soon be tapping shipping giant FedEx’s logistical expertise as they develop more sustainable transportation systems.
The company is joining forces with EMBARQ, The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport, and will spend $500,000 over the next two years to help support the program’s efforts in Mexico. ...
http://solveclimate.com/blog/20100215/bringing-sustainable-transportation-worldCities around the world could soon be tapping shipping giant FedEx’s logistical... more
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Some 250 activists commemorated Martin Luther King Day by protesting budget cuts in transportation, education and social services. Protesters marched from the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) headquarters to Boeing's headquarters to demand "Money for jobs and education, not for Boeing Corporation."
On February 7, the CTA will lay off 1,100 employees and force furlough days as part of the budget proposal for 2010. This will translate into deep cuts in services that working-class students and workers depend on.
To add insult to injury, the CTA is planning, once again, to hike bus and rail fares to as high as $3 a ride and eliminate bus routes. These service cuts are part of the CTA's strategy to close a $300 million deficit--almost one-fourth of the CTA's $1.4 billion annual operating budget--which is a result of the continuing decline of public funding as a consequence of the economic crisis.
CTA President Richard Rodriguez is pressuring the CTA's unions to agree to more concessions. This would be a step backward for the unions, since they fought hard to win 3.5 percent annual salary increase per year for the next two years. Their union contracts are not up for negotiation until 2011.
Non-union CTA employees will be obligated to take up to 18 unpaid days in 2010 in addition to a four-year wage freeze, which translates into a 10 percent salary decrease. With layoffs and furloughs, the remaining transit workers will be forced to shoulder more work. The CTA has cut 30 percent of its mechanics in the last 13 years, which means that there are fewer now mechanics struggling to fix more buses.
The CTA is eliminating many of the express bus routes and reducing service, in large part in low-income minority areas. Six express routes are being cut on the South Side alone. According to Roger Smittle of the Little Village Environmental Justice Organization, these service reductions will violate the Americans with Disabilities Act, since disabled people and seniors won't have regular daily bus service on the South Side.
When Mayor Richard Daley was fighting to host the 2016 Olympics this past summer, city officials announced that they planned on borrowing $85 million to buy Michael Reese Hospital on the South Side--in order to close it down and build an Olympic Village. This amount could pay for about a fourth of the CTA budget deficit.
This clearly demonstrates that there's always money for Daley's projects--but never enough money to maintain the CTA for working-class people.
Not long ago, Daley leased infrastructure assets, including the Chicago Skyway for 99 years for $1.8 billion, the citywide parking meter system to a Morgan Stanley subsidiary for 75 years for $1.15 billion, and the downtown parking garages for $563 million.
In the proposed 2010 budget, Daley says, "Without these agreements, we would likely have been forced to raise property taxes and other taxes and fees. We also would have been forced to eliminate key programs on which Chicagoans depend."
But what good is it to "protect taxpayers" from higher or additional taxes if public assets are being sold off to corporations that quickly hike up prices and decrease the quality of service? If any group should be taxed, it should be the top richest bracket of Chicago--not the poor, who were forced to sacrifice even before the economic crisis started.
The next public asset for sale is most likely Midway Airport, which was almost sold for $2.5 billion last year when the deal collapsed with the credit crisis. There has been talk about privatizing the water and sewer systems of the city, if the price is right.
Privatization compromises quality and safety, as shortcuts are taken, maintenance is skipped and infrastructure isn't properly maintained.
The CTA, along with the rest of the city of Chicago, can start to balance its budget by making cuts at the top levels of administration and redirecting some of the $497 million that the CTA received from the Regional Transportation Authority on January 1 to avert layoffs and the increase in fares.
Rodriguez said he plans to execute a new business model to solve the budget cuts, similar to what was implemented in the airline industry. The strategy centers on decimating union pensions, reducing salaries, raising fares and cutting service.
Erek Slater, a CTA bus driver who is scheduled to be laid off, said, "We need more public actions and more disciplined organizations." The opportunity exists for workers, alongside students and other community members, to come together to begin organizing against the attacks on all of our standard of living.Some 250 activists commemorated Martin Luther King Day by protesting budget cuts in... more
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