Blog Postings from this week...

Image by xde19 via FlickrFrom the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

TSTC Is Kicking Transit-Oriented Development Up a Notch

Two organizations in the Tri-State area of New Jersey, Lower New York and Connecticut are working together to provide grants for transit oriented development. While some road warriors will use this as ammunition against transit projects, as not in this blog and others there is plenty of subsidies going to big box retails and developers.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog:

Orange County Knows Better on Proposition 1A

Orange County's Ultra-Right Wing newspaper has come out against the proposed high speed rail bill that is on the November ballot. No surprise there but there is some good comments about public/private ownership.

From the Transbay Blog Comes:

Freeway Revolts of the Future

For those not familiar with the situation, San Francisco is the first and so far only place in the nation to actually tear down a freeway after it was damaged in the 1989 earthquake. Instead of a elevated two story freeway along the water front you have a nice pedestrian friendly boulevard with the F line historic streetcars traveling north of Market Street and the quasi Light Rail/Streetcar lines traveling south. Who will be the next to get rid of a freeway?

From the Trains for America Blog:

Amtrak funding bills tied into rail safety, pass house

A bill that will give Amtrak $13 Billion over the next five years about also include privatization and safety improvements has passed the house.

From the Streetsblog Los Angeles:

City Council Moves Bike Sharing and Advisory Committee Reforms

Los Angeles may be moving to offering a bike sharing program.

From the RT Rider Comes:

Tax Increment Financing For Transit

I have mentioned in the past that one of the biggest problems transit agencies face is that they are usually totally dependent on the sales tax which is very cliclical. The RT Rider in Sacramento hsa some alternative ideas to the sales tax that may be worth exploring since something like a property tax is dead before it gets started.

From the N-Judah Chronicles comes:

Assessing The Damage Caused by Crazy Governor, Goofy Legislature on MUNI, BART, et al...

What would happen if they actually turned UTA over to UDOT? Would we be dealing with the same kind of stupidity that California is now facing? It just proves the stupidity of that idea but we must remember it is promoted by the people pulling the puppet strings who want UTA's money to highways.

From Baltimore Inner Space comes:

Pratt Street

Talk about making a street in Baltimore better.