Blog Entries of Note...

Image by SheepGuardingLlama via FlickrFrom the Bike Utah Valley Blog:

Transportation Open House Report

Brad over at Bike Utah Valley has some good comments about the recent transportation meeting. One comment he makes is that UDOT is still UDOT and is solely thinking about highways. Once again this shows that the people who are advocating turning UTA over to UDOT have one purpose in mine: to get UTA's funds transferred to highways because they are highway foamers.

My Dream for Orem

Brad tells us his dreams for Orem including rail instead of BRT which makes a lot of sense. I would only add that a rapid and regular streetcar would work fine instead of full blown LRT on some of his route suggestions.

From the Mobilizing the Region Blog:

NJ Pioneers an Urban Approach to “Safe Routes to School”

A New Jersey program that is designed to win federal funds that are targeted toward pedestrian improvements around schools. Creating safer environments for pedestrians especially school children is very important to build a truly pedestrian friendly area.

New Haven-Hartford-Springfield Line Scoping Hearings Announced

Connecticut DOT who operates commuter rail service in the state is looking at changes to Amtrak's neglected step child of the northeast corridor the New Haven to Springfield line.

ConnDOT, NYSDOT Commissioners Tout Transit-Oriented Development at Mayors’ Institute

New York and Connecticut are pushing transit oriented development to lesson the need for cars in the very congested region.

From the California High Speed Rail Blog comes:

Why is Adrian Moore Lying to the LA Times?

There is several good points made in this blog. First it has a link that shows how much oil money the supposed "independent" so-called think tank the Reason Foundation gets (much like its counterpart the Heartland Institute home to anti-transit mouth piece Wendell Cox).

It also shows how much new passengers high speed rail is carrying in Europe.

From the Track Twenty-Nine Blog:

Streetcars V 2.0

Washington DC is already looking at one streetcar line but Matt shows his proposal for a comprehensive streetcar network that would benefit much of the Washington DC area.

From the Transit Miami Blog:

Of Buses and Trams

According to the University of British Columbia, modern streetcars are the most cost effective and efficient investment of transit dollars. Second is Light Rail (which serves a different market from streetcars), followed by trolleybuses.

Coming soon to a Health District Near You!

A new health center being built just a third of a mile from a Tri-Rail commuter rail station but will have tons of parking but still qualifies for silver LEED certification.

From the Trains for America Blog:

Amtrak offers national rail pass

For years Amtrak has a rail pass but it has only been available to international tourist. They also have had another product that US residents could by but it required you to travel at least one segmant on the VIA rail network in the United States.

Now you can purchase a rail pass for US only trips.

From the Overhead Wire Blog:

Euclid Corridor BRT opens in Cleveland

Interesting article about the Federal New Starts program and how their effectiviness is calculated by the FTA.

From the Streetsblog (New York) Blog:

Park, Ride and Wash in Fahrradfreundliche Muenster

While UTA and Salt Lake proceed on thier bicycle center, maybe they can take some ideas from Muenster, Germany.

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.