Photo of the week: Hawaii’s The Boat
August 31, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
This photo from the Transportation for America Flickr pool reminds us that transportation isn’t just cars, trucks, trains, buses and bikes. Thousands commute by ferry every day in places across the country. This service in Hawaii ceased operations at the end of June, however. Anyone out there ever take a ride on this thing?
Add your photos to the T4 Flickr pool today.
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| TheBoat Originally uploaded by paulkimo90 |
Coverage of the T4 America state fact sheets
August 31, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
A few media outlets picked up on our new state fact sheets last Friday with some short online stories. Perhaps not surprisingly, most focused on the first fact on the sheet, showing the percentage of roads rated in poor condition compared to the national average.
Bad Roads Give City Drivers Bumpy Rides — NY Post
Expert: New Jersey’s poor roads could affect business climate — NJBIZ
National survey shows poor Cal road conditions — Sacramento Bee
We’re planning just a few changes and updates to the fact sheet pages over the next couple of weeks, so keep your eyes peeled. (Don’t know what we’re talking about? Check it out at http://t4america.org/statefacts)
How does your state stack up? Get the facts
August 27, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
When it comes to transportation infrastructure, no state is being left untouched by budget cuts and neglect. Everywhere, roads and bridges are crumbling and demand for housing close to public transportation or in convenient walkable neighborhoods is skyrocketing — but not every state is reacting to these challenges in the same way. So we’ve put together a comprehensive state-by-state analysis of how America is doing on transportation in a nifty interactive map. So go ahead, give it a whirl — and find out how your state stacks up, and send it to your friends and family. Visit the map at http://t4america.org/statefacts
This is the first iteration of these state fact sheets, and they’ll be expanded upon in the coming months. So check back often for changes and new facts.
Help us spread the word! You can download either of these images below and put them in a blog post or on the sidebar of your website. Just click on the image and then drag it to your desktop, or right-click and ’save file as’ to save the file to your computer. That’s right, just steal the image and post it wherever you like, but link the image back to the interactive map with this link. Cut and paste it: http://bit.ly/11mrgO
(Or, if you prefer, you can just grab one of the snippets of code from the boxes below and paste it into your web site or blog post. Any questions? Ask them in the comments and we’ll help you out.)
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Have transit cuts left you stranded? You’re not alone. Share your story.
August 19, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
After the release of Stranded at the Station yesterday, stories started flowing in of how people have been affected by the cuts across the country at public transportation agencies — leaving some stranded without any options for getting around. The report showed that 90 percent of transit systems across the country have had to raise fares or cut service in the past year. And among the 25 largest U.S. transit operators that millions depend on every day, 10 of those agencies are raising fares more than 13 percent.
It’s not too late to share your own story. Here are excerpts from just four of the many stories that have already been shared.
Jean Cramer (Columbia, Maryland): I spend 3-4 hours a day commuting from Columbia MD to Washington DC by MTA commuter bus. Earlier this year, despite nearly full buses, MTA reduced the number of runs each way. Now, my bus regularly leaves riders behind when the bus fills up. Buses run regularly but when you have to wait for the next one, it just adds to the length of an already crazy commute. We need dedicated bus roads/lanes and sufficient bus runs for all riders. Then maybe we could get enough cars off the roads to ease the congestion.
Barbara Miller (Franklin, NJ): I work for the paratransit system in Sussex County, New Jersey, which is struggling to continue to provide service in spite of funding cuts. We have had to reduce the number of days we provide transportation for out-of-county non-emergency medical appointments for our senior citizens, people with disabilities and veterans from five days a week to two. We have also had to cut back on the overall number of trips per day to maximize our existing resources.
On a personal level, however, I have my own story to share. I recently broke my right ankle and cannot drive. Even though I work for the transit department, I cannot get here using transit services. The deviated fixed route service can pick me up at my home in the morning, but only goes within three miles of my office. The demand-response JARC service is maxed out and cannot get me to work before 9:30 (I start work at 8). If I start work later in the day and work until 6:30 instead of 5:00 which is my normal time, I cannot get home.
In addition, the surgeon who set my ankle only does x-rays on Friday starting at 4:30p.m. Our medical transportation has been limited to appointments between the hours of 10 and 1:30 in order to allow adequate time to get people home in our very rural county. I cannot get to my doctor for x-rays using public transportation, and have to have a family member drive 25 miles to pick me up and take me two miles from my home to get my ankle x-rayed.
It is somewhat ironic that as a Contract Administrator for the public transit system, I cannot get to and from work or the doctor while temporarily disabled. I have learned firsthand how our customers struggle to manage their appointments and transportation needs with diminishing transportation services available to them.
Ruth Leavitt (Everett, WA): I have lived in two states with a commute that leaves me stranded after my shift. In Naples, FL, I had to bike three miles to work, risking being soaked to my skin if a storm blew up while I was out there, and riding on the sidewalk half the trip because there was no bike lanes. I was hit once, nearly hit four other times – I wiped out dodging a car who didn’t care that I was coming up, and was nearly injured so I could not do my job. The bus system was lacking in so many ways as to be indescribable: Long delays, short routes, no connections, early days-end. It was a full day effort to take the bus out shopping, limited to four stops at most – if you started at ten, once the shops opened, and finished before six…
…Now, in Everett, WA, I face a similar dilemma even with a far superior transit system that is only lacking in one significant detail: It doesn’t run late enough. Someone, somewhere, missed the memo that the mall closes at 9 o’clock, and the bus stops running from there eight minutes before closing. All the workers are left wanting. On a Saturday, a busy day, it stops at six. I am limited to a wonderful interurban trail that is so dark as to be extremely dangerous for a woman alone, even on a street bike. I also know the fares on that bus were increased recently. It didn’t affect me — I have a monthly pass for the system with a higher fare and wider range — but I have never gotten on a bus in that system that was empty — even late at night…
Melody Hodge (Maywood Park, OR): About two months ago I began having car trouble, and until I can afford the repairs I’ve had to walk to and from work, about two miles each way. The weather is nice now, so I haven’t minded walking (and the exercize is great), but I was glad to know there is an easy bus route I can begin taking as soon as the weather turns cold. But just today, the day I saw this email link in my message box, a notice was posted saying bus route 15, the one I was so relieved existed, is going to be cut along the very route I take to work. I’m actually quite scared, not just for me when the weather starts to turn, but for my son who uses it regularly, and for so many of my neighbors who depend on it’s existence.
Portland is known for its user-friendly and ubiquitous public transportation system. It’s one of the things that drew me to this city, and the convenient bus route was at least partly the reason I chose my current neighborhood. I know cuts are being made everywhere, but I’m surprised the transportation system is one of them. This will disrupt the lives of so many people who have no other realistic options.
New Report Documents Impact of Transit Service Cuts and Fare Increases on America’s Communities
August 18, 2009By Transportation for America
Reduction in service and rise in fares in cities across the country especially harmful for families, elderly, low-income & minority populations
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| Learn more and download the report |
| CONTACT: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128, 202-904-7466 cbullock@mrss.com Download this release (pdf) |
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans across the country, in towns large and small, are being hurt by fare increases and draconian cuts in public transportation service, an epidemic that did not have to happen, according to a report released today by Transportation for America and the Transportation Equity Network.
The report, Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation, is the first systematic analysis of the conundrum faced by communities and their transit systems: Historic ridership and levels of demand for service, coupled with the worst funding crisis in decades. In a detailed examination of 25 transit systems, the authors found that while state and local transit revenues have been pummeled by a tough economy, the effects were compounded by failures in federal policy.
“The result,” said Dr. Sarah Mullins of the Transportation Equity Network, “is dramatic service cuts and fare increases that are hurting people who are trying to hang onto hard-to-find jobs and who can least afford the added financial strain.” Both rural and urban communities depend on public transit to sustain a viable workforce and encourage new development and commerce, Dr. Mullins noted. Service cuts and fare increases disproportionately harm older Americans and racial minorities, populations that account for nearly 48% of households without a vehicle.
Seven systems are facing operating deficits in excess of 10 percent, including those in Atlanta, San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Washington, D.C. and Boston. To cope, agencies are lopping off routes, laying off workers and raising fares. Ten of the largest 25 transit agencies are raising fares by more than 13 percent, with San Francisco’s Muni contemplating a 33 percent hike, Boston’s MTA 20 percent, and DART in Dallas 17 percent.
“As employers and commuters everywhere know only too well, public transportation is an essential service that is critical to our economy,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. Noting that Congress had acted recently to provide an emergency infusion of general fund dollars into the highway trust fund, he added, “We need to see the same sense of urgency for the rest of the transportation system. But more than that, we need a long-term, sustainable source of funding for building, operating and maintaining the entire network.”
Recently, Representative Russ Carnahan attained more than 60 co-sponsors of his bill, H.R. 2746, which would allow public transit agencies greater flexibility in federal transit funding to be used for operating assistance, in addition to capital improvements. Corless urged Congress to support legislation to allow for greater flexibility in transportation spending, in addition to a serious overhaul of our current funding mechanism and a renewed vision for transportation.
“Mass transit has a residual benefit to any community,” said Congressman Carnahan. “Local transit agencies need options as they experience record-high ridership and record-high costs. Transit not only connects neighborhoods; it also is part of any comprehensive plan to secure America’s energy independence and reduce global warming.”
Stranded at the Station examines the impacts of proposed fare increases and service reductions on low-income, “lifeline” transit users and higher-income “choice” riders who may be riding transit for the first time. Dr. Mullins noted that low-income, elderly and minority riders, especially, are losing service on routes where transit serves as their only access to schools, healthcare and jobs. Residents of small towns and rural communities in particular are increasingly stuck without transportation options as budget shortfalls force small local transit agencies to cut back on service in rural America.
“I think these transit cuts are a shame,” said Henrietta Woods, a member of Metropolitan Congregations United in St. Louis. “I am a senior citizen and a retired hospital employee. It’s hard for me to get to the grocery store now that they cut my bus.”
The upcoming transportation authorization is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create the safe, clean and smart transportation system necessary to move America forward. Congress is considering legislation that cuts red tape preventing local transit agencies from spending already existing public transportation funds on maintaining service and keeping fares affordable. Americans simply cannot afford to wait any longer for changes to our national transportation system that will save and create jobs and help us tackle long term economic, energy, climate and health challenges.
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ABOUT THE TRANSPORTATION EQUITY NETWORK
The Transportation Equity Network, a project of the Gamaliel Foundation, has more than 300 grassroots and national partner organizations from the environmental and economic justice, civil rights and land use reform fields. TEN is working to ensure that transportation, metropolitan growth, and land use policy decisions produce equitable outcomes for all individuals. Disadvantaged populations have borne the brunt of the environmental and safety hazards from ill-considered transportation and land use policies.
New report chronicles the impact of transit cuts on American communities
August 18, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
A new report from Transportation for America and the Transportation Equity Network — following up on our United States of Transit Cutbacks from earlier this year— looks closely at the cuts that public transportation agencies across the country are facing and how they’ve have impacted the people in those communities.
Communities and their transit systems are stuck in a difficult quandary: they’re facing booming, historic ridership and levels of demand for service, while also facing the worst funding crisis in decades.
Stranded at the Station: The Impact of the Financial Crisis in Public Transportation is the first systematic analysis of the issue, and the story is not a pretty one. Nearly 90 percent of transit systems have had to raise fares or cut service in the past year and among the 25 largest transit operators, 10 agencies are raising fares more than 13 percent.
Many transit agencies across the country have cut service, raised fares or laid off workers to deal with shrinking budgets, severely affecting the people who depend on regular, reliable service in order to access jobs, social services and education everyday. Nationwide demand for public transportation is at historic levels and growing, but funding for the day-to-day operations of these transit services is built on an unstable foundation. This report shows that without federal support, many will likely will be unable to meet the demand now and in the future.
Download and read the full report at http://t4america.org/resources/stranded
Relatedly, we’ve updated the United States of Transit Cutbacks map to reflect the data in this new report, and the map now includes 21 case studies from the report, highlighting 21 of the many communities facing the most significant budget deficits and those with the highest fare increases for 2009. We’ll be continuing to track the issue and cuts across the nation with that map, so keep us posted if we don’t have your city on the map.
So we want to know: how have these drastic cuts in public transportation service affected your everyday life? Tell us your story and we’ll help share it with Congress.
Transportation for America Voices Support for Senator Dodd’s Livable Communities Act
August 12, 2009By Transportation for America
Bill helps cut traffic congestion, reduce emissions and oil consumption, protect green spaces, revive urban centers and create more affordable housing
| CONTACT: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128, 202-904-7466 cbullock@mrss.com |
Washington, D.C. — James Corless, director of Transportation for America, released the following statement in response to Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee Chairman Dodd’s (D-CT) introduction of the Livable Communities Act:
“Last week’s introduction of the Livable Communities Act emphasizes a growing demand from the American people to reshape our communities and transportation options to meet our evolving needs. Americans spend nearly two-thirds of their income on the combined costs of housing and transportation, and are looking for affordable options to live closer to their jobs, schools, and amenities. Senator Dodd’s measure would help Americans find a way out of traffic congestion, reduce emissions and gasoline consumption, protect green spaces, revive urban centers and create more affordable places to live.
“The act aligns with an overarching goal of the Transportation for America campaign — to integrate housing and commerce with a safe, clean and smart transportation system that provides real, affordable options for all Americans. In order for the upcoming transportation bill to be truly effective, Congress must evaluate the current system with an eye towards creating a system that will work for everyone.”
The Act authorizes $400 million in competitive grants to plan for livable communities, integrating transportation, housing, economic development and environmental needs. It authorizes $3.75 billion over three years for implementation of projects promoting sustainable development by creating and preserving affordable housing in neighborhoods with access to jobs and served by transit; improving public transportation; creating safe places for walking and biking; redeveloping brownfields; and fostering revitalization. It also creates an inter-departmental council to coordinate among transportation, housing and urban development and environmental agencies, and creates an office of sustainability at HUD.
Transportation for America Coalition Surpasses 350 Organizations
August 12, 2009By Transportation for America
| CONTACT: Cosabeth Bullock 202-478-6128 cbullock@mrss.com |
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The chorus of organizations calling for a bold new vision for transportation continues to grow rapidly, with more than 350 signing on with Transportation for America as of August 1.
The diversity and breadth of the coalition also are expanding, with recent signatories including business groups such as CEOs for Cities and the Silicon Valley Leadership Group; mayors like Shirley Franklin of Atlanta and R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis; large and influential membership organizations such as AARP; and groups representing both rural and urban areas, including the Center for Rural Strategies and the Metropolitan Planning Council of Illinois.
“As one of the first mayors to sign on in support of Transportation for America’s vision for a new transportation system, I’m thrilled to see how much our coalition has grown,” said Mayor R.T. Rybak of Minneapolis. “As a mayor, I see firsthand the result of a failed federal transportation policy that’s been allowed to linger for far too long. Real change will come when we stand up and work together and that’s exactly what is happening with this effort.”
“The National Association of REALTORS believes that the timely provision of safe, convenient and efficient transportation infrastructure enhances the quality of communities, supports property values, and mitigates the effects of traffic congestion that accompany growth,” said Bob McNamara of NAR. “NAR has joined Transportation for America to pursue these goals in coalition with other groups representing the diverse users of the nation’s transportation system.”
“The current transportation system doesn’t work for older Americans,” said David Sloane, AARP senior vice president for Government Relations and Advocacy. “Without reform, the 71 million people reaching age 65+ by 2030 will risk being stranded at home in old age. We need comprehensive restructuring of our nation’s transportation policies to address changing needs for alternative transportation and paratransit services, safer roadways and vehicles, and more livable and sustainable communities. AARP commends Transportation for America on its success in forging partnerships with diverse organizations across the country, from neighborhood to national, and particularly for reaching the milestone of adding its 350th partner.”
“Healthy transportation options and networks not only accommodate access and mobility needs but are a key determinant of quality of community life,” said Melanie Reynolds with the Lewis and Clark City-County Health Department and the Association of Montana Public Health Officials. “We need federal leadership to help make the critical link between health, safety, and transportation policies and create communities that promote active living, reduce pollution levels, increase accessibility, and ensure safety for all transportation users.”
“America’s 60 million rural residents need a voice in transportation policy. The coalition has offered us a way to bring rural concerns into an important national conversation,” said Tim Marema, vice president of the Center for Rural Strategies. “Good transportation policy will improve prospects for all of us – rural, suburban, and urban. The coalition provides a way for all Americans to work together to build a stronger nation.”
The Transportation for America campaign is working to help reform the nation’s transportation policies and investments to preserve the existing network while promoting the transition to a clean, efficient, energy-independent future. Currently the campaign is focused on the authorization of the six-year expiring federal transportation bill and securing investments that fix crumbling bridges and highways as well as increase support for the cleanest forms of transportation — public transit, high speed rail, walking and biking.
“Transportation for America is thrilled to lead such an impressive group of organizations, elected officials and businesses with the shared goal of building a modernized infrastructure to support livable communities where people can live, work and play,” said James Corless, director of Transportation for America. “This groundbreaking grassroots movement will change our federal transportation policy to make our communities, safer, healthier and more prosperous.”
Rep. Oberstar planning markup on full transportation bill after recess
August 11, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
At least that’s what the American Planning Association Transportation Planning Division is reporting on their blog. According to their story, Chairman Oberstar of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee is planning a full committee mark-up of the Surface Transportation Authorization Act of 2009 as soon as Congress comes back from the August recess.
Appearing at an economic recovery news conference Wednesday in Minnesota, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman James Oberstar said he will hold a full committee mark-up of a $500 billion, six-year federal surface transportation authorization the week of Labor Day, when Congress returns from its summer recess. Oberstar, D-MN, told Minnesota Public Radio that he expects to have the bill on the floor by the third week of September.
Though the Chairman has been promised by leadership that his transportation bill will come to the floor by the third week of September according to the story, the same obstacles to quick passage still remain. The Ways and Means Committee is responsible for determining how to pay for a bill that’s nearly twice as expensive as the last 6-year bill, and to date, they’ve indicated little willingness to think long and hard about transportation revenue while engaged in the health care and climate debates.
As Ken Orski points out, “only 15 of the 41 committee members have gone on record in a letter to committee Chairman Charles Rangel (D-NY) supporting prompt action (i.e. in September) on a revenue package for the bill.” Regardless, we’ll be watching the markup closely come September.
h/t to Twitter user and T4 partner @cwsjd99
The invisible benefits of public transportation
August 10, 2009By Stephen Lee Davis
Every morning in New York City, hundreds of thousands pass quickly and nearly invisibly through tunnels and a few bridges into Manhattan’s Central Business District via New York’s well-traveled transit system. Though the sidewalks are still full of walkers and the streets full of cabs, buses, and cars, the real action is happening below the surface where the number of people traveling into the CBD is almost just beyond comprehension. Michael Frumin looked at the numbers at fruminator and tried to put it in perspective:
Just to get warmed up, chew on this — from 8:00AM to 8:59 AM on an average Fall day in 2007 the NYC Subway carried 388,802 passengers into the CBD on 370 trains over 22 tracks. In other words, a train carrying 1,050 people crossed into the CBD every 6 seconds. Breathtaking if you ask me.
Over this same period, the average number of passengers in a vehicle crossing any of the East River crossings was 1.20. This means that, lacking the subway, we would need to move 324,000 additional vehicles into the CBD (never mind where they would all park).
Frumin actually takes a shot at what Manhattan might look like if you had wide enough bridges to move all those cars — and more importantly, where to park them. And in a word? Wow.
Creative Commons Photo from Michael Frumin
h/t to kottke.org
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- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
March 8, 2010 - Transit riders in Atlanta face massive cuts, “wholesale restructuring” of service
March 5, 2010 - Opposition to Senate extension results in looming shutdown of federal transportation programs
February 26, 2010 - T4 jobs proposal would create nearly half a million jobs, according to Economic Policy Institute
February 17, 2010 - Obama’s 2011 budget gives a lift to livability and transportation
February 2, 2010
- Transit grants out the federal door, but what about the cuts?
The United States of Transit Cutbacks
Driving is down and transit ridership is at record highs. Yet transit agencies across the country are considering layoffs, service cuts and fare hikes. Find out more and learn what you can do to help at t4america.org/transitcuts
Transportation: In your eyes
Send us your transportation-related photos.
