Which U.S. city has spent over $400 million to begin construction of an approved transit system of over 50 miles of rail lines? What other city recently kicked off a $6 billion project to build over 100 miles of new commuter and light rail, nearly quadrupling the size of the existing system? Charlotte, North Carolina […]
The Minibus Solution
Part 4 of my South Africa series Imagine a public transportation system that combines the low cost and fixed routes of a bus, with the frequency and availability of a private taxi. The system would be idea: convenient, low-cost, and predictable. There’d be no fear the driver was taking you for a ride, and catching […]
Cleaning Up Diesel Engine Pollution
Like many urban residents, I am frequently blasted with diesel fumes from buses and trucks as I navigate city streets. Over the past four years living in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Washington, D.C., I have cleaned black film off the windows of my apartments. This pollution no doubt caused mostly from diesel exhaust. (In fact, […]
Rapid Bus Service Starts on Georgia Avenue
Today marks the end of the second week of service of WMATA’s new Metro Extra line on Georgia Avenue. To my knowledge the project is the second Bus Rapid Transit line developed in the region, and the first express bus to operate almost exclusively inside the District. The service, officially Metro Extra Route 79, currently […]
Bike Station Coming to Washington
District officials hope to break ground this summer on a “bike station” at Union Station, located just steps from both the Metro station entrance and the future route of the Metropolitan Branch Trail. The station will offer bike parking (for an estimated $1 a day, or $100 a year), rentals, repairs, accessories, a changing room, […]
U.S. Transit Ridership Highest Since 1957
I thought this USA Today story I spotted on Planetizen today was interesting. In 2006, U.S. transit ridership in topped 10 billion trips, the highest level of use seen since 1957. Of course, this is puny compared to the historical peak of 23.4 billion trips in 1946, but it’s also much higher than the postwar […]