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  • NorthShore64
    NorthShore64

    I was just in KC for a day back in March, but was able to see progress on the Riverfront extension.      Here is the view from the top of the hill looking north towards the

  • i saw mta contractor work laying overhead wiring at my station this weekeend.   sure i was stuck waiting for a train, ha, but it was fascinating to watch and i figured some of you would like

  • Washington Metro is upping speeds from 58 mph to 75 mph. They claim it will save a $2.3 million a year.  75 was the system's design speed in 1976 but it was reduced to 58 about 10 years later. Now alm

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^ Throwing the shoe at the end was uncalled for too.  Poor dog has a jerk for an owner.

I hope the owner of this dog goes to jail for 10 years

 

 

this dog is a service dog?? For what? People like the owner, who need them because they're idiots?

 

Nashville's ambitious transit plan loses by about a 2-1 margin.

  • 2 weeks later...

You can now get from downtown Miami to downtown West Palm in an hour with an expansion to Orlando planned. In Miami, Brightline is connected to Metrorail/the free Metromover and free trolley. Long, long, LONG way to go but Miami is beginning to get a little transit.

 

Brightline Service To Miami Begins May 19

 

"Brightline tickets to Miami are on sale this morning through their website. The official service launch will be May 19. As of this morning, departures from Fort Lauderdale to Miami were are priced at $10 for Smart Service and $15 for Select Service. Introductory fares of $3 and $5 are also being offered. Departures from West Palm Beach to Miami was also available, at a cost of $15 for Smart Service and $25 for Select Service."

 

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightline-has-launched-tickets-sales-to-miami-today/

ny water taxis at work downtown at the seaport neighborhood yesterday

 

 

B0CE5BE7-45FA-4AA6-9E8E-273ACA034717_zpsdlvaowxa.jpg

 

C7BE9C3D-B873-499A-9B3A-D25200E97854_zps18yrhtau.jpg

 

C868D32D-D0EE-4AE4-AA05-07E33E02A3F3_zpsr4c35qwh.jpg

 

 

  • 1 month later...

njtransit — insurance geared to transit riders

 

 

EFB744B4-87A9-4F14-B683-8A5889356A91_zpswko8trm4.jpg

 

From what I've heard, this is a Cranley-style "pause" which will do nothing but add expense to the project. In the end, the central city connector will still be built. It doesn't make sense for Seattle to continue operating two separate streetcar lines with two separate car barns/maintenance facilities. It makes way more sense to build the middle section that links them and operate it as one line.

 

From what I know of Seattle, I do suspect that the First Hill Streetcar, as-built, was a bit of a mistake.  A streetcar on First Ave. makes a ton of sense, and having that then turn east on Jackson also makes a ton of sense.  But the circuitous way in which the line gets to Broadway is the killer of the functionality of this line, both now and after the First Ave. mile is built.  Right now, the Broadway section and the Jackson section of the First Hill line no doubt function as two separate services, with very few people using the meandering connection between the two areas.  I predict that the Jackson St. area will really take off after the First Ave. section is built, but the section of the First Hill line that is actually in First Hill will continue to serve lukewarm ridership. 

 

Seattle is really crippled by its innate road configuration and the fact that so many single-family homes are situated so close to its downtown.  The table has been set for a hellish housing shortage since single-family homes, no matter how humble, will protect their neighborhoods to the detriment of the region, to the end.  Just like San Francisco. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What I've noticed is that it seems like Seattle is doing a lot more to densify and improve transit than San Fran did.  I'm not sure its enough and NIMBYism is rampant, but they seem better prepared than SF.  See: https://seattle.curbed.com/2017/9/29/16386922/seattle-apartment-vacancy-rate

 

See also:

https://www.seattletimes.com/business/real-estate/free-amazon-echo-2-months-free-rent-2500-gift-cards-seattle-apartment-glut-gives-renters-freebies/

You can now get from downtown Miami to downtown West Palm in an hour with an expansion to Orlando planned. In Miami, Brightline is connected to Metrorail/the free Metromover and free trolley. Long, long, LONG way to go but Miami is beginning to get a little transit.

 

Brightline Service To Miami Begins May 19

 

"Brightline tickets to Miami are on sale this morning through their website. The official service launch will be May 19. As of this morning, departures from Fort Lauderdale to Miami were are priced at $10 for Smart Service and $15 for Select Service. Introductory fares of $3 and $5 are also being offered. Departures from West Palm Beach to Miami was also available, at a cost of $15 for Smart Service and $25 for Select Service."

 

https://www.thenextmiami.com/brightline-has-launched-tickets-sales-to-miami-today/

 

 

i was curious so i checked and the price seems right — for similar distance trip comparison examples its $9.25 off-peak or $12.25 peak from grand central to white plains on mnrr or $14 to morristown on njtransit.

 

 

edit — so its $21.25 off peak or $29.25 peak from penn to montauk on lirr, which is 120 miles. orlando is double that, about 240 miles from miami. so the fully built out brightline ride will come in at around $40-55 i would guess.

  • 3 weeks later...
  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

8/17/2018

Pennsylvania plan calls for $64 billion in transportation projects

 

The Pennsylvania State Transportation Commission has adopted an updated 12-year transportation plan, which calls for $63.9 billion worth of improvements to railroads, transit systems, roads, bridges and airports.

 

The new program, which goes into effect Oct. 1, calls for $9.62 billion for public transit, $319 million for multimodal and $228 million for freight-rail projects during 2019 through 2022, according to a press release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).

 

From 2023 through 2026, the plan calls for $8.3 billion will be available for public transit, $348 million for multimodal and $229 million for freight rail. During 2027 through 2030, the plan calls for $9.25 billion for transit, $391 million for multimodal and $229 million for freight rail.

 

MORE:

https://www.progressiverailroading.com/rail_industry_trends/news/Pennsylvania-plan-calls-for-64-billion-in-transportation-projects--55390

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • Author

Google map of all trolley lines (streetcars, interurbans, etc) in the US that survived until the end of 1957:

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1dHRvqE8gEzzcc_AGAYBj1q-X-WH_CekB

 

Most US cities had lost their rail transit by 1957, but not all. Trolley systems that lasted past 1957 (end dates where applicable): Boston, Newark, Philadelphia, Baltimore (1963), DC (1962), Johnstown PA (1960), Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago, Milwaukee (1958), New Orleans, St Louis (1966), Waterloo IA (1958), El Paso (1974), LA (1963), SF, Portland OR (1958).

 

Look at how much Pittsburgh still had in 1957....

Pittsburgh_streetcars-interurbans-1957.thumb.JPG.a91897da82c1a0bef18bf04bbb0ab012.JPG

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

located in the harbor just below manhattan, they want to redevelop part of governor's island to help pay for the parkland, making it year-round, etc., so the gondola transit plan is back in play:

 

 

Crain’s also noted that the city has already commissioned a second ferry to take construction workers out to the site. But that won’t be enough to transport future commuters to and from the development, even in combination with an expanded East River Ferry service. That’s why the Economic Development Corporation is in talks to put a gondola between Lower Manhattan and Governors Island, further mimicking the layout of Roosevelt Island, which is reachable via a gondola and the F train.

 

 

more:

 

https://archpaper.com/2018/08/governors-island-rezoning/

 

 

governors-island-rendering-trust-1024x0-c-default.jpg

 

 

 

https://archpaper.com/2018/08/governors-island-rezoning/

I'm guessing this project won't include any affordable housing considering the views.

 

I also wouldn't want to live there if NYC gets a storm which tracks like Sandy did.

 

At this rate there is going to be condos on Ellis and Liberty.  8)

 

 

^ i know, right?

 

no condos or housing on governors.

 

maybe a few dorms.

 

they are modeling it after lower roosevelt island with the tram and the newish fdr park at the tip and the bloomberg funded cornell campus.

 

  • Author

The world is building mass transit networks faster than ever before, and ridership is increasing to match: http://bit.ly/2NFvFZ9

 

(except for the USA)

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 2 weeks later...
  • Author

How much does #CarCulture affect transportation?

 

Metro fare evasion = $300 fine and 10 days in jail

 

Drive SOV in I66 HOV lane = $50 fine and no jail

 

It’s hard to not think this policy is legacy of #WhiteFlight  racism. Yet, somehow seeking parity is “controversial!” https://t.co/NhU2JOj2C7

 

Decriminalizing fare evasion on Metro is gaining more steam and growing more controversial. The rules could be changing in DC - but not VA or MD #wmata @nbcwashington https://t.co/WJGGXmqB6I

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 2 weeks later...

well, hmmpfh!

 

Where Chicago Trounces New York: Fixing Mass Transit

 

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/18/nyregion/chicago-l-train-mta-subway.html

 

CHICAGO — Like New York’s subway, it is another century-old system struggling to keep up with the transit demands of a booming city. It, too, has been plagued by crumbling tracks, antiquated signals and unreliable trains that turn routine commutes into nightmares.

 

But the difference is that Chicago’s L has made a comeback, reversing decades of cost-cutting and neglect.

  • 4 weeks later...
  • Author

 

Edited by KJP

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 4 weeks later...

second av subway phase two is underway. a refresh environmental review fonsi went ok as expected. heavy construction is supposed to start by the end of 2019. opening is 2027...or 2029. all for 3 more stations at around $2B each. oh and except for the uppermost curve west around 125st, the tunnels are already long dug. sheesh.

 

http://secondavenuesagas.com/2018/11/27/inside-the-sas-phase-2-fonsi-twenty-years-for-six-subway-stops/

  • 2 weeks later...

I consider the Paris Metro/RER/bus system a true marvel of modern urban transportation and probably worth every penny of what it costs, so I looked up their annual report to see if I could determine how the French finance it, how much subsidy, how much farebox revenue, etc.  I looked at their annual report and finished reading with no clue beyond the fact their income was about 5.3 billion Euros and their expenses were about 4.9.  Can anybody ferret out from the report what the latest subsidy was?  (I did find a very old number not in this report that said in 1997 farebox revenues covered  about 75% of expenses.)

 

https://www.ratp.fr/sites/default/files/inline-files/1803057_RATP_FI_2017_GB_MEL_0.pdf

(It's the English language version. The numbers start after page 89.)

Remember: It's the Year of the Snake

Ok, I guess nobody has thoughts on this. Take my word for it: trying to read the RATP annual report must be a nightmare even for socialists.

Remember: It's the Year of the Snake

1 hour ago, Dougal said:

Ok, I guess nobody has thoughts on this. Take my word for it: trying to read the RATP annual report must be a nightmare even for socialists.

 

This may help - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Versement_transport

35 minutes ago, greenville2 said:

 

Thanks for the citation, it does help; but it's not clear that the VT is the only support provided.  More research required (by me). 

Remember: It's the Year of the Snake

  • 2 weeks later...

^ that is an interesting rabbit hole -- let us know what you find.

  • 2 weeks later...
6 hours ago, mrnyc said:

nj gov murphy wants the pa to bump up replacing the newark airport airtrain.

 

it opened in 1996 with a lifespan of 25yrs. 

estimated cost is $2.1B — only maintenance was in the pa’s 10yr plan:

 

https://www.nj.com/politics/2019/01/murphy-calls-for-a-brand-new-2b-airtrain-at-newark-airport.html?outputType=amp

Every government infrastructure project should include maintenance estimates in their cost for new infrastructure.  That's why Ohio is so over-extended in its ability to maintain all the lane-miles of roadway and bridges.

That's Future Ohio's problem, not Today Ohio's

  • 5 weeks later...
13 hours ago, mrnyc said:

get ready for omny.

 

mta is rolling out its metrocard replacement system starting next week.

 

it will be on 4/5/6 stations between grand central and atlantic yards.

 

metrocards dont go away until 2023:

 

https://nypost.com/2019/02/22/mta-to-begin-pilot-for-metrocard-replacement-next-week/

 

I hate this. The next thing you know we'll have to get a chip implanted in our foreheads to ride the subway. I don't know if you ever pick up discarded Metrocards, but occasionally it's worth the effort (and humiliation lol). I've found a few over the years with varying amounts of money still on them. A couple of weeks ago I picked up one resting against a bus window and there was $20 on it! 

Touchless fare payment cards are in use in cities all around the world. What's your issue with it?

ha ha yeah rip mta tokens 1953-2003 and rip metrocards 2003-2023.

 

they both had good runs of 50yrs and 20yrs.

 

i'm glad mta is kind of late in the game with touchless fare cards because they will be able to use multiple payment systems, like your own credit card, a branded card, gift card, etc., or also an official mta sponsored card, instead of just one type. or so i have read, we will see.

20 minutes ago, mrnyc said:

ha ha yeah rip mta tokens 1953-2003 and rip metrocards 2003-2023.

 

they both had good runs of 50yrs and 20yrs.

 

i'm glad mta is kind of late in the game with touchless fare cards because they will be able to use multiple payment systems, like your own credit card, a branded card, gift card, etc., or also an official mta sponsored card, instead of just one type. or so i have read, we will see.

I remember when the fare was 50 cents (which is probably what it's still worth?,if that!), and on weekends they had an offer in which you could get a round trip for that price. When you bought a token you would get a slip of paper that looked like one of the old bus transfers that you would present to the token booth attendant on the return trip, who would then buzz you through the gate. 

 

 

Edited by eastvillagedon

  • Author

Big news......

 

 

"In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck

  • 2 weeks later...

The Seattle Center Monorail will begin accepting payments via ORCA card. This also means that trips on the monorail will now be eligible for transfers, so if you ride the monorail from Seattle Center to Downtown and then hop on a bus, streetcar, or light rail vehicle within two hours, that transfer is free (or vice versa).

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but this likely makes ORCA the most widely accepted transit fare payment system in North America, as it is accepted by 10 different transit agencies (Community Transit, Everett Transit, King County Metro, King County Water Taxi, Kitsap Transit, Pierce Transit, Sound Transit, Seattle Streetcar, Washington State Ferries, and now the Seattle Center Monorail). And it's probably the transit card that is accepted on the most modes (bus, streetcar, light rail, commuter rail, monorail, and ferry).

The Clipper Card in the Bay Area is used for 22 transit agencies...but there is no monorail.

"You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers

Wow, I had no idea there we so many different transit agencies in the Bay Area. Is it really necessary for there to be an Eastern Contra Costa County Transit Authority and a Western Contra Costa County Transit Authority?

Contra Costin' taxpayers too much money!

Just wait for the new commuter rail transbay tube in 15 years...there are currently three commuter rail services, some own their tracks, others don't.  At least there isn't a state boundary to deal with, like Cincinnati. 

14 hours ago, taestell said:

And it's probably the transit card that is accepted on the most modes (bus, streetcar, light rail, commuter rail, monorail, and ferry).

 

SEPTA Key in Philly is accepted for bus, trackless trolley, streetcar, subway-surface, subway, elevated, commuter rail, and light rail. Can we count all those separately? ?

 

No monorail or ferries though. Unfortunately the River Link Ferry is run by DRPA. 

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