Public transit
Bolstering Public Transit in California: A New White Paper from UCLA / Berkeley Law
Public transit in California, while historically underfunded compared to roads and freeways, has suffered even worse as the state’s economy has tanked and Sacramento legislators have raided transit funds to pay their general fund bills. But the buses and trains that comprise the state’s transit system provide badly needed economic benefits for Californians. These benefits …
CONTINUE READINGHow About 30/15? Maybe 30/20?
A couple of weeks ago I referenced Mayor Villaraigosa’s 30/10 plan, which seeks to take the $30-40 billion of Proposition R money for LA county transit, bond it, and move MTA’s transit projects faster. This plan would turn 30 year schedule into a 10 year schedule. Thus, 30/10. Get it? I wondered what all the fuss was …
Continue reading “How About 30/15? Maybe 30/20?”
CONTINUE READINGCredit Where It’s Due: Villaraigosa’s 30/10 Plan
I’ve been somewhat critical of LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s environmental policies, which tend to have more style than substance. But I have overlooked his 30/10 plan, which (as the New York Times reported the other day) might revolutionize the way sustainable infrastructure is built in American cities. That’s unfair, because the Mayor has really done …
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CONTINUE READINGCash for Transit
Jonathan proposes reinstating the vehicle license fee that Governor Schwarzenegger eliminated back in 2003. The repeal was highly successful in 1) getting Schwarzenegger elected governor and 2) contributing to the destruction of the state’s fiscal health. But even reinstating the fee is unlikely to help transit. With the state’s huge budget shortfall, that money would …
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CONTINUE READINGIncreasing bus ridership by making it cheaper
Jonathan presents an interesting idea for stimulating bus ridership in Los Angeles among “choice” riders (aka affluent commuters who could drive if they wanted to). For years, San Franciscans have enjoyed real-time data on bus and train arrivals (via nextmuni.com). It makes a huge difference when trying to catch a bus by minimizing unpleasant wait …
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CONTINUE READINGNotes From Japan
A few environmental observations from my family vacation in Tokyo. The first is an obvious one: Tokyo’s public transportation system is a marvel. Several American cities have admirable subway systems but what is so impressive about Tokyo’s is the sheer area it covers. It’s the largest subway and train system in the world. No American …
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CONTINUE READINGThe Dodgers v. Urbanism: NoCal 1, SoCal 0?
I hate to admit this with a bunch of co-bloggers from the Bay Area, but I think that the northerners have one here. Ever since my Grandpa told me stories about dodging trolleys outside Ebbets Field, and then took me to the Dodgers’ 1972 Oldtimers’ Day, when they retired the numbers of Jackie Robinson, Roy …
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CONTINUE READINGSweet and Sour Pork
Like any good observant lapsed Jew, I’m always on the lookout for tasty pork. But as Jonathan discussed on this blog, the highway pork in the stimulus bill is looking most unsavory — especially relative to the sweeter meats of public transit funding. No doubt, money for public transit agencies would go a long way …
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