The glow after the fires burned through Acton, California. Photograph: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images via the Guardian
VIENNA (Reuters) - Wild fires are likely to be bigger, more frequent and burn for longer as the world gets hotter, in turn speeding up global warming to create a dangerous vicious circle, scientists say.
..."An increase in fire may be the greatest early impact of climate change on forests," Brian Amiro from the University of Manitoba said late on Wednesday...Reuters 17-April-2008
Authorities, raising prices for public transport, hypocritically pretend that they are forced to do it, because no other choice. In fact, the situation is different: the oil tycoons and their associated business structures are not satisfied that received windfall from the sale abroad of oil, which, incidentally, was once a national treasure and because they received during the illegal privatization. They want to sell at a profit oil and the domestic market. And our state on behalf of the city government gives them this opportunity, raising prices for public transportation...
redeurasia via google translate
Austin Buses : Fare Hike Means More Traffic, Pollution
The average Austin household contributes $450 per year to Capital Metro. Most people don't ride the bus. So what is it that non-riders are paying for? The few altruistic Socialists believe that low income residents deserve mobility, but the rest of us are paying for two things: less traffic congestion and the cleaner air that should result from less cars on the road. A great value in an ideal situation. Unfortunately, our transit authority fails to deliver. When they raised fares at the beginning of 2009, it resulted in over 1,000,000 fewer trips in the first six months... RagBlog
Victor Bernace, City Council
Victor Bernace is running for the 7th Council District, representing West Harlem; parts of Washington Heights, Inwood, Central Harlem and Morningside Heights. NBCNewYork
Why should local and state governments subsidize public transportation -- or even pay the full cost so that people can ride for free?
Simply to ease the pressure to build more roads and streets, which cost a lot more than a few more buses and become congested almost as soon as the new asphalt is laid.
Buses, trains, trolleys and the like also foul the air less than personal automobiles on a per-passenger-mile basis. They burn less fossil fuel. The community's ability to attract new industry and create jobs is directly related to air quality and the community's standing with the Environmental Protection Agency.
Plus, the American Public Transportation Association says the average American commuter paying the full fare saves more than $9,500 per year by choosing public transportation over driving.
If the average West Memphis commuter saves anything close to that, it's no wonder rides on West Memphis routes average more than 20,000 a month.
Subsidies could make MST free public transit
This is about reconceptualizing "leading, advocating, and delivering quality public transportation" (the official mission of Monterey-Salinas Transit). In a typical public bus transit system there are costs attendant to the collection, security and accounting for fare receipt money, the maintenance of fare-gathering boxes, and the printing, selling and checking of passes, ID cards, etc. There is driver distraction also. These costs would not be incurred in a comprehensive transit system where the fare boxes were eliminated and anyone could ride free of charge. Our local Monterey-Salinas Transit would only need to be subsidized the final 28.2 percent, and not even that much would be needed!
The corresponding savings of all the passengers who would not be fueling cars and trucks would mean more transportation was being obtained for the amount of propane, gasoline and diesel fuel coming into the market area. Could anyone forward this idea toward where analysts could determine its feasibility?
-- Charles Wilson Monterey [CA] [letter toMontereyHerald]
Continuing on the success of various video contests related to the June "Dump the Pump" day, the American Public Transit Association has started its own contest ending September 18th. Click for details.
As local transit agencies cut much needed service and raise fares, despite the obligation the U.S. has to reduce green house gas emissions to curb global warming, forces in the world are calling for the restriction of auto use and working to implement policies to invest in a sustainable mass transit. Critical factors that shape the BRU’s programmatic demands – auto restriction, bus-centered system with bus only lanes and fare reductions as a means to free fares – ... Los Angeles Bus Riders' Union
Anyone that saw Milk speak knew one thing: no matter what, he wanted gays and lesbians to have hope. He wanted them to remain hopeful that things can, would and will change if we care enough to change them. He wanted everyone on the bus, championing causes like affordable child care facilities, free public transportation, a board of civilians to oversee police, neighborhood issues, family issues. He wanted his hope to be infectious, and maintained humor by pranking public officials like Diane Feinstein and the mayor and being often outrageous on television or in person in some way. HuffingtonPost
The bus service will provide free busing from Havre to the Fort Belknap Agency and Box Elder and communities in between, and provide transportation to and around Great Falls a couple of times a week.
...Becky Farr of Opportunity Link, the Havrebased anti-poverty organization that wrote the grant applications and had been spearheading the drive to create a free public transit system, said a celebration for the first day of operations is being organized. ... HavreDailyNews.com
"It is a miracle,” said Virginia Samuels. "It is wonderful.”
"It gives me a lot more independence,” said Joyce Hoover. "We could go somewhere every day.”
They are riding Route 1 that runs every 30 minutes from Festival Market Place, the temporary bus terminal, to Walmart, and back.
In the first month of operation, Citylink averaged well over 200 passengers a day, said Shannon Entz, the city’s transit project manager. NewsOK
...Even if Island Transit said right now that they wanted to charge fares, they couldn't afford to implement it without a major cash infusion. If people are this ticked about this tiny amount, how would they feel about them asking for much more? Having money on a bus increases security risks, increases delays (and believe me, people will go NUTS over even a three-minute delay - just absolutely NUTS), and charging fares also causes increased costs not only in equipment, but also in administrative personnel. I think it will drop ridership some, but not to the degree it has been projected.
Even still, the small amount the fare would raise would be negligible, and I have reviewed the facts and figures provided and done some of my own research. It might, in a few years, might help Island Transit break even. It will never bring them extra funds. This is a service to us, it isn’t done to make anyone money.... Letter to the Editor - South Whidbey Record
They're federal highway programs that keep going long after their original purpose has been fulfilled, gobbling up billions in tax dollars and laying down hundreds of miles of blacktop. They're zombie highways. PBS looks at a $3.3 billion proposed road around Birmingham, AL. Environmentalists don't want it, residents of the area where it's being built don't want it, even the Mayor of Birmingham doesn't want it. But because a group of business interests pushed for it, Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL) inserted it into a transportation bill -- which means that taxpayers nationwide will foot most of the bill. Transportation experts say it's the wrong road at the wrong time in the wrong place -- and that it symbolizes what's wrong with the way we build roads in this country. It's also devouring subsidies that smart-growth proponents say could be better spent on public transit. But is there any way to kill a zombie highway? PBS Blueprint America [On TV - PBS Newshour - Aug 6th and 7th.
... last summer, ... total ridership of 460,692 passengers, according to the report.
...Crystal Dodd, originally from Germany but now hailing from Yorba Linda, took a "mini-vacation" with five other friends while their husbands were fishing in Alaska. "Traffic is horrible, parking is horrible so when we get here we just don't drive," she said. The ladies are planning on making their trip an annual soiree.
..."The more people we have in them, the more we're achieving our goal and that is to get people out of their cars," Iseman added. "Now the community recognizes it's something for all of us. People are so used to struggling to find a place to park that they've figured out they can take the trolley. It's an instant relaxer." ... LagunaBeachIndependent
