Environmentalists put money into transit

The north Texas environmental group Downwinders at Risk, through its relationship with a grant organization, is putting $75,000 into starting public transit in Arlington Texas, USA.

The Arlington City Council unanimously approved the new service Thursday. It was an easy decision, because it will cost the city nothing.
The city’s $75,000 share of the first year’s price tag is being paid by the Sue Pope Fund and the clean air advocacy group Downwinders at Risk. The T is providing the buses. Star Telegram

NYC - A taste of car-free utopia

Streetsblog

Now, pipeline wars

It isn't enough that we have to pay for oil wars. As oil runs out, the carbon-auto industry transitions to gas. Both products are transported by pipeline. Pipelines are easily sabotaged. That means tight political control of pipeline areas is needed. Human rights will not be an option.

While Georgia doesn't produce oil itself, it hosts a 155-mile link of the world's second largest oil pipeline — the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline — which carries oil from Azerbaijan on the shores of the Caspian Sea to Western markets. --MinnPost

Autosprawl was forced on U.S.

GM Bought and Dismantled Streetcar Lines Nationwide

GM began by funding a company called National City Lines (NCL), which by 1946 controlled streetcar operations in 80 American cities.

“Despite public opinion polls that showed 88 percent of the public favoring expansion of the rail lines after World War II, NCL systematically closed its streetcars down until, by 1955, only a few remained,” .... -- Larry West, About.com

photo from Hennepin County Library - Minnesota

Free buses a success in Chapel Hill

Copyright 2008 WRAL.com

"Ridership has been going through the roof,” said Steve Spade, director of Chapel Hill Transit, which is a department of Chapel Hill town government. The number of riders has more than doubled since the system stopped charging fares in 2002. Ridership is up about 15 percent from last year alone; April saw the largest ridership increase, up 30 percent. WRAL.com

People want transit, politicians lag behind.

More evidence that people want to end the dominance of the auto....

A recent poll found that given a hypothetical $100 to invest in transportation, Americans said they would spend $62 on trains and rail, buses, bike paths, and sidewalks, and only $38 on roads. (Source: Harris Interactive poll [+/- 3 pts]). In other words, Americans want to spend 63% of transportation dollars on bicycling, walking and public transportation, nearly tripling the 22% now spent. Philadelphia Bicycle News

Puerto Rico governor proposes free transit

The governor of Puerto Rico proposes free public transit. Gets blacked out, except for attacks. This is why people like NYC Mayor Bloomberg go for the carbon-auto lobby's "congestion" bait instead of pursuing free transit, which they know to be the "obvious" correct path.

This morning, Anibal Acevedo Vila made public his idea to start providing public transportation for free during the months of August to December of this year.

--salgado

Bangkok - free transit - restricted parking too?

Bangkok, Thailand - along with 73 free bus routes and free 3rd class passage on 164 daily trains, now discussing restricting parking space allowance on new development. Bangkok is showing the way...

Building regulations in Bangkok could be changed to reduce parking spaces in condominiums located near mass-transit lines in order to discourage driving and encourage more public transport use.
The proposal by the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) aims to allow developers to offer more saleable or usable space in new buildings, where parking areas would be about half the current requirement. bangkokpost.com

Free public transport - Bangkok

(BangkokPost.com) - Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri said he is satisfied with the government's free bus service, which started Friday. ...

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) is offering free rides on 800 ordinary buses plying 73 routes.

Throwing Exxon under the bus

The U.S. carbon-auto industry fears, above all, public transportation. To them it is kryptonite, the one thing that can take away their powers. They have used their political power for many years to keep their profits flowing, while the taxpayer maintains the auto-sprawl system and cleans up the mess. Now the treasury is empty, the oil wars not going well, and a huge environmental debt is due. People are turning to mass transit... and other business interests are starting to think about throwing their carbon-auto rivals under the bus. Here is an example...

Editorial
Redirect public funding from roads to mass transit
Posted: July 30, 2008
Our position: Public is ahead of elected leaders in changing their views on transportation.
Jolted by high gas prices, Hoosiers have done what would have been unthinkable a year ago: They're now among the nation's leaders in leaving their automobiles in the garage....
Clearly the public mind-set has shifted....
Yet, state and local political leaders don't seem to be on the same track....
Functional bus systems? Light rail? High-speed connectors to other cities and states? The state's top leaders have shown little interest. - indystar.com