Transit Dispatches - the METRO Magazine Blog

How are you addressing paratransit?

Metro Magazine — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 20:25:51 GMT

With fare hikes and service cuts becoming close to inevitable for mass transportation systems, senior citizens and the disabled seem to be taking the brunt of the blow.

Although fixed-route prices for seniors and the disabled have remained free or been raised to a moderate, low price, paratransit services have had to be raised significantly or cut altogether in many areas of the nation.

Obviously, this is a serious problem for these communities, since many rely solely on paratransit services because they are unable — for various reasons — to use the normal day-to-day services. Cutting these services limits their accessibility to the everyday things, — grocery shopping, recreation and doctors appointments to name a few — which we may sometimes take for granted.

Part of the reason paratransit services are being cut is that an agency’s cost to provide the service far exceeds the money they are taking in from the customer. It would be easy to say that agencies should just raise the fares for paratransit, but when you take into account who these customers are, asking them to pay more probably isn’t a viable solution.

So, what are you doing to try to maintain vital paratransit services at your agency?

Alex Roman
Managing Editor

Fighting for the transit dollar

Metro Magazine — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 19:36:24 GMT

The amount of money being talked about to improve and upgrade passenger rail in the U.S. has grabbed a lot of the attention away from public transportation's need for funding.

Whether funding, needed for urban public transportation, should even compete with passenger rail funding is the question.

A new problem will arise if the public and congress lumps the two funding programs together as a national need, when commuter rail is seen as overlapping both kinds of public travel.

Until next time,
Dan

Where will high-speed rail funds come from?

Metro Magazine — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:21:49 GMT

Last week, President Obama and Vice President Biden announced $8 billion in awards for 13 high-speed rail projects that will impact 31 states around the nation, as well as a reassurance for the continued pledge of more funds in the future.

While many have hailed this as a step in the right direction, which will enable us to finally compete with massive and effective high-speed rail systems in countries such as Japan and Spain, just as many are skeptical that the investment will not be enough to aid financially struggling states.

Even in states like California, where in 2008 voters passed a $9.95 billion referendum to fund a high-speed rail system, it is not clear where the rest of the funds for the project will come from.

With all that said, do you think that states will be able to foot their part of the bill? Also, since national high-speed rail system is the current’s administration’s goal, is it asking too much to expect the feds to step in and fill the financial gap?

Alex Roman
Managing Editor

We need a rail leader now!

Metro Magazine — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 23:13:30 GMT

In a previous blog, I talked about the revival of passenger rail transportation. If there is going to be a long-awaited interest and growth in this part of the transportation industry, who and where are the leaders that will coordinate and propel rail ridership throughout the U.S.?

Now is the time that the elevated interest in rail development should be capitalized upon and carried forward to make sure we take every advantage of making it happen.

Currently plans and projects are fragmented. There must be a well-recognized super leader somewhere who can step forward and take charge.

Until next time,

Dan

Motorcoach community helps with disaster relief

Metro Magazine — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 00:36:48 GMT

Both this week and last week, the American Bus Association (ABA), United Motorcoach Association (UMA) and ABC Companies all announced that they are contributing to relief efforts for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

On Thursday, ABC Companies announced that it will match contributions made by employees, customers and vendors. Last week, the UMA encouraged its members to join them in donating to the American Red Cross and the American Bus Association and its charitable arm, the ABA Foundation announced a joint donation of $25,000 to the American Red Cross.

The news reports that there is still a desperate need for assistance, especially after the recent aftershocks left even more victims homeless, and there are countless venues for donations. Has your operation donated funds, or set up a way for your employees and passengers to do so?

Administration an ally to transit

Metro Magazine — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:50:19 GMT

This week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo announced safety regulations requiring Positive Train Control (PTC) technology to be installed on major rail lines around the nation, as well as commuter and intercity passenger rail routes.

Train control systems such as PTC are now mandatory for most passenger rail operations and for trains hauling certain hazardous materials, but are not required for closed passenger rail systems such as light rail, rapid transit and subways.

You have to tip your hat to this administration for many things if you’re in the public transportation industry, including its increased focus on funding and safety of the systems that carry millions every day.

This is just another example of the strides being made by the present administration to show how important the passenger carrying industry is to this nation and its growth.

Alex Roman
Managing Editor

Operations or Projects: Which is more important?

Metro Magazine — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 18:01:38 GMT

On Wednesday, the U.S. House passed a $154 billion jobs bill, or what’s being called a second stimulus package, by a vote of 217 to 212.

The package is not expected to be taken up by the Senate until early next year, but if it goes through, public transportation will likely have another pool of funds to draw from, since the current bill enables large transit systems to use 10 percent of the $6.15 billion in formula funding for operations. It also includes $800 million for Amtrak.

The original purpose of the first stimulus package was to create jobs. As of now, it is unclear as to how successful the attempt has been, but public transportation advocates have said there are enough “shovel ready” projects to put thousands to work immediately.

This, of course, is good news if the legislation passes. What is interesting is that this opportunity arises while the public transportation industry continues to struggle with budget deficits, forcing them to cut both employees and routes.

With that said, I was wondering what some of you thought was more important: Putting more money into transportation construction projects, or getting funds that will essentially act as a band-aid for hemorrhaging budgets?

Alex Roman
Managing Editor

Will the Jobs Summit yield fruit for transit?

Metro Magazine — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 23:06:19 GMT

The White House Jobs Summit, held last week, drew business executives, economists, finance experts, labor leaders and small business owners to Washington, D.C., to share ideas on boosting employment.

A national delegation of transit and business leaders was among those in attendance, with plans to promote the benefits of investing in “ready-to-go” public transit infrastructure projects that will create and sustain jobs.

An alliance of several of the nation’s metro transit systems, including New York; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Philadelphia and Chicago, among others, partnered with corresponding chambers of commerce to meet with the White House Office of Urban Affairs, the U.S. Department of Transportation and key members of Congress to highlight transit’s critical infrastructure needs, the opportunity to invest in creating jobs and boosting the economic recovery.

If funding for high-speed rail projects is distributed any time soon, it could be among those job investment opportunities, since enthusiasm for these projects seems to be growing across the U.S. On Wednesday, in addition to the many regional high-speed rail groups already established across the country, the Western High-Speed Rail Alliance was formed. However as interest grows, competition for the $8 billion that President Barack Obama has set aside specifically for high-speed rail will be even tougher.

What are your thoughts on public transit getting support from the White House to play an active role in job creation? Do you see high-speed rail as part of the picture?

Nicole Schlosser
Associate Editor

Fighting harassment on transit systems

Metro Magazine — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:29:28 GMT

Whether it’s at work, on a night out, or riding the bus or subway, women face some sort of sexual harassment every day.

At a recent joint hearing of three New York City Council committees, – Transportation, Women’s Issues and Public Safety – the New York Police Department (NYPD) and Metropolitan Transportation Authority officials spoke about the cry from its riders for more prevention and enforcement of sexual harassment.

During the hearing, James P. Hall, chief of the NYPD’s transit division, spoke about the number of sex offenses and arrests since November 15, 2009, – 587 reports, 412 arrests – but added that he believes those numbers are “highly underreported,” according to a New York Times article.

Recently, I spoke with Oraia Reid, co-founder and executive director of the Brooklyn, N.Y.-based RightRides for Women’s Safety, for a news story in an upcoming issue about the problem of sexual harassment on New York subways and the push for more enforcement. RightRides’ attempts to build safer communities by ending gender-based harassment and sexual assault through working with the community by organizing and offering direct service, safety education and advocacy programs.

Reid has experienced, firsthand, sexual harassment on New York’s subway system and has seen other people be harassed through either verbal or physical actions, who do not report the incidents. RightRides supports state legislation that has been introduced that will help better track and collect data on sexual harassment on the subway system and increased customer awareness, which the MTA aims to boost via ads, printed brochures and on-board announcements.

Obviously, passenger comfort is a top priority for transit agencies all over the nation. What do you do to ensure passengers aren’t sexually harassed on your system?

Alex Roman
Managing Editor

Has enforcement been the missing piece?

Metro Magazine — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 00:06:41 GMT

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Transportation released a new motorcoach safety action plan, focusing on issues including driver fatigue and inattention, vehicle rollovers, occupant ejections and oversight of unsafe carriers.

The plan is available on the U.S. DOT Website. In short, the next steps will be to protect occupants by initiating a rulemaking for installing seat belts on all motorcoaches; address driver fatigue by requiring electronic on-board recording devices on all coaches; ensure safer driver performance by forbidding texting and the use of cell phones and other similar devices; developing a national drug and alcohol testing database to assist carriers in identifying a driver with a history of substance abuse; and to enhance oversight of carriers attempting to evade sanctions and of other unsafe motorcoach companies.

That last one may be especially urgent.

Over the past year, I’ve asked motorcoach operators about safety issues in general, and the prospect of adding seat belts in particular. The response tends to be that, while operators are very concerned about the safety of both drivers and passengers, and want to do everything possible to that end, adding new equipment can be costly, complicated and time-consuming. These operators say they feel that the onus for safety is often placed unfairly on those who are already safe. Many have also pointed to recent motorcoach accidents with fatalities that could have been prevented, had coach inspectors been doing their jobs.

Dallas Fort Worth’s Star-Telegram has reported on the recent arrest of three inspectors linked to the Sherman, Texas bus crash in 2008. The Department of Public Safety conducted a three-week investigation into the company in question and discovered that it had issued hundreds of inspection stickers a month to vehicles that were never inspected. Clearly, even more diligent enforcement is necessary at all levels.

Hopefully, the rules/results stemming from the U.S. DOT plan will strike an appropriate balance between guiding enforcement of safety and realistic expectations for what adjustments operators can make. What are your expectations/hopes/fears?

Nicole Schlosser
Associate Editor