While dozens of other countries have delivered fast, modern train networks, we are stuck with a skeletal system built largely on slow, 19th-century alignments. Even developing nations are passing us by. There is growing recognition at the federal level that things need to change, but substantial and comprehensive reform would require an act of Congress.
Sit down with Hannah Bowler and the Story Catchers and Network Rail team where they discuss their wins at The Drum Awards for Marketing EMEA for their 'You vs Train' campaign. Hear about the success of the campaign, how changing behavior was its ultimate goal, and how they reached difficult target audiences.
It works, it's fast, it's reliable. People who rely on the line are saying how much of a great addition it is to their daily commute. Rolling out Line 5 in phases was the right decision. Tempering expectations is really important. I think that [the TTC] could have saved themselves a lot of harm and damage if they were more clear about that with Line 6.
The San Diego Metropolitan Transit System faces a roughly $500 million funding gap over the next four years, but it's not due to diminishing services. Regional riders are enthusiastic about the transit system - it has one of the fastest growing riderships in the country and ranks third for the number of passenger trips and passenger miles in California. However, like other major transit agencies such as BART, the MTS kept things moving after the pandemic through one-time emergency funds from federal and state subsidies.
When routes are well organized, there are clear directional signs, and speed limits become reasonable. The early installation of warning signs allows transport companies to plan deliveries more accurately and avoid delays. For businesses, time is money. When a truck carrying goods does not spend hours detouring due to an unclear traffic scheme or stuck in traffic where it could have been avoided thanks to competent traffic management, fuel costs, driver wages, and vehicle maintenance costs are reduced.
A vote six years in the making that would decimate the Dallas Area Rapid Transit system might soon be called off, potentially averting a major funding crisis for the agency - though advocates say there's more work to be done to make sure every DFW resident has the mass mobility options they deserve. Since the beginning of the decade, a handful of wealthy, sprawling suburban cities in the greater Dallas metro have been fighting
The Bay Wheels bikeshare program, operated by Lyft, expands into East San Jose this summer. This move links areas like Mayfair and Alum Rock to Downtown San Jose and the Berryessa BART Station, creating seamless routes for work, school, or leisure. Eligible residents can access an annual membership for just $5, with each ride costing $1, making it a practical choice for short trips that also encourage outdoor activity and reduce traffic congestion.
Plopping a new, modern building atop a cherished, historic one is not a novel concept. In New York, the Hearst Tower rises out of a six-story Art Deco building from 1928. The Antwerp Port House, designed by architect Zaha Hadid, delicately balances a glass structure above a fire station. And using air rights to develop skyscrapers over transit hubs to fund their improvements is nothing new, either.
From Boston headed home, I met up in the club car with members of a rock band, a secretary, a Peace Corps guy just back from India, and a retired dentist, and we partied night and day, telling stories and laughing our asses off. The Peace Corps guy had a sitar, and would play morning, noon and evening ragas as America rolled by outside.
Let's start with the biggest issue on the horizon: the proposed merger of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. Yes, the ultimate decision is about a year away. But sides are lining up for and against, and right now, the Surface Transportation Board, which is colloquially known as STB -- the railroads' economic regulator -- is considering the details of how the rules governing that decision will be applied.
San Francisco Supervisor Shamann Walton, who sits on Caltrain's board, wants Caltrain to work "step by step toward becoming an independent regional agency," he said in a memo to fellow board members last month. The Caltrain board includes three members each from San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties - the three counties where the rail service operates.
Via Rail says recent train cancellations along its Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor were in response to "heightened operational pressure." A number of trains between Toronto and Ottawa, Ottawa and Montreal, and Montreal and Ottawa were cancelled "end-to-end" Monday due to what Via Rail's live tracker called "operational constraints." Pressed for details, the federal Crown corporation declined to be interviewed but said via email that the cancellations are a short-term measure meant to "protect service reliability" during what's expected to be a challenging time.