Citizens For Modern Transit

Transit Alliance Meeting November 12

2009-11-05T18:16:00.000-08:00

Some 50 St. Louis area organizations have come together to work on a new effort to pass a half-cent sales tax in St. Louis County to restore lost MetroBus and MetroLink service and to begin setting aside funds for a MetroLink expansion. The meeting is 9 a.m., November 12, Room 300 of Brookings Hall. Organizations who wish to become involved in the Transit Alliance should contact CMT at tshrout@cmt-stl.org. We are looking for an April 2010 vote.

Bus vs. Car

2009-05-14T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here is an interesting video of a campaign in Sweden about the bus vs. car. Click here.

Metro Funeral

2009-05-06T16:59:00.000-07:00

Miss MetroLink is at it. The Beacon has a great article about the MetroBus funeral Friday night.
Click here.

SB 477 Dead

2009-05-06T16:20:00.000-07:00

Despite the valiant efforts of Senator Robin Wright Jones, it appears SB 477 is not going anywhere this year. The bill, introduced by Senator Jones at CMT's request, would have allowed for the creation of the Transportation Development District of the entire St. Louis City and County. The new district could have asked residents of the district to approve additional funding for the operation of Metro and the expansion of MetroLink. A district would have had the advantage of combining city and county voters in deciding the fate of transit funding. Currently the city and county voters decide separately with the result being a minority of far west and south county voters holding back the region's transit funding by their low support of transit funding.

Senator Eric Schmitt of Glendale in St. Louis County delayed the vote at least twice on the Senate floor which resulted in the bill never reaching a vote.

T-4 America testifies Before Congress

2009-04-29T06:01:00.000-07:00

CMT is linked with a number of organizations across the United States working for Congress to adopt a truly reformative transportation bill. The organization is called T-4 America which is headed by James Corless. Yesterday James testified before the Senate Commerce Committee on the goals of T-4 America. These are some of them..

Ensuring Accountability by Measuring Performance

Transportation for America further recommends that Congress establish National Transportation Performance Targets for states and regions to evaluate progress on achieving the National Transportation Objectives. This combination of measures should be powerful drivers of change since no single measure can fully assess achievement of a particular national goal, since all are complex, are dependent on many variables, and have multiple ways in which they can be evaluated. Consistent with typical planning horizons, targets could be set for 20 years. Financial rewards and penalties based on progress toward NTO’s should serve as a basis for accountability.

Transportation for America recommends the following key performance targets be embedded in new transportation legislation as a means for ensuring national progress toward the National Transportation Objectives:

Increase the share of surface transportation facilities in a state of good repair by20% in 20 years;
Reduce traffic-related crashes by 50% in 20 years;
Reducing per capita vehicle miles traveled by 16% in 20 years;
Triple walking, biking, public transportation, and passenger rail use in 20 years;
Reduce the transportation-generated CO2 levels by 40% in 20 years;
Reduce vehicle delay per capita by 10% in 20 years;
Increase the share of freight carried on rail by 20% in 20 years;
Achieve zero population exposure to at-risk levels of air pollution in 20 years;
Reduce household expenditures on housing and transportation by 10% in 20 years;
Increase by 50% the number of essential destinations accessible within 30 minutes by public transportation or a 15-minute walk for low-income, senior and disabled populations in 20 years;

To read the full testimoney click here.

CMT on Facebook

2008-12-26T14:32:00.000-08:00

Help CMT network on issues associated with expanding MetroLink by joining Citizens for Modern Transit on facebook. We have about 80 members as of Dec. 26.

Phoenix opens light rail line

2008-12-26T14:30:00.000-08:00

Click here to read an account of the new light rail line that is opening in Phoenix.

Mark Edwards on Prop M

2008-12-22T13:42:00.000-08:00

Click here to read Mark Edwards recent post about Metro. Mark is in the radio business and relies on Metro to get to work.

Post Editorial

2008-08-28T15:47:00.000-07:00

Today, the Post published an editorial which put the isolated security incident near MetroLink that took place last month into perspective. To read the editorial, click here.

Transit Summit

2008-08-01T16:09:00.000-07:00

Alan Dunston, Madison County Board Chair; St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay; St. Clair County Board Chair Mark Kern; and Mike Jones, policy advisor to St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley were panelist at the July 31 Transit Summit on the campus of Washington University.

Some 200 area leaders gathered to learn about Metro's future and the need to continue to expand MetroLink. Voters in St. Louis County will be asked to asses an additional half-cent sales tax in November to support Metro and some road projects. Metro plans to use half the money to sustain the current operation and half to expand MetroLink. A line to Westport Plaza from Clayton is high on the County's list.

To read a perspective of the summit go to the St. Louis Beacon Web site by clicking here.

Gubernatorial Debate

2008-07-25T18:07:00.000-07:00

To see a video clip of Kenny Hulshof and Sarah Steelman's answer to a transportation funding question in a debate in Springfield, click here.

2008-07-25T08:25:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else noticed the increase in bikes and scooters? When I was coming home last night on MetroLink, a biker boarded at Union Station and when I got off, two more bikers were waiting to get on the train. It will be interesting to see if the new bikers continue this fall and winter. I usually walk to MetroLink year round. Basically, if you dress for it, it's just a matter of getting use to it.

I will try and get some biking statistics from Metro and publish them.

Click here To read a story in the Vital Voice about other ways to commute other than by car.

Metro on Line July 23

2008-07-21T14:30:00.000-07:00

Metro, the St. Louis region's public transportation authority, is seeing increased ridership but is also facing budget constraints, possible fare increases and service reductions. Todd Plesko, Chief of Planning and System Development for Metro, will be answering readers questions about the bus and light-rail service Wednesday, July 23, 2008 01:30 PM CDT on STL Today.

Click here.

Register to Vote

2008-07-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Voters in St. Louis County apparently will have an opportunity to vote in November to increase funding for Metro so the transit agency can expand MetroLink and secure its operation for years to come. The St. Louis County Council is expected to begin the process of putting the measure on the ballot. If you would like to vote, you must be registered. For information on registration, to go to the St. Louis County Board of Elections, Click here.

If the voters approve a half-cent increase in the County sales tax, it is expected to trigger a quarter-cent sales tax that St. Louis City passed in 1997, but has not been collected since the vote failed in the county in '97. Together, the measure would generate an added $80 million or so per year for Metro.

Salt Lake City Tribune Editorializes on the Benefits of Transit Oriented Development

2008-06-13T07:20:00.000-07:00

In our new "energy-restricted" economy, condos and high-rises will become the new "McMansions." Train tracks and sidewalks the new highways. Buses and bicycles the new SUVs.
Many of us will abandon our big gas-guzzling vehicles and forsake new land-guzzling, auto-dependent suburban developments in favor of commuter hubs and "new urbanism" communities clustered near mass-transit stations.
We'll live sensibly for a change. We'll walk to the market and the park and the restaurant, and we won't have to walk far in our mixed-use neighborhoods.
We won't go kicking and screaming, either. Just give it a little more time. Let the air pollution and traffic congestion and gas pumps that ring up $50, $60, $70 in a blur sink in, and we'll embrace smart growth and new urbanism and commuter hubs like grandmas hug babies and babies hug puppies.
It's already starting to happen in Murray and Midvale, Farmington and South Salt Lake, where transit-oriented communities are planned or under construction; developments where you won't have to jump in the car every time you leave home.
But there's still one big obstacle, developers and planning experts told local officials at a transit-oriented development seminar this week in Salt Lake City. If commuter hubs and bus stop/train station developments are going to become the norm, if we're going to change our wasteful ways and ease the burden on our environment and pocketbooks, local governments have to lead, or at least get out of the way.
"High density" can no longer be dirty words. Commercial and residential zones must be melded. Those tired old requirements of two parking spaces for every doorstep have to go. Transit-oriented, new urban and infill developments must be supported with tax credits, expedited permitting and generous infrastructure assistance, while developers who promote sprawl and three-car garages, and people who settle in those communities, must pay a premium.
Obviously, we won't all want to live this way. There will still be Drapers and Bluffdales, places where the old American dream - big house, big yard, RV and SUV - hangs on, or dies hard.
But eventually, that lifestyle will be as outdated as last year's calendar. Pressure - financial, ethical, environmental, governmental - will be brought to bear. Change is inevitable. It's up to government to make it happen sooner, not later.

Obama Discusses High Speed Rail

2008-06-06T08:41:00.000-07:00

By Kathy Kiely, USA TODAY

BRISTOL, Va. — As he begins the general election contest for the White House, Democrat Barack Obama is targeting the voters he had the hardest time winning in the primaries: those who are white and working class.

The Illinois senator told USA TODAY Thursday that his appearance here in a small town on the Virginia-Tennessee border represented the first stop in a 2½-week tour about economic issues. The trip will also take him to several states won by his rival, Hillary Rodham Clinton, during the Democratic primaries, including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Florida.

Obama laid out his campaign plans during an interview in the library of Bristol's Virginia High School.

"What we're going to do over the next 2½ weeks is focus on the economy, which is what is pressing on the American people so severely," Obama said.

During the tour, he said he plans to "offer some very concrete solutions as to how we deal with both the short-term squeeze that (working-class Americans are) under and how over the long term we right the economic ship."

Obama also touched on his search for a vice presidential nominee, his plans to visit Iraq and a conversation he had yesterday with John McCain, the presumptive Republican nominee.

To start, he laid out ambitious plans to increase funding for a host of domestic programs, including a 10-year, $150 billion "Apollo-style program" to develop new energy sources.

On the economy, his agenda includes "significant investment" in the nation's transportation system. Obama said he'll also discuss plans to expand retirement accounts — with the addition of matching funds from the U.S. government — and to pump more money into the nation's education system.

Obama did not discuss details or costs of these proposals. But he said he'd pay for his programs by raising taxes on wealthy taxpayers, eliminating corporate tax loopholes and ending the war in Iraq, which is costing the U.S. government $10 billion a month.

Among his ideas to address climate change and the skyrocketing cost of fuel, he said he favors a major expansion of high-speed rail service.

"We could connect the Midwest with a high-speed rail system that would provide immediate jobs," he said, adding that it would also be a "much more energy-efficient" alternative to air transport.

The senator, who has faced criticism for not wearing a flag pin on his lapel, sported one here. He initially resisted wearing a flag pin because "my attitude was my patriotism is what's in my heart," Obama said. He changed his mind after an Internet rumor campaign about his patriotism.

"I just wanted to make sure that nobody was confused because there were e-mails going out that somehow I didn't say the Pledge of Allegiance and so forth," he said. "I just wanted to knock down those lies."

Earlier, in a high school gym, Obama told an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,000 it's no accident he chose to make his first appearance as the party's presumptive nominee here — in a community where the population is mostly white and the median income is well below the national average.

The community represents "so many people who have been forgotten," Obama said. "Washington hasn't been listening to you and hasn't been paying attention to you."

The last Democratic presidential candidate to win Virginia was Lyndon Johnson in 1964. The last one to visit the southwestern corner of the state, said local Democratic congressman Rick Boucher, was John F. Kennedy in 1960.

Obama told reporters on his campaign plane he had a jovial conversation with McCain, when his rival gave him a congratulatory phone call Wednesday.

"We joked if you'd asked any of the pundits a years ago whether it would be him and me as nominees, you wouldn't have gotten many takers," he said.

He's "definitely interested" in McCain's proposal for a series of unmoderated town hall meetings, Obama said. In the interview and in his appearance here, Obama criticized McCain's tax and health care policies as being skewed toward the wealthy.

Among his other comments:

• On picking a running mate. When asked whether considering Clinton, Obama demurred, saying she'd be on anybody's short list.

Earlier in the day, the Clinton campaign said she was not angling for a spot on the ticket. "She is not seeking the vice presidency, and no one speaks for her but her," communications director Howard Wolfson said. "The choice here is Senator Obama's and his alone."

Obama is in no hurry to make a choice, naming "before the (late August) convention" as his deadline. He'll seek "somebody I could trust to be president" and "somebody with integrity," he said.

•On Iraq. "I will be going to Iraq, I'm almost certain, before the election," said Obama, who has made withdrawing U.S. troops a priority of his platform. "One of my most important tasks is to deal effectively with the situation in Iraq, in Afghanistan and with the threat of terrorism generally."

•On race. Obama alluded to his historic status as the nation's first black nominee of a major party during his appearance here, telling the audience that "I'm proud of America for giving me this opportunity because obviously we all know it's a sign of enormous growth in this country."

•On campaign finance. Obama said he'll accept public financing for his campaign — which would limit the amount of spending — only if McCain agrees to curb spending by the Republican National Committee. "I won't disarm unilaterally," he said.

Obama has raised about $265 million to date, while McCain has raised about $90 million.

After appearing here, Obama traveled to a rally in northern Virginia's D.C. suburbs, then headed back to his hometown of Chicago to take the weekend off. He's looking forward to "a date" tonight with his wife, Michelle, a round of golf on Saturday ("the best I can do is the low 80s," Obama said) and a bike ride with his children on Sunday.

Not that he is expecting it to be entirely relaxing. On Saturday night, Obama will face a challenge familiar to many American parents: Eight 7-year-olds are due at his house for a birthday sleepover in honor of his daughter, Sasha.

"These kids are planning to make pizza so who knows what our kitchen will look like," Obama said. "They shouldn't call these sleepovers. They should call them wake-overs."

Conservative Paul Weyrich Supports Street Cars

2008-06-04T06:32:00.000-07:00

The National Ledger, LLC (TNL) is a new media independent news publication. Recently it a carried an article by Paul Weyrich, noted conservative, who supports the building of streetcars in United States Cities.
By Paul M. Weyrich Jun 3, 2008

I belong to the National Streetcar Coalition, which pushes policies favorable to the return of streetcars throughout the nation. Each month we hold a conference call with member participants who explain what is happening in their communities. This month I was blown away at the level of activity from one end of the country to the other. Portland, Oregon is the poster child for a successful streetcar system. Intersecting with Portland’s prolific light-rail system this eight-mile modern streetcar line has attracted over 100 other communities in the USA and even foreign countries which are looking to bring back streetcars.

Streetcars Are Returning, In Spite of Bush Administration Opposition (Image: Wenn)

Despite an extraordinarily well run streetcar line, which has attracted $3.5 billion in stipulated investment which would not have occurred without the streetcar, the George W. Bush Administration refuses to partially fund a new line to the other side of town. Mind you, these investment properties have voted to voluntarily tax themselves to support the operation of the car line. So what is the Bush Administration pushing? So-called bus rapid transit. In fact, despite the legislative history of the small-starts program which was established to fund starter streetcar lines, the Bush Administration Department of Transportation authorities will have none of it. They only fund bus rapid transit. In fact, they have a whole unit limited to promotion of one mode. They do not do this for any other technology. They hold conferences. They have staff that goes on location to push bus rapid transit. They have a web page devoted solely to bus rapid transit. There is only one problem. People don’t like to ride buses. They will tolerate riding a bus that feeds a rail line but they really don’t buy what the Administration is pushing.

Many communities are funding starter streetcar lines on their own. That is well and good but the elitist “public be damned” attitude of the Bush Administration is reprehensible. The Federal Transit Administrator seems to be reasonably in favor of streetcars. But someone is giving him orders not to fund rail. There is an irony in the current campaign to do away with earmarks. The current law requires Congress to earmark funds for transit projects. If earmarks are abolished, and I certainly am no defender of the earmark practice, should Congress violate the law and not set aside money for transit projects? That presently is the only way rail projects are funded.

There is suspicion of a sort of symbiotic relationship between the Bush Administration and the manufacturers of buses and their component parts. It is hard to comprehend what goes on here. Yes, rail is more expensive to build but it is less costly to operate, so in the long run it pays to have rail. Riders identify with fixed guide-way rail lines. They know rail lines are unlikely to disappear. A bus route can be changed overnight. I have no idea what the next Administration will do about this issue. One never can tell. President Jimmy Carter turned out to be a much more determined opponent of Amtrak than did President Ronald Reagan, who talked of defunding Amtrak but always gave in to the strong pro-Amtrak sentiment in the Congress. None of the candidates for President thus far has been asked about streetcars so we simply don’t know how the current controversy will be resolved.

Meanwhile, interest in streetcars is reaching critical mass. Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), the chief Congressional proponent of streetcars, is optimistic. He believes this is an idea whose time has come. He thinks with so many cities and towns considering restoring streetcars no Presidential Administration would be able to resist this idea in the long run. He is considering introducing a stand-alone bill to fund streetcars. We know President Bush would veto such a bill but we don’t know what the others would do. We know that Senator John S. McCain, III has been a fierce opponent of Amtrak but we don’t have much clue which way he would go on this issue.

I spent much of my young life going to photograph last runs of streetcar systems. I even ran two charters just before the Milwaukee system was abandoned. Today if I spent my remaining years doing little else I still couldn’t get to the openings of all of the streetcar lines under construction. This was a technology which came close to dying out completely in the 1970s. It is difficult to suppress a good idea. Yet I never thought I would live to see this day.

Nancy Pelosi Outlines Transit Needs

2008-06-03T12:41:00.000-07:00

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke to the American Public Transit Association Rail Conference yesterday in San Francisco. In the speech she gives her thoughts about the nation's infrastructure needs including more funding for transit.

“Thank you, Nat [Ford]. Nat does an excellent job leading the SFMTA in managing San Francisco’s ground transportation system, which includes our transit system, Muni, one of the oldest and greenest transit systems in the United States. Under his tenure, San Francisco has opened a new light rail line and established the largest municipal bio-diesel fleet in the nation, with bio-diesel fuel now utilized in all Muni’s diesel fleet vehicles.

“I would also like to acknowledge the leadership of our great Mayor, Gavin Newsom, who has been instrumental in ensuring a 21st century transportation system for San Francisco.

“I would also like to recognize APTA President Bill Millar. For more than 10 years, Bill has been a tireless advocate for public transit in the halls of Congress. We rely on his leadership to move a public transportation agenda forward.

“Two hundred years ago, around the time of the Lewis and Clark expeditions and the Louisiana Purchase, President Thomas Jefferson realized that for commerce to flow in America, for people to move, and for our country to flourish, we needed to build the infrastructure of our country

“Our nation was growing, but it was also still a young experiment in democracy. Our population was sparse, and after decades of war, so was our national treasury.
These realities did not deter President Jefferson, or his Secretary of the Treasury, Albert Gallatin, who submitted a plan to Congress to develop the infrastructure of America. These challenges inspired these great men. For America to be great, they believed it needed to invest in its future strength.

“The Erie Canal, the Cumberland Road, and of particular interest to you, the transcontinental railway stand today as legacies of this vision.

“To finance this infrastructure, these early Americans had the great foresight to see that the long-term benefit of these investments far outweighed the costs. Because of that, public capital, and not just private resources were necessary.

“As Albert Gallatin said, roads and canals to unite our young nation could not ‘be left to individual exertion.’

“It was in that tradition that 100 years later, in 1908, President Theodore Roosevelt launched a similar commitment by convening a White House Conference on Conservation to preserve America’s natural beauty. That led to the creation of the National Park Service and helped a growing America remain a great America and continue to be an even greater America.

“Today, again, we stand at a crossroads with another opportunity to unite our nation.

“200 years after we first committed to national infrastructure, Congress is prepared to observe the accomplishments of Presidents Thomas Jefferson and Theodore Roosevelt by seizing opportunities for innovation and progress. We must invest in our nation’s infrastructure, and we must reverse climate change. By investing in public transit, we can do both at the same time.

“In Congress, it is our responsibility to protect the American people, grow our economy and create good paying jobs, strengthen America’s families, and preserve our planet and promote energy independence.

“All of these can be accomplished through rebuilding our infrastructure.

“Our nation faces great infrastructure challenges: crumbling roads and deficient bridges, insufficient maintenance of the electricity grid, aging pipelines, overloaded ports, and most devastating of all – the levee failures during Hurricane Katrina.

“All of you know best how the rising demand for public transit is placing enormous strain on rail transit systems, which around the country are in desperate need of upgrades, expansions, and operating funds.

“But in this litany of challenges is an opportunity to think in new and different ways. These challenges are opportunities to strengthen our nation.

“That includes serious investments in rail transit systems, which are in desperate need of upgrades, expansions, and operating funds.

“The challenge of our crumbling infrastructure is also an opportunity to think in new and different ways to strengthen our nation.

“Rebuilding America is a national security issue. Ninety percent of our oil imports are used for transportation. Public transportation, more efficient roadways, and a broadband backbone that removes commuters from roads, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and reduce its implications on our foreign policy.

“Rebuilding America is an economic issue. By improving our efficiency, we improve our competitiveness and create the next generation of good-paying jobs.

“Rebuilding America is an environmental issue. Making greener choices will bring us cleaner air and water, reduce sprawl and congestion, and cut greenhouse gases, to the benefit of the American people and our planet.

“Rebuilding America is an equality issue. When I held an Infrastructure Forum in the Capitol, Darren Walker of the Rockefeller Foundation spoke eloquently to us about transportation as a matter of basic fairness. As he said, the civil rights movement in America was sparked by one brave woman, Rosa Parks, and one public bus. Transportation – especially public transit – is the road to opportunity.

“As Speaker of the House, my flagship issue is energy independence and reducing global warming. That is because I believe preserving our planet for future generations is our most urgent challenge. As we renew and rebuild America, at every step of the way we must also combat climate change.

“Last year, Congress took major steps to reduce global warming pollution, passing sweeping legislation to increase vehicle fuel efficiency to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. The reduction in greenhouse gas emissions in the year 2020 alone will be the equivalent of taking 28 million of today’s cars and trucks off the road.

“But it is not enough to improve vehicle efficiency and promote biofuels. We must also address total ‘vehicle miles traveled,’ which are growing at two and a half times the rate of population growth.

“In that regard, you are in the lead – getting people out of their cars and onto light rail, light rail, trolleys, and commuter rail, for example. Already, public transit saves our nation 1.4 billion gallons of gasoline every year.

“The fuel savings from using transit are magnified when we add in the ‘smart growth’ that springs up around transit, especially rail transit stations. People use transit for more of their daily needs, such as running errands, and the nation saves 4.2 billion gallons of gasoline annually. In San Francisco alone, use of the Muni’s system results in an estimated 25 million gallons in oil savings.

“Last year, public transportation ridership reached its highest level in 50 years. While this upward trend it tremendously encouraging, it is overloading many of your systems, and making the need for infrastructure investment all the more pressing.

“The question is not whether we must invest in our nation’s infrastructure, but rather, how do we pay for it? How do we proceed in a fiscally sound way?

“One idea being considered is an infrastructure development bank to promote public and private investment in projects of regional and national significance, including public transportation projects. The bank would be an independent federal entity that would evaluate major infrastructure proposals and finance the best of them using a variety of financial tools.

“For example, the bank could have the authority to issue bonds with maturities of up to 50 years. The benefits of infrastructure projects are long-term, and we need financial tools that will align financing with the benefits of the investments. Long-term investment opportunities could draw additional funding sources into infrastructure, such as pension funds.

“We must also consider whether we need a capital budget, not just an operating budget. Corporations and states have them, but the federal government does not. This would give us a means of differentiating between short-term expenditures and longer-term national investments.

“The task we face is so large that it demands the involvement of every level of government and the private sector.

“States, local communities, and the federal government are finding new ways to work together – new public-public partnerships that will strengthen our efforts at every level of government.

“In my state of California, the voters—fed up with congestion—approved $20 billion dollars in transportation infrastructure bonds to build on existing public funding sources. This included billions for public transit modernization and improvement. Public agencies are also finding ways to harness the knowledge and ingenuity of their own workers to increase their efficiency and save public dollars.

“Private investment is playing an increasingly larger role in public infrastructure. Innovative public-private partnerships are appearing around the country, bringing much-needed capital to the table. It is important to ensure that the public interest is well-served in public-private partnerships, since they are here to stay and likely to grow in importance.

“User fees have always been part of the structure of public transit; now they are playing an increasingly larger role in financing other types of infrastructure.

“With the economy slowing down and job losses accelerating, we must also look for opportunities to take advantage of the stimulative effect of investing in infrastructure.

“In conversations with the White House, leaders in Congress have placed a number of proposals on the table, including funding for infrastructure projects – transit, clean water, passenger rail, highways - where dirt will fly and people will be put to work that simply lack the funds to begin now.

“Right now, both the House and Senate are at work on legislation that has the greatest potential to address climate change yet: a cap-and-trade system. The ‘cap’ refers to an overall limit on annual greenhouse gas emissions from the United States. ‘Trade’ refers to the trading of greenhouse gas allowances, to ensure greater economic efficiency and generate revenues for public purposes, such as developing new low-carbon technologies. Some of these revenues could be used for investments such as public transit that further reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

“The Senate will begin floor debate on the Lieberman-Warner bill this week. It currently includes $171 billion in funding for public transportation through 2050. The House is also drafting cap and trade legislation, and we welcome your ideas as we move forward on this critical endeavor.

“In order to invest in rebuilding our nation, we need to engage the public in our 21st century vision.

“In the Congress, Congressman Earl Blumenauer of Oregon is leading the way, with legislation for a new national commission that would involve the public, members of Congress, and stakeholders all around the country to determine our priorities and look at all the dimensions of this challenge together.

“New technologies have the opportunity to offer new solutions.

“In that regard, this November, voters in California will have a chance to vote to build high-speed rail, and bring to America a system enjoyed around the world.

“This investment will create good-paying jobs, boost the economy, relieve gridlock and congestion, and offer an environmentally friendly and economically viable transportation alternative.

“California will set a new golden spike for rail travel as we break ground on an 800-mile system with trains traveling speeds of 220 miles per hour, transporting passengers from the Transbay Terminal right here in San Francisco to Union Station in Los Angeles in just two and a half hours.

“I know you have a keen interest in the reauthorization next year of the surface transportation bill, SAFETEA-LU.

“Congressman Jim Oberstar of Minnesota, Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, was born to lead on these issues of transportation and infrastructure. He is deeply committed to rebuilding America, and doing it a sustainable, climate-friendly way.

“Working with Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Peter DeFazio of Oregon, Jim Oberstar and the committee members are already immersed in the issues involved in reauthorization.

“House Democrats are committed to robust public investment in public transportation. We are committed to advancing a bill that – at a minimum – honors the historic 80/20 funding split between highways and transit. The reduction of transit’s share below 20 percent that occurred in the 2005 reauthorization will not be repeated.

“We are committed to reforming the New Starts process for funding rail transit projects. Many of you have worked long and hard to develop New Starts projects, only to have the Bush Administration move the goal posts, forcing you to comply with new criteria. This must stop.

“It is essential that the environmental and economic development benefits of rail transit become fundamental criteria in the decision-making process for New Starts. We see with each new light rail system – whether the location is Dallas, Minneapolis, or Portland – a tremendous upsurge in transit-oriented development around rail lines and stations. Transit and the high-density development that accompanies it both have tremendous value in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and putting us on the path to a low-carbon economy.

“In the 21st century, we will face scarcity of any number of resources.

“But in this room, there is no scarcity of ingenuity, no scarcity of urgency, and no scarcity of commitment.

“When the history is written of our work to rebuild America and protect the planet from global warming, because of your example of thinking entrepreneurially, acting regionally, and for succeeding in preserving the entire planet, the contribution of APTA members will be writ large.

“As Speaker of the House, but more importantly, as a grandmother of seven, I come here today to thank you for your leadership.”

Source: Speaker Nancy Pelosi

St. Louis County to Seek Transit/Road Funding

2008-05-16T09:51:00.000-07:00

Veteran St. Louis Post-Dispatch Reporter Phil Sutin recently wrote the background on St. Louis County's effort to fund transportation. Sutin has covered this topic for years and his article that was on the Political Fix website provides great background to the issue. Click here to read the article.

What the Post-Dispatch should have said

2008-04-03T08:34:00.000-07:00

One of the issues facing the new Congress and President in 2009 will be the federal role in our nation’s surface transportation policy. The current transportation bill, SAFETEALU, expires in September of 2009 with the highway trust fund projected to be in a deficit situation by then and the Transit Trust Fund going into the red by 2011.

The debate will occur at a time when energy prices are at historic highs, there is an urgent need for energy independence which is integral to national security, fossil fuels are identified as a major contributor to climate change, an aging population means greater numbers of people looking for alternatives to driving alone, plus a recognition that our transportation infrastructure is literally collapsing and hasn’t the capacity to serve a growing population.

In anticipation of this looming crisis, Congress created the National Surface Transportation Policy and Revenue Study Commission in 2005, a bi-partisan panel charged with recommending a new approach to building and funding transportation in the United States.

Earlier this year, the Commission issued its report which noted that congestion was costing the American economy an estimated $78 billion in 2005, measured in terms of wasted fuel and workers’ lost hours. The report says “contributing to the scale of the problems is a deeply entrenched over-reliance on the personal automobile for travel in urban corridors. Strategies to shift more trips to public transit will play a large role in any forward-thinking efforts to reduce congestion. Similarly, intercity passenger rail offers opportunities to reduce the reliance on the auto for longer-haul trips. In many places, we also will need new highway capacity as well.”

The commission says to achieve this goal, the nation should spend al least $225 billion annually for the next 50 years to upgrade our existing transportation network to a good state of repair and to add more advanced facilities for the US to remain competitive internationally. “We are spending less than 40 percent of this amount today,” the commission reports.

This report will frame the discussion over the next 18 months about the future direction of federal transportation policy in America. How different this national discussion is as compared to continued proposals in Missouri for more highways and dedicated truck lanes while all signs point toward a greater federal emphasis on public transit and intercity rail.

How will Missouri address its transportation needs of the 21^st century in a climate of $4 per gallon gas, the prospect of carbon taxes and the desire for people to live in more energy efficient green areas? While the nation appears to be headed to a more robust multi-modal system that helps mitigate these changes, Missouri could be left at the station if it continues its policy of funding highways, leaving its citizens to endure high gas prices and crowded highways with little choice to live a more energy efficient life.

A recent Post-Dispatch editorial which suggested transferring the meager amount of money the legislature devoted to passenger rail to public transit misses the point entirely. Moving six million dollars from Amtrak to public transit would not nearly address transit needs, while eliminating Amtrak between St. Louis and Kansas City just at the time when passenger rail is booming elsewhere in the country and throughout the civilized world.

What Missouri needs is a new vision for transportation in the 21^st century. The Post should have suggested that Missouri needs to help build Kansas City and St. Louis in partnership with the federal government to build light rail lines to all corners of the metropolitan regions. Strengthening the bus and paratransit service throughout Missouri, especially smaller cities, towns and rural communities should be a priority in light of an aging population prone to isolation. New light rail stations could serve as anchors for new and revitalized urban development which we have just started to see near MetroLink stops.

St. Louis and Kansas City should be connected by passenger rail travelling at 110 miles per hour with trains departing each city at least six times a day, providing a much needed alternative to Interstate 70 and Highway 50. Springfield, Mo. and points between should become a part of the state’s passenger rail network with connections to St. Louis, Kansas City and Dallas by way of Oklahoma City. And yes, highways and bridges should be smooth and safe.

A broader multi-modal transportation policy would strengthen the economic well being of St. Louis and Kansas City and provide residents in the state’s smaller communities quick access to the medical, social and cultural centers of our state.

In recent years Missouri voters have turned down on two occasions transportation programs solely focused on highways. Current proposals offer more of the same.

A state transportation program that provides a vision of high quality, multi-modal transportation choices has the best chances of catching the imagination of voters, especially those in the urbanized areas of the state who historically have been more inclined to support taxes in the past has the best chance of gaining voter approval. Recent attempts to pass highway-only measures at the ballot box have failed overwhelmingly. Perhaps it is time to give a visionary “green” multi-modal transportation alternative a try.

Obama on Mass Transit

2008-03-20T18:22:00.001-07:00

This if from the Charlotte Observer

Q: Charlotte just opened a new light-rail line. How do you feel about federal support for mass transit?

Obama:

I'm a strong supporter, as part of our broader energy strategy. You know, if we are designing cities, and urban communities and suburban communities around two-hour commutes, then we are destined to continue down the course of climate change. And mass transit not only is far more environmentally sound, but with oil prices sky high, and not likely to go down significantly, because of increased demand by China and India, it gives individuals much more of an incentive to look at trains and mass transit as an alternative.

New Post on Megabus

2008-03-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

Over at Joe Frank's blog, Ramblings by Joe Frank, there is an interesting post on Megabus adding service to Columbia, Missouri. Click here to go to the site. I posted in May on a trip I took from St. Louis to Kansas City and back over the Memorial Day weekend.

Station usage

2007-12-05T06:38:00.000-08:00

I will have to do some checking, my first guess is the station usage figures represent different months of the year. The summer months have the most usage and the winter months the least. Usually August is the high month of the year and February the low.

MetroLink Station Usage

2007-10-10T14:59:00.000-07:00

Station%20usage.pdf

Here is some data from Metro about station usage on MetroLink. The most used station is the Central West End station which no doubt because of its high employment center as well as strong neighborhood walk up usage and the new bus transfer center.

Also what the data show is that MetroLink is carrying some 25,000 people across the Mississippi River each day. Planners have noted a drop in bridge usage the last two years, maybe it is because of MetroLink and perhaps some people are making fewer trips.

Metro Market Research On-Line

2007-10-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

Metro has begun posting it market research of customers on line. (To reach it, click here.) CMT also conducts its own research, although our surveys are admittedly to a self select group of riders, people who register their commute with us in order to be eligible for the Guaranteed Ride Home program. Maybe we can post ours on line soon. We keep track of historical data as well. Metro conducts an on board survey of riders. Metro's is done under a contract with the University of Missouri-Rolla.

However, despite the two methods, they pretty much show the same thing: riders are generally satisfied with the service. MetroLink generally scores better than buses in all categories. People who quit riding public transit for one reason or another, probably are out of date on the service that Metro is providing these days. On-time performance of the bus system is in the low 90th percentile and MetroLink is in the upper 90th percentile.

One of the reasons for the improved scores is the improvements in management at Metro in recent years. Ray Friem is in charge of operations and has improved on-time performance, reliability of bus service and the attititude of some drivers. Metro's year-end report. In addition Metro is far more efficient, reducing absenteeism, workers compensation claims all of which as contributed to ridership gains.

Gone are a number of folks who go their jobs via the political route of yesteryear. On board now, if a remarkable improved management team that are producing great results for the community. I hope all of this will results in a positive vote for additional MetroLink lines. The system needs to expand.