Thursday, March 18, 2010

How can I help?

When you plan your vacation, if you are going to a resort town, ask them if they have free buses. Contact the local Chamber of Commerce or mayor's office.  Many ski resort towns have free public transit. Other resort areas are catching on.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Public Transit - Fiscally Responsible Investment


Welcome to the Tri-State Transportation Campaign

[NYC bus]
It’s time to face what all of us know: much of our transportation system is broken. Traveling in the NY/NJ/CT metropolitan region is often a nightmare. In fact, transportation is our region’s number one economic and environmental problem.

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"Connecticut is making significant steps towards spending its transportation capital dollars in a more sustainable manner," the report says. "Projected capital funding for transit projects is up significantly, and funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects has also increased." ConstructionPros

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Costs of NOT HAVING free public transit

New York City – The average New York City driver loses $1,888 each year as a result of driving on roads that lack some desirable safety features, have poor pavement conditions or have inadequate capacity to meet travel demands. In total, New York State motorists lose $16.4 billion each year due to traffic crashes, additional vehicle operating costs and congestion-related delays, according to a new report released today by TRIP, a Washington, DC based national transportation organization.
Tripnet [PDF]

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Free transit for seniors in NY State - bill introduced

S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________
323
2009-2010 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
(PREFILED)
January 7, 2009
___________
Introduced by M. of A. PERALTA, WALKER, GREENE -- Multi-Sponsored by --
M. of A. COOK, DIAZ, ESPAILLAT, FINCH, O'DONNELL, ORTIZ, J. RIVERA,
TOWNS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the transportation law, in relation to providing free
public transportation for senior citizens
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
1 Section 1. The transportation law is amended by adding a new section
2 15-d to read as follows:
3 S 15-D. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FOR SENIOR CITIZENS. SENIOR CITIZENS
4 SHALL RECEIVE USE OF PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION FREE OF CHARGE.
5 S 2. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
6 it shall have become a law, provided, however, that the commissioner of
7 transportation shall promulgate any rules and regulations necessary for
8 the implementation of this act on or before such effective date.
http://open.nysenate.gov/legislation/bill/A323
Peralta for State Senate

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Want jobs? Fund mass transit

If we’d spent as much federal stimulus money on public transportation as we spent on highways, we would have created twice as much work and put a bigger dent in the unemployment rate. Read more at Wired

Sunday, January 3, 2010

Red state shows yankees how its done


 CAT ridership skyrocketing in Oconee County
... During its inaugural fiscal year in 1996, which consisted of only six months because of its late startup date, there were 173,917 passengers who used the CAT system.
However, that number jumped in subsequent years and, during the 2002-03 fiscal year, CAT achieved a milestone when Janice Young, at the time a senior Clemson University special education major and Six Mile resident, became the millionth rider to board the transit system.
Babinicz said CAT’s fare-free transit system, which is funded through state, federal and local dollars, has provided tremendous dividends to the city that can be measured in more ways than just bus service.
“The part we didn’t anticipate completely when we started was that everyone benefits from CAT — even if they never use it,” he said. “Studies are beginning to show across the country that transit eases congestion, reduces air pollution, saves energy and spurs economic development and job creation, increases real estate values and improves the quality of life for riders and non-riders....” upstatetoday