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Bus Lane Rehab and Utica Ave SBS Win Federal Transit Grants
New York City was awarded nearly $50 million in federal grants to improve its bus service, the Federal Transit Administration announced today. The money will go toward both the basics, like a new radio system for buses, and new and improved bus lanes to speed service further.
July 23, 2012
Even a Paltry $150M For Tappan Zee Transit Is Too Much For Andrew Cuomo
Earlier this week, Streetsblog reported that Governor Andrew Cuomo is dishonestly overstating the cost of building Tappan Zee Bridge transit. Cuomo has repeatedly said that building a 30-mile bus rapid transit system would cost $5 billion, and that the state can't afford to spend that much. But that number is inflated by the inclusion of billions of dollars in highway improvements, like new climbing lanes for trucks, many of which are entirely unrelated to providing transit.
July 12, 2012
State Reports Belie Cuomo’s Claim That Tappan Zee Transit Will Cost $5B
At the beginning of the week, Governor Andrew Cuomo launched a media offensive to defend his decision to halt all work on building new transit infrastructure across the Tappan Zee Bridge. "The bus system would roughly double the cost of the bridge," Cuomo told radio host Fred Dicker.
July 11, 2012
Brookings: Inadequate Transit and Sprawl Cut Off Workers From Jobs
If there’s a problem connecting workers with workplaces, it stands to reason that there’s a problem connecting workplaces with workers. A new report from the Brookings Institution has teased out the subtleties of this side of the transit/jobs equation.
July 11, 2012
County Execs Want More Details Before Voting on Tappan Zee Replacement
Faced with a crucial vote that could have set federal funding in motion for the Cuomo administration's transit-less Tappan Zee Bridge replacement, three county leaders have asked for more information before signing off on the project.
July 5, 2012
Transpo Bill Preserves Transit Funding, Wastes Opportunities For Progress
In H.R.7 -- the transpo bill so backwards even the House couldn’t pass it -- the roads-only crowd threw transit riders under the bus, as it were, eliminating dedicated funding for transit, which was left to fend for itself off scraps from the general fund.
June 28, 2012
Astorino and Vanderhoef Can Block Transit-Less Tappan Zee. Will They?
County Executives Rob Astorino and C. Scott Vanderhoef have been two of the most consistent and vocal advocates of restoring transit to the plans for a new Tappan Zee Bridge. They have understood that Westchester and Rockland County commuters need a way to travel east-west without a car and need congestion relief on crowded I-287.
June 26, 2012
This Time, Lockbox Bill Falls Short in Legislature, Leaving Riders at Risk
A bill that would protect dedicated transit funds from being stolen by Albany failed to pass the legislature this year, leaving riders upstate and downstate at continued risk of further service cuts at the hands of the state budget process. Since 2009, Albany has taken away $260 million in funds promised to the MTA, and more to upstate transit agencies, contributing to major service cuts across the state.
June 22, 2012
At Transpo Hearing, Council Members Ask for More Select Bus Service
The New York City Council has learned to stop worrying and love the bus lane. In a transportation hearing held this morning on the topic of outer borough transit, not a single person, whether on the council or testifying before it, had a bad word to say about NYC's Select Bus Service program, which has consistently increased speeds and ridership where implemented. In a span of just a few years, SBS appears to have become a permanent and popular part of New York City's transit toolkit -- and one that will continue to expand.
June 19, 2012
The Upside of iPhones Without Google Transit Directions
As we reported last week, the new Apple mobile operating system, iOS 6, will come with a new, Apple-designed Maps application that eschews Google's mapping tools and comes without standard transit directions. The Apple Maps app will provide driving and walking directions, but transit riders will have to access third-party plug-ins to figure out the best way from point A to point B.
June 18, 2012