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Above and beyond, customer service is the backbone of the public transportation industry as it strives to lure riders from their own vehicles. With budget cuts spreading transit agencies even thinner, one side-effect that may be getting overlooked is the industry's dedication to customer service.
Read More →Throughout my 33 years with New York City Transit, beginning as a bus operator and ending as the director of the safety and training division, dept. of buses, bus stops have been my "bread and butter." Hence, safe and proper bus stop entry/departure and passenger boarding/alighting are top priorities for me.
Read More →While we are all enamored with the current surge in redeveloping passenger rail, here is something to ponder. In the mid-19th century, we discovered that hauling large swaths of people by rail was a profitable venture. Rail transportation, and its commercial use, grew rapidly until air travel was discovered and became the popular mode for travel.
Read More →With all the state budget cuts, from California to Minnesota to New Jersey, it doesn’t appear that governors are sympathetic to, or aware of, the surge in demand for public transportation -- nearly paralleling the onset of the recession, with funding shrinking all the while. Still, there are supporters out there fighting to keep public transportation going.
Read More →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.
Read More →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.
Read More →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.
Read More →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.?
Read More →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
Read More →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.
Read More →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.
Read More →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.
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