Month: March 2010

In addition to writing a charming piece on bus riding, the Times also published a piece that slammed the efforts to bring High Speed Rail to California.  While Rich Connell and Dan Weikel didn't come right out and say that pursuit of the $45 billion for the High Speed Rail train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco; they did write an article that was long on attacking various portions of the project and light on a defense.  If you were to just read the Times article, you could conclude that:

NHTS data from 2001 and 2009 shows a major increase in sustainable transportation. Image via Mobilizing the Region. Between 2001 and 2009, the number of trips that Americans made in cars dropped by more than four percent, with walking, bicycling and transit use picking up the slack, according to new data from the U.S. Department … Continued

This weekend the Times profiled one of Los Angeles' many bus riders, focusing on a young woman who chooses the bus over the car to commute from the Westside to Beverly Hills.  The rider, Jacquelyn Carr, authors her own blog about her riding experiences at Snob on a Bus, and both the blog and the Times article tell a charming story of a woman who first takes the bus because she feels she has to and ends up integrating herself into the culture on the Westside part of the Metro 720.

A new month begins today without rules in place to govern federal transportation programs, thanks to an objection by Sen. Jim Bunning (R-KY) to quick approval of a short-term extension of existing law.

Here's a chance to catch your breath after the last couple of hectic weeks.  Once you're re-charged, get ready for the fundraiser and bike ride for the Bicycle Kitchen on Friday.

Speakers: Alexis Lantz (UCLA) & Jordann Turner (City of Los Angeles-City Planning Department)

Traffic congestion vexes every major city on the planet, though few would dispute that Los Angeles is the congestion capital of the developed world. Why is it such a difficult problem to address? Myths about the causes of traffic congestion contribute to the problem, but more importantly, bold ideas to reduce tie-ups are held up in political gridlock. Hear from top transportation and policy experts as the UCLA School of Public Affairs Rosenfield Forum addresses a pressing issue at the top of every Angeleno's mind.

The Vancouver Olympics may be over, but Jarrett Walker at Human Transit writes that the legacy for public transportation in that city could be a lasting one. During the games, the city moved nearly 1.7 million people per day on its transit system. Walker sees it as a sort of Olympic exhibition of what the future could hold:

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill