pointA’s Post

Discover the surprising impact of the Toronto Transit Commission Extension on your daily commute. Are you missing out on these changes? #Toronto #TorontoTransitCommission #TTCExtension #DailyCommuteChanges #TorontoTransitSurprise #DiscoverTTC #CommuteRevolution #TTCUpgrade #TransitTransformation #TorontoTransitImpact #CommuteConvenience #TTCCommute

When I mentioned to some friends and colleagues that I was moving to the US to work, one question I often got asked was…”do people use buses in the US?” “You mean people use public transport in the US?”. Sadly, aside from few cities like New York, LA, Boston, you really don’t get to hear much about what’s happening in many US cities on the global scene when it comes to public transportation. But again, that doesn’t mean people don’t use public transport in the US. And for readers who may not know, the first London Transport Commissioner who was recruited to led the transformation of London transport system (Transport for London ) was a US citizen named Bob Kiley. The Late Bob Kiley was recruited from New York and he was responsible for introducing the famous London Congestion Charging Scheme. I have also been quite surprised by the number of people I have seen using PT in Charlotte since I arrived here about two weeks ago. In fact, I said to someone that I have seen more wheelchair users on buses in the last two weeks, than I saw in Australia or UK in six years. For me, that says a lot and it’s a pointer to need for continuous improvement in service delivery. Aside from the global push to towards environmental friendly transport modes in order to cut carbon emissions and vast economic development of the US, public transport still plays a big part in fulfilling social needs in US cities. So it will be an unfair judgment to assume that everyone in the US can afford to own a car just because the US is a rich country. #publictransport

🚏 Public transit ridership increased in 2023 and hit a post-pandemic high of 326.6 million rides. (All the more reason for equitable transit-oriented development.) Read the full press release on Regional Transportation Authority of Northeastern Illinois (RTA) 's website. #PublicTransportation #PublicTransit #Chicago

Public transit faces challenges including declining ridership, safety concerns, and rising costs, sparking debates on its efficiency and subsidies compared to driving. Despite criticisms, public transit provides essential mobility, addresses urban congestion, and offers environmental and economic benefits, warranting support and investment. https://lnkd.in/g7xzr823 #PublicTransit #UrbanMobility #TransportationEquity #InfrastructureInvestment #Sustainability

Like many people in Toronto, I don’t own a car. That means I spend a lot of time on public transit. Torontonians like to complain about our public transit system. I’m no exception. Streetcar diversions or crowded shuttle buses, anyone? Yet the transit system in Toronto is much better than anywhere else I’ve lived, and though there are inconveniences to taking transit, there are inconveniences to car ownership, too. In my latest post, I dive into why I take public transit and some of the environmental and social benefits of taking transit. 🚌 🚇 🚊 https://lnkd.in/eW2y2jD6 Do you take public transit often? Why or why not? #PublicTransit #PublicTransportation #TTC #TorontoTransit #SustainableTransportation #SustainableLifestyle

Since legislation was passed by state legislators 5 years ago, the New York congestion relief zone is set to launch in a couple of weeks on 30 June. Congestion pricing, a proven strategy in London and Europe, is finally making its debut in New York as a first of its kind in the United States. With the implementation of tolls, Metropolitan Transport Authority officials anticipate a staggering 100,000 fewer vehicles entering the congestion relief zone daily. This reduction will alleviate congestion, but also contributes to cleaner air and a healthier environment for all New Yorkers. Moreover, the revenue generated from these tolls will be earmarked for public transport investments. This means improved infrastructure, enhanced services, and ultimately, a more efficient and accessible transit system for everyone. I'm thrilled to see such proactive measures being taken to enhance a global city's livability and sustainability. I agree with Tim there is a conversation needed for the future shape of NSW's cities. Particularly, if implementation of congestion pricing could take 5 years!

An aside: I regard the control by Transurban of 11 of 13 toll roads into and around Sydney as a form of neo-feudalism - akin to how the 18th century British elites got hold of common land, enclosed it and then developed it for their own interests. In the early 19th century a version of enclosure even closer to this model took place across Britain when private interests got hold of monopolies on usually traditional community-owned rights of way/roads, built toll gates, then charged travellers/farmers/industrialists for what had previously been free. This led to riots in Wales in the 1840s called the Rebecca Riots because the Bible referred to 'the Hosts of Rebecca' in similar unjust circumstances though the cross-dressing of the Welsh rioters was in my view a tad unexpected and still unexplained! I mean, wear a mask yes to remain anonymous but a dress?! Some of those who rioted by the way were transported to Australia. Look: I know the NSW Government have been correctly looking at toll reform though I don't think charging drivers less the more they travel is consistent with contemporary thinking on such matters. What would I do? We need to remember tolling is not meant to pay for the wrong mode. The primary thing to do is to agree first what kind of city we need not the mode. If it's a more compact city with more development based around transport networks - TODS - that's different from a vision for a city based on low density development on greenfield sites, enabled by roads. So work that out first. As to paying for what roads we may need the answers coming at us as EVs and technology advance, include road pricing for vehicle KMs travelled. But in addition we will need to thank of managing road congestion in our cities and that will require also some form of congestion charging. But this again goes back to the vision for your city, say Sydney. We have been saying for a decade that we need more jobs in the centre and West of Sydney while building road networks that take commuters into the Eastern CBD and its environs. We are even building a second, Western Sydney airport, while improving at public expense road access to the first eastern Sydney airport. WestConnex for a short period - in my view - enables faster journeys from the West while screwing up the amenity and I suspect economy of those areas where it comes out of the ground in inner Sydney. All this incoherence was bequeathed the current NSW government by the previous one but it falls to the former to fix all this by first having a vision for Greater Sydney as a whole. This is what needs to inform their 'solution' to the tolling fiasco. One ask: try and think strategically not just politically about what the answer might be. And remember: the chaos at Rozelle is about to hit North Sydney as WestConnex gets connected to the Waringah Freeway. Little time to lose to work this all out. #allroadsleadtomoreroads #tolls

Insightful and powerful article showing the many variables at play that underpin & determine travel behaviours. The stories of those trying to use the bus network within and to / from the city is something all authorities should reflect on as these are not isolated incidents brought about by an unplanned curveball but systemic weakness that maintains the status quo of the private car being the only mode that can be relied / depended upon. We must do better and doing better means better data capture and analysis. Mobilityways supports organisations in better understanding travel patterns and with this foundation setting intervention strategies that can align with planned infrastructure works or unplanned as being faced right now in Bradford. #decarbonisation #planning #systemsthinking https://lnkd.in/dYWUkgTP

As on-demand public transit becomes more efficient, New Brunswick, New Jersey is offering their RIDE On Demand solution for citizens to order transportation services on an as-needed basis. #PublicTransit #Efficiency #ProcessImprovement https://loom.ly/U2WfYOU

It's great to see transit ridership recovering. Unfortunately, the recovery is uneven and still leaves many transit agencies serving fewer riders than they did pre-pandemic. Learn more in my story today for Smart Cities Dive.