Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • Okaloosa County Hires Private Transit Operator (Crestview Bulletin)
  • FSU Implements Victim-Blaming Street “Safety” Program (FSU News)
  • Driver With Speeding Record Kills Teenager on Five-Lane Road; Cops Blame Victim (Tampa Tribune)
  • Raleigh Bike/Ped Advisory Commission: Ran Out of Time to Add Bike Lanes (Raleigh Public Record)
  • South Carolina Flood Highlights Urban Stormwater Issues (Circle of Blue)
  • New Orleans Surface Parking a “Dying Breed” (Times-Picayune)
  • Will Positive Train Control Deadline Halt Amtrak Through Georgia? (Rome News-Tribune)

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Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • Atlanta Was Built on Rail (WABE)
  • Atlanta Will Accept Grant to Fund Chief Bicycle Officer (Saporta)
  • Infrastructure Costs for New Braves Stadium Continue to Rise (AJC)
  • The Future of Dunwoody Depends on Transportation Options (AJC)
  • Tampa Bay Times Publishes Map of What Commuter Rail Might Look Like
  • Pasco, Pinellas, and Hillsborough Leaders Discuss Connecting Bike/Ped Trails (Suncoast News)
  • Roads Through the Everglades Are OK, But a Bike Path Would Be Irresponsible (Sun Sentinel)
  • DeBary Mayor Plans Bike Tour to Promote Trails (News-Journal)
  • University of South Florida “Share-A-Bull” Bike Program Is Free for Students (Sun Sentinel)

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More Transit Agencies Adding WiFi on Buses

By Angie Schmitt | | No Comments
Photo: Streets.mn Escambia County, Florida announced WiFi on its buses last week. So did Charleston, South Carolina. Kansas City had it months before. And Atlanta‘s working on it too. It’s a trend that’s gaining speed quickly among transit agencies intent on luring young people to their service, according to Chad Chitwood, a spokesperson for the American Public Transit Association. For several years, the shares of [...]

Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • Regional Transportation Authority Finds Nashville Transit Lags Behind Demand (Tennessean)
  • Report Says Tracks Can’t Accommodate Freight Traffic and Commuter Rail (Nashville Public Radio)
  • Spring Hill Bike and Greenway Plan Receives Tennessee APA Outstanding Place Award (Brentwood)
  • Tampa Designs Country’s First Public Health District (Next City)
  • Palm Beach Post Writer: AAF, Financed With Tax-Exempt Bonds, Is a Triumph of Capitalism
  • CSX Looking for Offers to Add Passenger Rail to Two Tampa Bay Lines (Tampa Bay Times)
  • Sale of Underground Atlanta Stalled Over Parking Garage (Saporta Report)
  • MARTA Carried More Passengers Than Last Year, Thanks to Expanded Service in Clayton (AJC)

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BWL Column: Good News for Lee County Bikers and Walkers

By Darla | | No Comments
Today's column reports on the progress that has been made over the past 4 years (2010-2014) in adding biking and walking facilities throughout Lee County, based on BikeWalkLee's new report. Example Before/After photo provided by BWLBikeWalkLee's Column:News-Press Go Coastal Section, Oct. 1, 2015  How is Lee County doing in bike/ped facilities? Good — in total miles and in kinds of facilities. BikeWalkLee took a look at how bike/ped facilities added in up the county from 2010 to 2014, using data collected by the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) from the Departments of Transportation for Florida and Lee County along with local municipalities.In this four-year period, we added 130 miles of bike/ped facilities, an 18 percent increase, with almost 40 miles of new facilities in Cape Coral and almost 60 miles in unincorporated Lee County.The greatest increase in type of facilities over this four-year stretch came in bike lanes — with the total mileage almost doubling to make up 1/4 of all facilities by 2014. Even with a drop in the miles of paved shoulders — the result of some road sections being upgraded to some other type of (more protected) facility — on-road facilities increased by 60 miles while off-road ones (in some cases more focused on walkers) added 70 miles. Overall, good news for bikers and walkers countywide. Much of these gains came due to new-road construction rather that retrofits to existing roads — where a huge backlog still exists. We applaud the efforts of local officials (county and municipality) to achieve these kinds of improvements, and urge them to keep up the good work to continue to expand and connect the bike/ped network throughout the county and its cities. Every day we’re reminded of the importance of walking and biking to improving the overall health of the community, so more and safer bike/ped facilities are crucial to encouraging people to go take a hike or a bike!The BikeWalkLee report also reviews other bike/ped improvements during this period, as well as looking ahead at expected upgrades we all should see soon. The full report is online at BikeWalkLee.Ready to ride or run?Run: October race season is here, starting with the Lexington Cares 5K Run/Walk on Saturday to benefit the Regional Cancer Center’s Breast Health Center. The following weekend, pick from the Busey Bank Run for Prevention in the morning (at FGCU) or Cops and Joggers in the evening (downtown Fort Myers).Ride: Tomorrow is the first Friday of the month, which means the SW Florida Critical Mass ride, starting at the field next to the downtown Publix at 7:30 p.m. Bring your lights and helmet, and join the fun.Both: Looking for a sprint tri? Head north to Siesta Key on Saturday (www.siestakeytriathlon.org), or south to Marco Island on Sunday (www.thefitnesschallengetriathlon.com).

Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • NC Senate Recesses Without Addressing Light-Rail Funding Provision (Triangle Biz Journal)
  • Durham-Orange Public Input Process Carries On (Chronicle)
  • Engineering Delays Push Back Construction of Downtown Anniston Bike Lanes (Anniston Star)
  • Clifton Corridor Rail Project Moves to EIS Planning Phase (Atlanta Intown)
  • Jury Does Not Hold MARTA Accountable for Officer’s Shooting of Man in 2011 (AJC)
  • To Attract Riders, Charleston Area Regional Transit Authority Adds WiFi to Buses (WSOC)
  • Escambia County Adds WiFi and Bus Tracker App (The Pulse)
  • SunRail Releases Plans on Proposed Southern Expansion Stations (Orlando Biz Journal)

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Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • NC Legislators Fail to Remove Light Rail Funding Cap (WRAL)
  • Is Raleigh Rushing Rezoning Before New City Council Steps In? (Indy Week)
  • Raleigh-Area Businesses Want More Transit (Business NC)
  • Charlotte Mayoral Candidates Agree on Streetcar and Affordable Housing (Observer)
  • FTA Writes Atlanta Over Concerns With Streetcar Safety, Maintenance (Atl Biz Chronicle)
  • MARTA, Gwinnett Residents and Biz Leaders Are Ready for Expansion, But Are Politicians? (CL)
  • Grassroots Riders Group Hopes to Boost MARTA’s Image (WABE)
  • It’s a Good Sign When Media Complains That Rail Service Should Be Improved (Orlando Sentinel)

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3 White Elephants That Help Explain America’s Infrastructure Crisis

By Angie Schmitt | | No Comments
America spends billions of dollars widening roads that don’t need widening, like Wisconsin State Route 23. Image: Google Maps A new report by the Center for American Progress zeros in on an under-appreciated culprit in America’s much ballyhooed infrastructure crisis: All the money we waste on useless roads. CAP highlights three “white elephant projects” that illustrate how billions of dollars in federal infrastructure [...]

Today’s Headlines

By Ashley Robbins | | No Comments
  • Coastal Greenway Would Provide Safe Biking Route, Help Towns Along I-95 (Connect Savannah)
  • Might Student-Dominated Athens Finally Do Something to Encourage Walking and Biking? (Flagpole)
  • One Week in Fort Meyers Propels City Into Walkable Future (Florida Weekly)
  • Study Finds Need for Passenger Rail in North Louisiana (KTBS)
  • Investment in “Quality Placemaking” Paying Off for Chattanooga (Brookings)

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