Tag Archives: mass transit

London’s metro transit agency took to their official Twitter account yesterday to reassure the public that they will never run anti-gay ads. The about-to-launch campaign was also squashed by Mayor Boris Johnson.

The MTA has unloaded a trainload of ridership stats for useless trivia fans such as myself. There were 1.6 billion rides in 2011. Weekday rides in Manhattan alone are right under three million. The top six busiest stations by number of entries at each: 1. Times Square: 61M2. Grand Central: 43M3. Herald Square: 38M4. Union Square: 35M5. Penn Station [1/2/3]: …

Tell us about your commute.

Failed Messiah points out that a Brooklyn-based bus company contracted to run a public route instructs its female riders that they must ride in the back. The company, which is paid by New York City to operate a line between two major Hasidic neighborhoods, denies it forces women to the back of their buses, even though its own schedule commands …

The Federal Railroad Administration says to be patient: With the successful completion of the original phases of the Northeast Corridor (NEC) Improvement Project offering Amtrak’s maximum 150 mph Acela train service between Washington, New York, and Boston, efforts to develop high-speed intercity passenger rail service have expanded beyond the NEC. However, just as the Interstate Highway System took 50 years …

Although the mayor warned commuters not to expect the return of subway service until late today, New Yorkers woke up this morning to the surprising news that most lines were running after a massive crew of MTA workers labored overnight to reposition trains and clear tracks of debris. Problems and service changes persist on several lines, so check the MTA …

(Source)

The MTA debuted its new “seatless” subway cars on the E line yesterday, but Gothamist reports that they have not yet begun locking the seats in the closed position during rush hour, as is the eventual plan. When closed, the locked seats allow for 19% more passengers per car. The new cars also feature split poles to allow more people …

As part of a plan to relieve street congestion, China is planning to build huge articulated buses which passengers cars can drive under. Via Engadget: Despite the silly picture and the eccentric “3D Express Coach” branding, this cunning project by Shenzhen Huashi Future Car-Parking Equipment actually makes sense. The idea is to make use of the space between regular-size cars …

The eternally cash-strapped MTA has announced a couple of proposed changes that won’t find many fans. Millions of straphangers would be hit with a $1 surcharge when they get a new MetroCard from a vending machine instead of refilling an old one under one of the MTA’s leading fare-hike and revenue-raising plans, The Post has learned. “It would provide an …

The same Staten Island ferry aboard which 11 passengers were killed in 2003 has crashed into the dock again, resulting in 37 injuries. According to Jim Long, a spokesman for the Fire Department of New York, 17 of the 37 have been transported to area hospitals. “The other 20 will be evaluated, treated and they could be transported to hospitals,” …

NYC’s Nostalgia Train program begins today. Via Gothamist: The Nostalgia Shoppers’ Special is made up of subway cars in service from the 1930s to the 1970s, running along the lettered lines from the Grand Concourse to Coney Island. Ceiling fans, padded seats and incandescent light bulbs were state-of-the-art when these cars were first placed in service. The cars were removed …

The above ad campaign from the American Humanist Association kicks off on DC’s transit system this week and expands to bus and subway systems in New York, LA, SF, and Chicago next week. This is the first ever nationwide campaign promoting atheism in America. Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association, explained, “We’re hoping this campaign will build …

Hours after the last World Series game to be played there, Philadelphia’s transit workers have gone on strike. The strike by Transport Workers Union Local 234 will all but cripple a transit system that averages more than 928,0000 trips each weekday. The union represents more than 5,000 drivers, operators and mechanics of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority. “There will be …

Union employees of Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) are set to begin a strike on Monday. Bay Area residents face the prospect of a commuting nightmare Monday morning after the president of BART’s second-largest union announced that it will go on strike at the end of service Sunday night. If Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1555, which represents about 900 train …

Gothamist tips us to this neat map showing how the population density of Manhattan changes by day and night. I think that giant spike above midtown is the Bloomingdale’s shopping area.

Here’s a visual depiction of the city space required to provide transportation to 72 people. (Via – Richard Florida)