We've recently come across some great testimonials from individuals who have chosen to get around primarily by mass transit and/or bicycle rather than a personal car.
Chris Hrubesh, a senior video editor at CNN in Atlanta, says that trading in his car for a bicycle was one of the best decisions he's ever made. Check out what he has to say about the experience and watch him commute by bike on video. The benefits of this change include a ten-pound weight loss, a savings of $300-$500 per month, and the opportunity to demonstrate a car-free lifestyle to his son. Kudos to his employer for treating him to a free gym membership and transit passes in order to incentivize the decision to commute without a car. When Chris does want to drive, he rents a car by the week or borrows a Zipcar for an hour or two.
The Grist article "Why public transportation is good for kids" by Carla Saulter - AKA the SeattleBusChick - has been making the rounds on Twitter and Facebook. She and her husband have been car-free since 2003 - even after having two kids. Their toddler "took her first bus trip home from the hospital at one day old and has ridden almost daily ever since." We learned about the Seattle area's Undrivers movement through Carla's transit-focused blog. Her post explaining how she saves time by taking the bus instead of driving is eye-opening.
Over the past year, the American Public Transportation Association has gathered the testimonials of individuals whose lives have been positively impacted by public transportation. The APTA "Telling Our Story" campaign collected transit users' stories in an effort to demonstrate to the US Congress the importance of maintaining government support of transit services. This project produced a "video wall" of people speaking about the role of public transportation in their lives. Speakers include employers, riders with disabilities, students, transit agency employees and commuters.
Do you have a testimonial about using one of these transportation alternatives? Do you ride the bus to school, run errands on your bicycle, or carpool to work? Tell us your story by leaving a comment.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
What you need to know about the revised Indy Connect long-range transportation plan
As you may have already heard, Indy Connect version 2.0 is here! An updated long-range transportation plan for Central Indiana has been developed after an extensive public outreach and feedback-gathering effort. You can review this plan, ask questions and submit comments here or at any of the public meetings happening around the region over the next 2 weeks.
Here are eight key facts to know about the plan:
1. Indy Connect, Central Indiana’s Transportation Initiative, has developed a long-range transportation plan following an extensive public outreach effort. This is the most comprehensive transportation plan we have ever created – with more help and input from the public than ever before.
2. The long-range transportation plan centers on a comprehensive regional bus system that connects to rail, as well as roadways and bike and pedestrian pathways.
3. We sharpened our pencils and developed a plan that addresses our critical transportation system needs. It considers available funding and addresses feedback we received about cost, which indicated a willingness to pay an average of $15 per month per household.
4. The goal is to build a transportation system that provides various types of transportation that connect people to jobs, healthcare, shopping and education and increases the region’s competitiveness, economic development opportunities and mobility.
5. The bus system in this plan provides three times the service of today’s IndyGo, with more cross-town service, fewer downtown transfers, more direct routes and extended operating hours.
6. An enhanced bus system, known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), supplements the traditional bus system and provides service with frequent stops and quick travel along highly traveled streets.
7. Rail will be built on existing lines from Union Station running north to Noblesville and south to Franklin. If funding allows, rail could be extended northwest to Zionsville.
8. BRT will be available along Washington Street and will be replaced, over time, with light rail transit. The first light rail line to be built will be from Union Station to the Indianapolis International Airport.
The next step in the process is to decide on a new dedicated source of local funds to build and operate the bus and rail components of this system. Federal grants, state dollars, the current property tax that funds IndyGo, and transit fares will be utilized, but will only cover half the $2.5 billion cost of creating the system. It will be up to the Indiana state legislature to determine what kind of local funding will be used. The funding sources will likely include an increase in the local option income tax or sales tax.
What parts of this system do you see yourself using? How is your neighborhood affected by the new plan? How would you feel about an average tax increase of $15 per month to fund the system? With construction potentially beginning within a couple of years, the time to consider your part in the grand scheme of Central Indiana transportation is now.
Here are eight key facts to know about the plan:
1. Indy Connect, Central Indiana’s Transportation Initiative, has developed a long-range transportation plan following an extensive public outreach effort. This is the most comprehensive transportation plan we have ever created – with more help and input from the public than ever before.
2. The long-range transportation plan centers on a comprehensive regional bus system that connects to rail, as well as roadways and bike and pedestrian pathways.
3. We sharpened our pencils and developed a plan that addresses our critical transportation system needs. It considers available funding and addresses feedback we received about cost, which indicated a willingness to pay an average of $15 per month per household.
4. The goal is to build a transportation system that provides various types of transportation that connect people to jobs, healthcare, shopping and education and increases the region’s competitiveness, economic development opportunities and mobility.
5. The bus system in this plan provides three times the service of today’s IndyGo, with more cross-town service, fewer downtown transfers, more direct routes and extended operating hours.
6. An enhanced bus system, known as Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), supplements the traditional bus system and provides service with frequent stops and quick travel along highly traveled streets.
7. Rail will be built on existing lines from Union Station running north to Noblesville and south to Franklin. If funding allows, rail could be extended northwest to Zionsville.
8. BRT will be available along Washington Street and will be replaced, over time, with light rail transit. The first light rail line to be built will be from Union Station to the Indianapolis International Airport.
The next step in the process is to decide on a new dedicated source of local funds to build and operate the bus and rail components of this system. Federal grants, state dollars, the current property tax that funds IndyGo, and transit fares will be utilized, but will only cover half the $2.5 billion cost of creating the system. It will be up to the Indiana state legislature to determine what kind of local funding will be used. The funding sources will likely include an increase in the local option income tax or sales tax.
What parts of this system do you see yourself using? How is your neighborhood affected by the new plan? How would you feel about an average tax increase of $15 per month to fund the system? With construction potentially beginning within a couple of years, the time to consider your part in the grand scheme of Central Indiana transportation is now.
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