Unconventional Streets Wisdom

For those who watch the numbers, it should be no surprise that San Francisco's Sunday Streets would be a success for merchants at Fisherman's Wharf. However, the merchants still stuck in auto mode were complaining about the embarcadero shutdown today. However their fears, as many predicted, were unfounded. There was also a little help from demonstration E-Line service which hopefully will come online as full time sooner rather than later. Via the MSR blog:

Plenty of riders came out to take part in the free demonstration service, especially later in the morning. And it's a good thing that the E cars were on the line because, north of the Ferry Building they were needed to reduce the crush loads on the F. Muni added three shuttle buses on top of the regularly scheduled vintage shuttles, and everything was packed. Apparently, the Mayor's Sunday Streets idea worked to get more people to the Wharf, instead of fewer, as Wharf merchants had feared. The closed northbound traffic lanes of The Embarcadero were filled with skaters, walkers, and bikers.

Follow "The Market"

Let's keep doing what we've been doing and expect different results.

Charlotte Ridership

Approaching the 2030 number. 16,900 currently.

Roger Snoble is Right

Let's put aside for a second whether we think the Gold Line project is a good idea or not. Recent postings on the Bottleneck Blog state that Rep. David Drier has asked LACMTA chief Roger Snoble for $80 million in order to put the line into the New Starts pipeline to get a $320 match. Snoble wrote back saying they were not going to commit money because there was no way that was going to happen any time soon. He's right.

It is likely to be many years at best before the Foothill project completes the lengthy and rigorous New Starts process, assuming the FTA allows the project to remain under consideration.

The FTA process for most places recently has taken 10 years from first application. Lines such as Charlotte, Phoenix, Seattle , and Oceanside (Links to New Starts Report Dates) which are just opening started planning thier lines in the end of the last decade. So LA County Supervisor Mike Antonovich writes back saying the DOT and Ma Peters (Thanks Ryan) told him differently. (which makes me laugh as it should any of you all who have watched the process of the FTA over the last few years from your own experience as well as on this blog) Here's his comment:

The information in your letter to Congressman David Dreier is not consistent with what I was told last month when I was in Washington D.C. meeting with the Secretary of Transportation and the Chief Counsel of the Federal Transit Administration. Both made it quite clear that the reason the Gold Line Foothill Extension project has not been able to progress under the FTA’s “New Starts” program was due to the MTA’s failure to prioritize the project as part of its long-term project list.

When Mary Peters tells you something about transit and the FTA it's kind of common knowledge now that you can't believe a thing she says. That's a great excuse they give though. Not only will the Gold Line be hard to fund through the federal process that favors BRT, it is impossible they will be able to get $320 million out of the deal. In the history of new starts, the only cities that got 80% of thier project costs paid for were back in the late 90s. 80% is what the match is supposed to be and what highways get, but the New Starts program is underfunded. I dare anyone however to find a project that gets more that 50% in the most recent new starts list. Recently its been more like 50% or for example Salt Lake City signed an MOU to fund 4 lines at 20% federal match.

So sorry Mike, if you andRep. Drier were actually paying attention to what is happening at the FTA in Washington, you would know that what you're looking to do is insane and not even the most powerful congressional teams have been able to get any more without an earmark. Mr. Snoble is correct in saying if you want the project built sooner, its better to go local, at least until the next transportation bill gets written.

FTA Shuttle Rule Thoughts

I wonder if they considered private shuttles...

The Top Wealth Center

Apparently Arlington is the top wealth center in the country. Who would have thought putting a subway through redevelopable land instead of down the center of a freeway would do anything beneficial at all?

Crime and Transitment

Finally an article that discusses crime and light rail using the facts instead of hysteria.

That has not happened. MetroLink security has not been perfect. But, by any reasonable measure, the system is safe.

Serious crime is rare. According to agency data, there were a total of 14 robberies and 24 assaults at the system's 26 Missouri stations during 2007 — out of 19 million passenger boardings that year. The figures are consistent with national research that shows transit stations are as safe as or safer than the neighborhoods in which they're located.

In Case You Didn't Know...

In case you didn't know already, Joe Biden takes the train.

Beginning of the End

The death of streetcars started this way.

Where Else Will It Go?

NBC is planning a massive TOD project on top of the Universal Metro Station. People are complaining about the traffic impacts, but where else is this project going to go? The two office towers worth of employees and studios are going to go somewhere, so why not near good frequent transit? This is the type of development that should be encouraged, however the minimum parking requirements shouldn't. Max out the parking charges and allow people to cash out for transit passes. And Conan O'Brien should ride the Subway to do the Tonight Show when its done.