Take NJ Transit to Los Angeles

Amtrak locomotive and NJ Transit rolling stock in front of Gateway Plaza at LA Union Station

I spotted some NJ Transit rolling stock at Los Angeles’ Union Station last Friday.  I should have taken that instead of flying back to the East Coast.

New Jersey Transit in Los Angeles

… Read the rest

Read Full Post | August 27 2009 | Swarthmore and Transportation News | No Comments » |

TSA Failure: Terrorists with Pilots Licenses

The New York Times reported another TSA failure today.  A man on the FBI’s most wanted list has been able to keep his pilots license and try to sell his old plane online:

With such a straightforward match, David M. Schiffer, president of Safe Banking Systems, said it was “highly unlikely” that, despite assurances in June, the Transportation Security Administration was matching the publicly available F.B.I. list with the publicly available F.A.A. list.

Classic TSA – make me take off my flip flops and take all of my electronics out of their cases (a five minute ordeal for a geek like me), but let known terrorists keep their pilot licenses.… Read the rest

Read Full Post | August 18 2009 | Transportation News | No Comments » |

Rep. Campbell and the Whackos

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Read Full Post | July 27 2009 | News and Happenings | No Comments » |

General Convention

I am currently attending the 76th General Convention of the Episcopal Church as a member of the Episcopal Peace Fellowship’s Young Adult Presence.  You can read about the advocacy work that the seven other young adults and I are doing here.… Read the rest

Read Full Post | July 08 2009 | Anson and The Christian Left | No Comments » |

Google Transit for LA Metro

The Los Angeles County MTA finally launched Google Transit, or at least a “data test” for it.  Too bad SEPTA beat them by a week.… Read the rest

Read Full Post | July 06 2009 | Transportation News | No Comments » |

National Train Day

Acela

Today marks the 140th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad.  In celebration, Amtrak hosted National Train Day at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia.  I talked with some members of the National Association of Rail Passengers, picked up some new information on the Silverliner V, saw some great paintings of trains, heard a former Pullman Porter talk about his experiences, and saw Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood.  Probably the most exciting part was the rolling stock tour.  I got to walk through an Acela trainset as well as an old Santa Fe dining car.

[Show as slideshow]

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Read Full Post | May 09 2009 | Swarthmore and Transportation News | No Comments » |

On the Move featured on Bostonist.com

A website I maintain, bostononthemove.org, was featured by Bostonist today in a post about the MBTA’s debt.  I maintain this site for the Greater Boston Transportation Justice Coalition, of which ACE and TRU are members.… Read the rest

Read Full Post | March 31 2009 | Transportation News | No Comments » |

Back Online

ansoncfit.com was hacked in early March. While no malicious software was hosted on my account, there were pages and code inserted without my knowledge that directed users to malicious content. All such material has been removed and all FTP and database passwords reset, so browsing the site is now secure and I will begin to update regularly next week.… Read the rest

Read Full Post | March 19 2009 | News and Happenings | No Comments » |

California Drought: Mendota in the NY Times

Mendota, a town I travel to every winter break, was featured in the New York Times today (probably for the first and only time). The article discussed how the Central Valley’s water supplies are at an all time low.

Drought Adds to Hardships in California [via NY Times]

Heidi Schumann for The New York Times

By JESSE McKINLEY

Published: February 21, 2009

MENDOTA, Calif. — The country’s biggest agricultural engine, California’s sprawling Central Valley, is being battered by the recession like farmland most everywhere. But in an unlucky strike of nature, the downturn is being deepened by a severe drought that threatens to drive up joblessness, increase food prices and cripple farms and towns. [Read full article]

… Read the rest

Read Full Post | February 25 2009 | Environment | No Comments » |

Governor Patrick’s Transportation Plan

The Big Dig

[Another blog entry I wrote for ACE:]

Governor announces Transportation and Economic Security Plan

February 23, 2009

At a press conference on Friday, Governor Patrick announced a broad set of goals for transportation funding and reforms. Although the proposed six cents per gallon of new gas tax revenue dedicated to the MBTA may not be enough pay down the $2.7 million backlog of system maintenance and repair, the Governor’s plan is a step in the right direction.  [Read More]… Read the rest

Read Full Post | February 24 2009 | Transportation News | No Comments » |

Bills for MBTA Funding and Accountability

MBTA Buses at Dudley Station

[Another blog entry I wrote for ACE:]

TRU legislation to stop fare increases and service cuts

February 20, 2009

At last week’s MBTA Board Meeting the Massachusetts Transportation Secretary James Aloisi, Jr. offered a grim look at where the T is headed. Without both reform and new revenue, the T is destined for “an endless spiral of fare increases and massive service cuts.” State lawmakers must act immediately and decisively to avoid: [Read More]… Read the rest

Read Full Post | February 23 2009 | Environment | No Comments » |

Irvine Shooting

Police Cruiser

Irvine Police were involved in a hostage situation with a  man who shot and killed someone 400 feet from my house today.  That’s the second shooting death in Irvine this year.  Is this the start of Irvine’s transition from suburb to slum?… Read the rest

Read Full Post | February 21 2009 | Local News | No Comments » |