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Transport

Recycling Transit in the Global South

As a 2010-2011 Watson Fellow, I spent a year researching urban transportation systems in Latin America and Africa. My writing about the year is below.

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Read Full Post | June 23 2010 | School Bus Migrations and Transport | No Comments » |

Orange Line Update

Though the Orange Line is not grade separated from cross traffic, it does receive numerous priority treatments.

Six years after its opening, the Metro Orange Line in Los Angeles remains one of the few true BRT corridors in the United States. Right of way is almost entirely an exclusive busway, and buses receive well-enforced signal priority against cross traffic.

The 14 stations along the 14 mile route currently see approximately 24,000 weekday boardings. A second branch, from Canoga Station in the west north to Chatsworth, will be opening in June 2012. Though only one service currently operates along the route (serving all stops between Warner Center and North Hollywood), the extension will lead Metro to consider other services, such as north-south between Chatsworth and Warner Center. A limited-stop service to the North Hollywood Red Line station might also make sense, given that there are passing lanes at stations and peak headways, currently at 4 minutes, will be high enough to support such service after the extension opens. Though given Metro’s propensity for simplifying service patterns, like the elimination of Metro Rapid Express 920, this seems unlikely. Pictures from a January ride are included below, as is a Measure R construction update on the extension.

: Though the Orange Line is not grade separated from cross traffic, it does receive numerous priority treatments.

: Wide doors, level boarding, and fare prepayment allow for minimal dwell times.

: The Orange Line’s western terminus, Warner Center, offers few passenger amenities.

: The eastern terminus, North Hollywood, is visually distinct.

: Wayfinding for the Orange Line is good within the North Hollywood Red Line station, but…

: Passengers must cross a busy street to transfer between the Orange and Red lines.

: Bike lockers are available for rent at most Orange Line stations.

: Bicycles are prevalent both onboard the Orange Line and along the parallel bike path.

: Construction for the extension to Chatsworth near Canoga Station

Read Full Post | February 03 2012 | Transport | No Comments » |

Jaime Lerner discusses Curitiba-style “Urban Acupuncture”

Jaime Lerner at the World Bank

Former Mayor of Curitiba and Governor of Paraná Jaime Lerner gave the keynote address at Transforming Transportation 2012. He highlighted the use of “urban acupuncture” and “focal interventions,” used in conjunction with the planning process, to catalyze urban improvements. He also cautioned against unsuccessful and disorganized implementations of bus rapid transit, especially those that do not integrate well with the “concept of a city.” Highlights of his dynamic and comedic speech, and the complete set of slides he used, are both embedded below.

Future of the City: Challenges of Scaling Up Good Practices in Urban Transport

View more presentations from EMBARQ – The WRI Center for Sustainable Transport

Read Full Post | February 01 2012 | Transport | 1 Comment » |

International Transit Leaders at Transforming Transportation 2012

Last week, transit leaders from around the world converged on Washington, D.C. for Transforming Transportation 2012. The two-day event, hosted by EMBARQ, The World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, Asian Development Bank, Institute for Transportation Development and Policy, Clean Air Initiative for Asian Cities, and the Partnership for Sustainable Low Carbon Transport, included a number of speakers suggesting ways to scale-up sustainable transportation systems.

	“City is not a problem, City is a solution” – Manish Bapna, the Acting President of the World Resources Institute, and Jaime Lerner discuss scaling up urban transportation innovations
	Jaime Lerner, the mayor of Curitiba who successfully “metronized the bus,” sitting in front of this graph showing the explosive growth of bus rapid transit systems worldwide
	Jaime Lerner describes his “urban acupuncture” approach. A video with highlights from his keynote address is available here.
	Juan Carlos Muñoz, Professor at the Catholic University of Chile and the Director of the ALC-BRT Center of Excellence
	Lake Sagaris, Head of Communications, Innovation and Development for Ciudad Viva and a member of the ALC-BRT Advisory Board
	Federico von Buchwald, President of the Metrovía Foundation and Vice-President of SIBRT, presents on Guayaquil’s BRT system (available below in the full post).

Read Full Post | February 01 2012 | Transport | 2 Comments » |

Secretary LaHood’s Dour Outlook on Transportation Reauthorization

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (front), expresses his gloomy sentiments about the possibility of a comprehensive transportation bill passing Congress

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood (front) and three former Secretaries of Transportation express their sentiments about the likelihood of a comprehensive transportation bill passing Congress this year

Last week at the annual meeting of the Transportation Research Board, the current and former Secretaries of Transportation were asked whether they were optimistic or pessimistic about a federal transportation reauthorization bill finally passing Congress this year. Current Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood gave a fairly pessimistic response:

Given the politics, the number of days that remain, the differences between what the Senate and House are looking at — I think its very unlikely we will have a surface transportation bill during this year of Congress.

The last surface transportation act expired in 2009 (see the counter below). Continued political posturing, like Speaker Boehner’s weekend announcement that he will try to force the Keystone Pipeline as a rider to the highway bill, has kept transportation funding up in the air, inhibiting rational transportation planning and employment gains through meaningful infrastructure investment. Similarly, failure to reauthorize the FAA over the last four years has exacerbated the consequences of the nation’s aging air traffic control infrastructure, as detailed in this New York Observer article:

The most frequent complaint heard from carriers to air traffic controllers is that Congress must act. It must implement the NextGen air traffic control system, a GPS-driven system in the works since the 1980s and still not due for full implementation until 2025. In the meantime, most cellphones now come equipped with the technology, and it will probably be implanted into our brains by the time NextGen is realized. This is the same Congress that has refused to fully reauthorize the FAA since 2007, passing 22 short-term extensions instead.

The nation’s infrastructure is failing while Congress continues its myopic maneuvering. The Secretary’s doleful expression seems justified indeed.

Read Full Post | January 30 2012 | Transport | No Comments » |

School Bus Migrations – MIT Transportation Showcase References

My poster, entitled “School Bus Migrations – Repurposing and Replacing Transit Vehicles in the Global South,” tied for third place in the Economics, Finance, Policy and Land Use Category at the 2011 MIT Transportation showcase.

Poster references:

Muñoz, J. C. & Gschwender, A. (2008). Transantiago: A tale of two cities. Research in Transportation Economics 22, 45-53.
Schalekamp, H. & Behrens, R. (2010). Engaging paratransit on public transport reform initiatives in South Africa: A critique of policy and an investigation of appropriate engagement approaches. Research in Transportation Economics 29, 371-378.
wa Mungai, M. & Samper, D. A. (2006). “No Mercy, No Remorse”: Personal Experience Narratives about Public Passenger Transportation in Nairobi, Kenya. Africa Today 52, 51-81.
Santiago Cardoso, A.C. (2011). Da ideia à cidade, do plano ao projeto: gênese do processo de transformação urbana em Curitiba a partir do plano preliminar de urbanismo. Dissertation, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná.
Rizzo, M. (2011). ‘Life is War’: Informal transport workers and neoliberalism in Tanzania 1998 – 2009.
Müller-Schwarze, N. (2009). Diablos Rojos: Painted Buses and Panamanian Identities. Visual Anthropology 22, 435-456.

Read Full Post | November 17 2011 | Transport and Work | No Comments » |

Seashore Trolley Museum

Pictures from the October operating day at Seashore Trolley Museum:

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Read Full Post | November 12 2011 | Anson and Transport | No Comments » |

New Metrolink Cars

Southern California’s commuter rail authority, Metrolink, has received 24 new Hyundai Rotem crash-absorbing cab cars out of a total order of 117.

: New Metrolink impact-absorbing cab car

: Metrolink controls

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Read Full Post | November 03 2011 | Transport | No Comments » |

Portland Transit Photos

Pictures of some of Portland’s transit options:

: TriMet MAX Light Rail

: Portland Streetcar

: Bicycle rush hour on the Hawthorne Bridge

: Amtrak Cascades and TriMet Max on Portland’s Steel Bridge

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Read Full Post | October 30 2011 | Anson and Transport | No Comments » |

Buses of Curitiba

Curitiba, Brazil, implemented the world’s first bus rapid transit system in the 1970s. Along with programs to convert floodplains to green space, pedestrianize downtown streets, and improve waste collection, the new “surface metro” transformed the city. Curitiba is the inspiration for many of the other BRT projects I learned about during my year of travel, so a visit there was perfect for my last stop.

: New Volvo/Caio biarticulated bus

: Malfunctioning loading ramp

: New Volvo/Neobus biodiesel biarticulated bus

: “Arrive home more quickly with the new Express Line”

: Shirtless bike ride in the middle of winter

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Read Full Post | September 08 2011 | School Bus Migrations and Transport | 1 Comment » |

Buses of Maipú

Many of the bus routes in the southwest parts of Greater Santiago have been realigned with the recently opened extension of Metro Line 5.

: Bus only lanes in Maipú

: Maipú

: Volvo/Marcopolo articulated route 413 buses on the Los Pajaritos busway

: Bike and bus signals

: Zone J feeder on Las Torres

: Bus depot

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Read Full Post | September 07 2011 | School Bus Migrations and Transport | No Comments » |

Metrobus – BRT in Buenos Aires

At the end of May, the Mayor of Buenos Aires inaugurated Argentina’s first BRT line (English summary here). Metrobus incorporates lines 34 and 166 (operated by the private companies Juan B. Justo S.A.T.C.I. and Empresa Linea 216, S.A.T., respectively), which run along Juan B. Justo Avenue between Palermo and Liniers. The new corridor consists of dedicated center lanes and raised stops.

During construction, neighbors complained about traffic disruptions and the slow pace of work. The city openly stated that taking away general use lanes along the avenue would add to travel time for private automobiles; transit priority is an important part of the municipal government’s Sustainable Mobility Plan.

According to Clarín:

“We were expecting ridership growth of 20% in the medium term, but in the first weeks we halve already come to record more than 15%,” staff of the Secretary of Transportation said. According to their explanation, this is due mostly to people realizing that they can travel more quickly and safely with the dedicated lanes, because the drivers can no longer pass each other nor do they need to brake abruptly in stops or corners. “And, incidentally, this also benefits auto drivers, who now drive more relaxed separated from buses,” they added. According to their statistics, the growth of passengers has been recorded, above all, in Line 34, where 18% more users are now noted.

Despite the protracted construction process (pictures below), the system seems to be gaining ground as an important tool for sustainable mobility in Buenos Aires.