Rail
Streetsblog California
What American Commuter Rail Can Learn From Paris
In the U.S., regional rail is mostly good for one type of trip: the commute. But in Paris, regional rail is oriented toward all types of trips, and people ride throughout the day, not just at rush hour. One key to success is running frequent, predictable service all day long.
February 14, 2017
Forces Align to Protect Caltrain Electrification
The Republican Caltrain letter shows that the members of California's GOP delegation don't understand the California High-Speed Rail Program.
February 13, 2017
CA Republicans’ Attack on High-Speed Rail Would Hurt Existing Transit
A letter from California Republicans contained a "material misstatement of fact"—that is, a lie—and threatens a grant for Caltrain, not for high-speed rail.
February 7, 2017
Will L.A. Times’ Irresponsible Coverage of High Speed Rail Doom the Project?
On Monday, the Los Angeles Times published a bombshell article, outlining the details of a "confidential Federal Railroad Administration risk analysis," in an attack on the competence and ethics of the California High Speed Rail Authority. Reporter Ralph Vartabedian claims the report shows cost overruns and delays, although the Times does not provide readers a chance to read the report for themselves.
January 19, 2017
High Speed Rail Update: Animations of Potential Palmdale-Burbank Routes
The California High Speed Rail Authority released three simple animations showing possible routes for the Palmdale to Burbank section. The animations appear on separate maps, so it's hard to compare them side-by-side, but they give a pretty good idea of how very, very long the proposed tunnels are.
September 21, 2016
CA Awards $390 Million in Cap-and-Trade Funding for Transit Capital
This week, the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) announced the recipients of its Transit and Intercity Capital Program (TIRCP) grants. TIRCP distributes state cap-and-trade funding to local transit agencies for projects that will reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The TIRCP awards total $390 million statewide.
August 19, 2016
Rail Resilience Highlights Need for Skepticism About New Transit Tech
Yesterday's evening commute turned into a nightmare for passengers on the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE) train, when--according to the latest reports--a mudslide sent a tree onto the tracks and caused a major derailment.
March 9, 2016
BoE Vice Chair George Runner Wants to Kill Public Transportation
George Runner, former California Senator, husband of current California Senator Sharon Runner, and current elected member of the California Board of Equalization, is doing his best to kill public transportation in the state.
February 16, 2016
Is Rail That Important for Transit-Oriented Development?
It may be that TOD—transit-oriented development, which puts high density housing near transit to encourage people to travel by means other than by car—may be putting too much emphasis on the T. That is, the fact that people have a train station near at hand may not necessarily be what encourages them to use it. Other things—like whether they have access to free parking—seem to have more influence on car ownership and driving.
December 3, 2015
Do Gas Prices Impact Transit Ridership? Sure. But There’s More…
A group of USC students under the tutelage of Professor Lisa Schweitzer produced the above chart, which seems to show a direct correlation between gas prices and ridership in Southern California. Simply put, when gas prices fall, so does transit ridership. When gas prices rise, so does transit ridership. The equation is not that simple; correlation does not mean causation. But is there a causal thread between gas prices and transit ridership?
October 28, 2015