The Bus Bench

Earth Alerts!! 3/16/2010

 

DC Metro says they are going to to look into those robberies on the Metro. Mass Transit Mag

Minneapolis is going to improve how people get around on game day: more bike lanes, more rail, more transit lanes...Mass Transit Mag

Livability should take a back seat to highways, says the GOP. Mass Transit Mag

University of South Florida has a new bus tracking system. Maybe METRO LA can hire a 21-year-old to bring that technology to L.A. Metro News Mag

Condo owners in San Diego fight BRT. They want pretty green stuff to look at, not the bus-riding public. Sign on San Diego

Housing by transit could cut energy use. No, really. Mass Transit Mag

EPA to make information on chemicals more easily accessible. ENN

How to feed the world ? from Denis van Waerebeke on Vimeo.

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization: PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth.

Earth Alerts!! 03/12/2010

Xeros Washing Machine uses 90% less water. EcoGeek

Solar power can work in cold places like Syracuse, New York. EcoGeek

DC Metro Red Line crash causes over 25.5 Million dollars in damages. Mass Transit Mag

Why is York killing bus routes when the Ontario is investing billions in public transit? Mass Transit Mag

OCTA is going to cut some more service hours. Public Transit in the OC is getting murdered. OC Register

Is the art walk going car free, well fourth is between Spring and Main. It was last night. Hopefully this is a trend. Central City East

LA's Skidrow gets a bus stop. Central City East

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization: PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/10/ 2010

Colorado pledges to have 30% renewable energy by 2020. California has already pledged 33% by 2020. Ecogeek

The FRA (Federal Railroad Administration) the agency in charge of the $8 billion dollars in high speed rail money doesn't have enough staff or experience says critics. Mass Transit News

The NTSB needs to know that the Interim Washington General Manager won't be as whatever about death and destruction as his predecessor. Mass Transit News

Toronto Transit Commission fires project manager for getting girlfriend a 50,000 photography gig. Wow at Metro LA that's just called being a team player. Mass Transit News

Obama wants transportation agencies, housing agencies and land use agencies to work together. That makes sense and of course people are finding an issue with it. Mass Transit News

Vegas have some busses that look like trains. Vegas hopes that people who visit won't notice the wheels. Their Eiffel Tower looks pretty real. Mass Transit News

Sacramento Regional Transit is facing a 13 million dollar budget shortfall. That means cutting weekend and night service. It's going to be hard for Arnold when he takes the bus out there. ABC

"The California Natural Gas Vehicle Coalition has hired Tim Carmichael, former executive director of the Coalition for Clean Air" Mass Transit News

China and India endorse the Copenhagen Climate Accord. Reuters

"Gowanus Canal goes Superfund" Apparently this canal is in a disgusting state and now the Federal Govt is getting involved. ENN

Santa Monica needs a monorail, because Seattle they have one and it's really good. SMPD

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/9/2010

Chinese-American laborers who were buried in unmarked graves owing to discrimination were given a memorial wall by Metro LA. Of course Metro saw the bodies when they were constructing the Gold Line, but thought better to say sorry later than get permission right now AND as a bonus Metro gets to turn it into a PR thing for the newly built Gold Line. Metro has no shame.  Wave Newspaper

Want people to ride the bus? Put nextBus like technology in Starbucks. Legal Planet

Where's the bike parking at the new W residences at Hollywood and Highland. If you want those people taking the Red Line you need to have bike parking since your busses have some issues! How about moving that 27 million you use on towing cars off the freeway into some bicycles parking or infrastructure or something other than towing cars off the freeway. SoapBoxLA

The first zero energy wasting school in the USA is coming to Kentucky. EcoGeek

Activists in San Francisco give ideas to Muni to help save it. One suggestions was having safeties on the bus. Mass Transit Mag

A high speed rail from the continent of Asia to the continent of Europe. That would be insanely awesome and it might be happening. Mass Transit Mag

California has until September 2011 to make the preliminary plans of the high speed work or we lose the 2.25 billion dollar grant. Mass Transit Mag

Illegal bus company has to stop running, since it killed people. That's not stopping me from taking the Chinatown Express when I'm in NY. Such a great deal and less gross than Greyhound, I think they are legal though. I don't care they are great. Mass Transit Mag

Fourth year of 10 billion trips. Transit ridership is up 31% from 1995. Metro News Mag

Fourth quarter reports are out, see how many people stopped riding your bus. APTA

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/8/2010

Last Thursday a bill that involves giving transit a more fair share; possibly pump 400 million into transit across the state, if it gets signed. Mass Transit Mag

Canada supports public transit. Mass Transit Mag

Any fish you eat in the US has mercury in it. Organic Food Association

Fares will be going up 25% in New Jersey. Mass Transit Mag

According to NTSB being tired owing to working insane shifts endangers workers and passengers on the rails, but videotaping should make them stay awake. Metro Mag

DART, public transit in Dallas will be participating in Earth Hour on March 27th. Metro Mag

Do you want a Crenshaw rail station? NEXT Wednesday let Metro know.
The meeting will be held Wednesday, March 17, 2010, 6-8 p.m., at the Wilshire United Methodist Church, 4350 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Metro LA

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/5/2010

All Bay Area Transit will move to Smart Card fare. TAP in LA is a smart card. Mass Transit Mag

In the UK they have track maintenance jobs, oh wait this just in; not anymore. They are cutting 1,500 of them. Mass Transit Mag

The poor in Chicago will suffer, because the people who work for CTA don't want to work for free. Mass Transit Mag

John E Gavrills is the new police chief of the MTA in Maryland. Mass Transit Mag

Toronto thinks privatized transit might work, look at Sweden. Mass Transit Mag

People who ride public transit save $9,215 annually. Metro News Mag

"Senate votes to extend Highway Trust Fund" Metro News Mag

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/4/2010

 


Amtrak is getting Wi-Fi. Mass Transit Mag

Tulsa Transit in Oklahoma will have to eliminate evening and Saturday service. Metro News Mag

"Chinese Train Company Formally bids for Montreal Metro" You think if it was a Germany company that would have been a headline? Mass Transit Mag

"The MTA is cheaper than school busses, so why don't we just make kids pay for their own transportation to get to school." The School Board in NY Mass Transit Mag

Bike sharing pedestrian boulevards the future of Manhattan. Mass Transit Mag

HDR wins Rail contract in San Bernardino. Metro News Mag

Ken Gosting transportation activist found dead in a creek. AP News

People in suits say that CalTrans should kill 1500 jobs. Mercury News

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/03/2010

"Despite London's "congestion charge" for cars, the city ranks only 20th out of 23 cities tested. It has Europe's priciest public transportation system." I read somewhere poor people in London can't ride the Tube, because it costs too much.

Munich, Germany has the best public transport in Europe. WSJ

Cash for Caulkers. Ecogeek

San Fran Muni needs money, no 'for reals' this time. They are pretty much looking at bus service just on Thursdays between 12-2pm. Mass Transit Mag

MARTA in Atlanta could potentially cut 25% of service. Mass Transit Mag

Dubai bus stops will be on Google Earth. Mass Transit Mag

Fuel Tax Swap, that's where they take from transportation and move it somewhere else. That may happen. Mass Transit Mag

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 3/2/2010

 

In Toronto when bus riders are treated like crap, people care. Mass Transit Mag

Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority isn't going to sell the right of way they own. Saving the NY Transit riding public a few miles for the future. Mass Transit Mag

One of the TIGER grantees in Washington state will be buying some lithium batter powered busses. ROAR. Metro Magazine

Oldie but goodie. A little abstract report from the NTSB about the Chatsworth tragedy. “Contributing to the accident was the lack of a positive train control system that would have stopped the Metrolink train short of the red signal and thus prevented the collision.” NTSB

In Europe you care about the environment or you pay, well that's how it works in theory. Businessweek

We're trying to do the whole care or pay thing with big businesses in the US, but as you know big business likes to blog, facebook and twitter in America. I bet half of your facebook friends work in marketing and the other half are advocates (big business' nicer side, they give you grants to say what they like, but more hippie like) trying to push someone else's agenda down your throat. The Hill

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 03/01/2010

Grandma needs to get a bike or start buying some lower quality cat food to eat. Mass Transit Mag

Metrolink is going to operate only on odd days of the month to save money. Mass Transit Mag

Norfolk to Richmond can become a reality folks. Mass Transit Mag

Veolia Transportation has a new COO. Veolia Transportation runs alot of LA busses. Metro New Mag

The 2010 Most Wanted Safety Enhancements by the NTSB. NTSB

BP and Shell Oil are killing the environment again, but this time they are in Canada. Ecologist

The Royal Bank of Scotland is helping BP and Shell to kill the planet. Ecologist

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 2/26/10

Bike sharing can happen in Philly. I'm not trying to be negative, but isn't that place like the murder capital of the US right now...but bike sharing...ok. Mass Transit Mag

The NTSB rules that rail employees should be videotaped, youtubed, have body cavity inspections upon leaving and only be allowed to come to work with those little clear plastic bags that are company issued, but what about positive train controls? Mass Transit Mag

The corporate owned newspapers claim the public is very angry that San Francisco's bus and rail operators are making a livable wage. How dare they want to eat? Mass Transit Mag

SF Muni is giving young people and old people free transit cards, but they have to sign off on a document agreeing that bus operators are the anti-christ before receiving them. Metro News Mag

An iceberg the size of Luxembourg is floating around. ENN

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 2/25/10

Bike Friendly Cities. National Geographic Magazine.

NY Access a Ride. Transport for the disabled. Discuss the possibilities of cuts. NY Times.

John J Haley is San Francisco's New Transit Chief. Metro News Magazine.

Tampa, Florida disabled passengers will be able to get door to door service with a pilot program. Metro News Magazine.

“Travel Software to Aid Disabled Riders.” Metro News Magazine.

Arizona's Desert Nesting Bald Eagles no longer protected. Environmental News Network.

Driving and eating meat are murdering the planet. Treehugger.

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 2/24/10

Menlo lets it be known that just because they aren't San Fran or LA that you can't just build a bullet train through their neighborhood any kind of way. Mass Transit Mag

Terrorists on the E train in NY better watch out. Mass Transit Mag

Having seasons cost DC Metro 18 million. Unfortunately in LA we don't have seasons just incompetence, which is a lot less predictable. Mass Transit Mag

“Seattle security guards trained to stop fights.” That's kind of a lot considering they get paid a dollar. I wonder will Seattle also be training their police department to take pleas of help from black girls seriously, since they were the first “security” approached about the incident. Metro Magazine

Amsterdam is getting some new trains with wide doors and low floors making mobility for differently abled more accessible.  We want to copy Amsterdam's pot laws, but we don't want to copy how they treat their citizens in other ways. Sometimes America reminds me of a gigantic kindergarten. Metro Magazine

SFRTA is getting smart cards by Cubic. Cubic does LA's TAP cards and is a defense contractor. Metro Magazine

“Does Fair Trade Coffee Lift Growers Out of Poverty” I'm sure this is rhetorical questions, but I'm going to answer it for you; NO it doesn't, but it looks pretty doesn't it? Alternet

Seattle is going carbon neutral! Yeah whatever. Grist

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 2/23/10 You thought Walmart was bad. Monsanto is the anti-christ.

"Obama Appoints Monsanto Man as FDA Food Safety Czar." Current

The money that was going to go to the Airport Connector in San Fran and now going to stop service cuts, is not going to stop service cuts. Mass Transit Mag

Illinois may have service cuts, because someone didn't pay. Mass Transit Mag

NTSB want to know why DC's Crash Avoidance System didn't work. Mass Transit Mag

Coachella Valley Sun Line Transit Agency has new American made, American owned hydrogen powered busses. Yay for jobs. Yay for the environment. Mass Transit Mag

"Heat resistant algae could help coral." EcoGeek

Are plantation trees causing cancer. MongaBay

Monsanto India Rises. Businessweek

The US may be in a depression, but Monsanto isn't. AP

Idaho farmer takes on Genetic Engineered Food Giant, Monsanto. Capital Press

"Monsanto Will Lobby Brazil to Boost Tax on Chinese Herbicides." Businessweek

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth

Earth Alerts!! 2/22/10

Worcester, Mass the adopted hometown of Major Taylor is set to be a rail hub. Mass Transit Mag.

“If you were to design the ultimate system, you would have mass transit be free and charge an enormous amount for cars.” Michael Bloomberg, Mayor of New York. Carbusters.

"Passenger Rights and the Rise of Public Transport." Carbusters.

Good union jobs are coming to Southern Nevada to build the high speed train. Mass Transit Mag.

"Siemens AG announced plans today to expand its U.S. rail-car manufacturing to meet stimulus-fueled demand for fast passenger trains." This company is based in Germany if it were based in Japan or Mexico people would be freaking out. Mass Transit Mag.

People have issues with the cutting of the service and raising fares thing in New Jersey. Mass Transit Mag.

Eco fitted trucks could save 3.4 billion gallons of fuel and completely kill owner operated trucks, but whatever, we're saving the planning by making trucking completely corporate. Ecogeek.

Because you don't care about the environment there will be no more Kenyan coffee for you. Reuters.

"Growing demand for soybeans threatens the Amazon rainforest." I think it's just humans demand for everything that is threatening the rainforest. EuraActiv.

Drilling for oil (may) have caused the Indonesia mud volcano. I believe that drilling for oil (may) have been the cause of New Orleans being flooded during Katrina. Reuters.

Alerts edited and compiled by Browne Molyneux from her imaginary organization. PETE, People for the Ethical Treatment of the Earth