Transportation

Via Andrew Sullivan, an amazing map of the United States just showing roads and nothing else: all streets | ben fry

All of the major metropolitan areas and geographic features show up as a result.

This gets top billing in today’s Province news section, although it concentrates on the power lines issue. There is also no coverage of anything that was actually said at the rally itself. However a turnout of 2,000 people is not to be disregarded lightly. The big feature in that paper today is on housing affordability. The thing [...]

Airport Parking Garage Approved
http://www.gazettes.com/airport05082008.html
Grunion Gazette

County mulls adding commuter trains - Some say extra activity on rails used by Amtrak would worsen commute
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/may/10/county-mulls-adding-commuter-trains/
Ventura County Star

Eli Broad to Fund the Subway to Sea? Curbed Asks
http://laist.com/2008/05/09/broad_answers_c.php
LAist

Every transportation dollar counts
http://www.landlinemag.com/todays_news/Daily/2008/May08/050508/050908-02.htm
Land Line

Game Of the Name - How a Few Well-Placed Deals Could Save the City's Financial Neck
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/news02.txt
LA Downtown News

New speaker takes over just in time for Calif. budget crunch
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/11/state/n105215D37.DTL
San Francisco Chronicle

Next phase of 118 project funded - More lanes and ramps to be added
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/may/10/next-phase-of-118-project-funded/
Ventura County Star

Next Week is Bike Week in LA County
http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/05/09/652/
StreetsBlogLA

Pelosi supports Port of L.A. truck program
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_9209545
Press Telegram

Q&A: De-car-ing in the Valley
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/emeraldcity/2008/05/qa-de-car-ing-i.html
Los Angeles Time/Emerald City

Readers and the Dodgers - Plan for a Half-Billion Dollar Stadium Renovation Draws a Strong Reaction From the Fans
http://www.ladowntownnews.com/articles/2008/05/12/news/opinion/edit03.txt
LA Downtown News

Report says SoCal needs $531 billion for transit
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2008/05/10/state/n110239D55.DTL&type=health
San Francisco Chronicle

Transit panel planning tolls - Pact with feds for SGV freeways wins approval
http://www.dailybulletin.com/ci_9220290
Daily Bulletin

Video Contest Seeks Winning Pitch for Transit
http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/05/09/video-contest-seeks-winning-pitch-for-transit/
StreetsBlogLA

Walking and Driving to Dodger Stadium
http://la.streetsblog.org/2008/05/09/walking-and-driving-to-dodger-stadium/
StreetsBlogLA

Starting tomorrow, Monday, **May 12**, the TTC will revise bus and streetcar services during [a construction project to replace the streetcar tracks along Bathurst Street and Vaughan Road](http://www.toronto.ca/involved/projects/bathurst_track/index.htm), south of St. Clair Avenue West.

You can get on Queen's Quay streetcars for free every summer weekend starting today -- you'll just have to pay when you get off.

[Burlington Transit](http://cms.burlington.ca/Page146.aspx) will host two open houses to hear from riders and residents about its propsed 2008 service plans.

He did this ages ago, so apologies for not getting this up onto the site before now, but we've received our first contributed COOL WALL - from Thomas Bjelkeman Pettersson. This is exactly the sort of thing we're looking for,...

As the sun appears to have finally come out in London, expect an increase in cool wall postings from both of us over the next few weeks, as the weather becomes more conducive to photography, and the more beautiful things...

See Transit Toronto' [May 10 posting](http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2008/05/10-special_ev.shtml) for details.

See Transit Toronto's [May 9 posting](http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2008/05/09-ttc_servic.shtml) for details.

See Transit Toronto's [May 9 posting](http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2008/05/09-sunday_and.shtml) for details.

"You're probably one of these people who think the world has a creamy nougat center of oil but it doesn't."



http://www.kunstler.com/

Several sites are currently carrying pictures of what (in the greater scheme of things) are relatively undisguised mule shots of the Fisker Karma hybrid sports saloon undergoing testing in Southern California. Continuing with the new-wave EV scene's predilection for turning...

For those of you who did not know it, today is national train day, a day to celebrate our national rail passenger system. Of course those of use here in Utah were we have only one train per day that comes through in both directions at night, there is not much to celebrate and since Utah does not help Amtrak fund a state operation we seemed to get ignored like many other places.

In fact, Amtrak passed its 37th birthday on May 1st; I would scarcely call it a celebration since there is little to celebrate. I guess we can celebrate that we do have some semblance of a rail passenger network in place sense the creation of Amtrak was designed to shut down rail passenger service, not make it survive.

Personally, I support long distance rail passenger service. In the past year I have taken a couple of trips over to Denver on the California Zephyr, plus my wife and I have traveled up to Portland, Seattle and Spokane on the Coast Starlight, Cascade Service, and the Empire Builder respectively.

However, while Amtrak seemed to make progress in its first 10 years especially redoing the run down fleet in found itself with, there has been little progress when it comes to rail passenger service the Carter Administration cut many trains out. Today, the system is in worse shape for the most part than when Amtrak first started on May 1st, 1971.

In fact the only success stories you find is were the states have funded improvements having to bring Amtrak along kicking and screaming.

Rail Passenger service can be a success in spite of Amtrak not because if it. Here is some articles that may be of interest including one I wrote a few years ago comparing Amtrak to K-Mart.

Does Amtrak Have Too Much in Common with K-Mart?

America wants more Rail Passenger Service

Amtrak needs leadership, not more managers

The CZ: Amtrak’s forgotten train

The Long Distance Trains need more local control

Matrix Theory is not the name of a movie

What Do We Need From Amtrak?

Strategic Points for a Privatized National Rail Passenger System

Three Radical Ideas Concerning Amtrak

Concepts Of The Successful Long Distance Train Of The Future

Overview, Concepts Of The Successful Long Distance Train Of The Future

Corridor and Long Distance Myths and Realities

Activist turns L.A.'s traffic islands into national parks
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/arts/la-ca-islands11-2008may11,0,840613.story
Los Angeles Times

Economy's ills zap toll-road use - Columnist Jon Lansner ponders why many drivers are avoiding O.C.'s 3 toll roads
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/toll-traffic-lanes-2038801-year-local
Orange County Register

Evade Train Fare & the Police Might Shoot
http://laist.com/2008/05/09/evade_train_far.php
LAist

Found in LA: The Future of Parking
http://laist.com/2008/05/08/found_in_la_the_5.php
LAist

Free Train Ride on Metrolink from Riverside to San Juan Capistrano/Oceanside
http://www.metrolinktrains.com/documents/Special_Events/Riverside_flyer_final.pdf
Metrolink

Gas Prices Send Surge of Riders to Mass Transit
http://snipurl.com/288af
New York Times

Man Shot At When He Doesn't Pay For Train Ride
http://cbs2.com/local/Norwalk.Metrolink.Train.2.720195.html
CBS 2 TV

Metro Goes Facebook with 'Subway to the Sea'
http://laist.com/2008/05/09/metro_goes_face.php
LAist

Metro’s Narrowed Options (Westside Corridor Study)
http://boifromtroy.com/?p=7226
BoiFromTroy

Nevada law would raise state gas tax if federal tax is cut
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080506-1232-nv-gastaxholiday-nevada.html
San Diego Union Tribune

North County Light Rail System Drawing Rave Reviews - Transit System Praised For Cleanliness, Safety
http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/16208332/detail.html
NBC TV

O.C. Metrolink ridership up with gas prices
http://ocbiz.freedomblogging.com/2008/05/08/oc-metrolink-ridership-up-with-gas-prices/
Orange County Register

Oil prices breach $125 a barrel to new record high
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-markets10-2008may10,0,557563.story
Los Angeles Times

Orange County toll road agency hails wildlife deal - Backers say it gives new life to the proposed Foothill South extension. But fish and game officials say further permits are needed, and environmentalists call the accord insignificant
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-tollroad10-2008may10,0,4001143.story
Los Angeles Times

Portrait of an oil-addicted former superpower - How rising oil prices are obliterating America's superpower status
http://gristmill.grist.org/story/2008/5/8/153211/0730
Grist

Rand Answer: ‘Toll Booths on All LA Freeways’
http://www.citywatchla.com/content/view/1225/75/
CityWatchLA

Regional transit projects could cost $531 billion
http://www.presstelegram.com/news/ci_9213952
Press Telegram

Riding a bike to work is more than a healthy commute: It's a sign of adulthood
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-myturnbike12-2008may12,0,6959657.story
Los Angeles Times

SCAG OKs regional transportation plan
http://www.pe.com/localnews/sbcounty/stories/PE_News_Local_B_rtp10.447068b.html
Press Enterprise

Thousands of rail passengers are delayed by ruptured gas main in Orange County
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-metrolink10-2008may10,0,1204981.story
Los Angeles Times

Toll lanes roadblock - Rep. Gary Miller authors bill to stop conversion
http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_9215527
Pasadena Star News

Traffic crunch takes a toll - Fees, taxes may be needed to move transportation projects
http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_9212207
Daily News

Train that would connect SLO and San Francisco on the forward track
http://www.sanluisobispo.com/breakingnews/story/355832.html
SanLuisOpispo.com

US Senators Step up for High Speed Rail
http://cahsr.blogspot.com/2008/05/us-senators-step-up-for-high-speed-rail.html
California High Speed Rail Blog

***Update**: May 10, 6:18 p.m.*: This posting now contains details of GO Transit detours. The City of Mississauga is closing streets throughout the city to accommodate the fifth annual [Mississauga Marathon](http://www.mississaugamarathon.com/index.asp) this weekend. Although the Marathon actually takes place tomorrow, Sunday, **May 11**, the City is closing some streets today, Saturday, **May 10** to help organizers set up the event.

The City of Mississauga is closing streets throughout the city to accommodate the fifth annual [Mississauga Marathon](http://www.mississaugamarathon.com/index.asp) this weekend. Although the Marathon actually takes place tomorrow, Sunday, **May 11**, the City is closing some streets today, Saturday, **May 10** to help organizers set up the event.

Today, Saturday, **May 10** and tomorrow, Sunday, **May 11**, [GO Transit](http://www.gotransit.ca/PUBLICROOT/en/Default.aspx) will run some unscheduled trains on the 01 **Lakeshore West**, 09 **Lakeshore East**, 31 **Georgetown** and 65 **Barrie** lines from 6:40 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. as it continues to test and qualify crews from Bombardier on its trains. The trains will make unscheduled stops and GO crews will not allow passengers to board the trains. [Bombardier](http://www.bombardier.com/) workers will take over GO's train crew function in June. See Transit Toronto's [April 19 posting](http://transit.toronto.on.ca/archives/weblog/2008/04/19-go_tests_b.shtml) for more details on the Bombardier contract

In Tsawwassen at South Delta Secondary at 3pm a community uprising against a number of unpopular provincial government initiatives, including port expansion and the South Fraser Perimeter Road. This from the front page of Wednesday’s Delta Optimist. Speakers include Geg Hoover on the SFPR, Rafe Mair (always worth listening to) and Burns Bog Conservation Society President Eliza [...]

One cannot run for office in Houston or Harris County without addressing transit. That's good. But when transit becomes political, it becomes a simplistic caricature. Politicians are pro-rail or anti-METRO or pro-monorail. But it's rare to see anyone lay out a real transit plan, one that addresses all modes of ...