Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), The T in Fort Worth, and the Denton County Transportation Authority (DCTA) are working to spread that message in June during the ninth annual national Dump the Pump campaign.
The three agencies encourage commuters to try public transit the week of June 16-20 and on National Dump the Pump Day, Thursday, June 19. The slogan of this year’s campaign is “Dump the Pump. Save Money. Ride Transit.” Read more
Keith Benman | NWI Times
MERRILLVILLE | Railroad and development officials Wednesday rolled out a blueprint for a South Shore commuter rail extension to Dyer and big improvements on the existing line.
The South Shore 20-year Strategic Business Plan calls for $1.16 billion total in new projects, such as station upgrades, reroutes, new double tracks and an 8-mile extension to Dyer.
If brought to fruition, it would be the largest set of projects implemented on the line in at least 90 years.
“We believe you just shouldn’t show bits and pieces of the pie and ask people to step up with their support,” said Northwest Indiana Regional Development Authority CEO Bill Hanna. “You should present the whole picture.” Read more
Knute Berger | Crosscut.com
The coming boom spurred by a new Sound Transit light rail station and a possible rezone of the University District for transit-oriented development poses some interesting challenges. Here’s one: With density and possible gentrification in the offing, can inclusive public spaces such as parks and plazas be part of the plans? Or will efforts to include public space be derailed by the mad desire for density and worries about abetting the District’s homeless youth population?
One much-discussed concept to add open space is the U District Square proposal. A group of architects and university residents wants to close off Brooklyn Ave. at the new light rail station and turn it into a public plaza. Their concept drawings show a two-block stretch alongside University Tower (and between 45th NE and 43rd NE) that would be closed to most traffic and host a variety of community-building activities, including the neighborhood’s farmer’s market. The space would feature trees, benches and an area for outdoor concerts or films. Some of the plaza would be taken up by the large entrances to the underground station, but the plan’s proponents say these surface eyesores could be incorporated into their concept. Read more
By Kim Miller | The Palm Beach Post
All Aboard Florida is scheduled to reveal its downtown Miami development plan today, which is expected to bring in $59.5 million in transit oriented development economic impacts beginning in 2019 to Miami-Dade County.
A spokesperson for the express passenger service that will travel from Miami to Orlando said this morning a similar plan will be revealed for downtown West Palm Beach in the near future. Read more
Theresa Juva-Brown | lohud.com
The state’s plan for a robust bus system around the Tappan Zee Bridge won’t reduce 
“There is no one solution that will solve congestion on the corridor. You have to look at a combination of approaches,” said student David Perlmutter. “You have to look at a transit in a holistic way. You can’t plop a line down and expect the region to be transformed.” Read more
Molly Born | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A panel of experts told transit officials and the public Friday that the future of transportation in Pittsburgh must focus on customer service, advancements in technology and, if Port Authority can swing it, really cool bus shelters.
The group commissioned by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit Urban Land Institute presented these and several other recommendations during a presentation at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown. The findings were based on nearly 80 interviews with public officials, neighborhood leaders and others. It also included tours of the bus and rail systems. Read more
Tanya Snyder | StreetsBlog USA
Transit officials lined up today to make clear that holding transit spending at current levels — as the Senate’s transportation authorization bill does — will put transit systems at risk of falling further into dangerous disrepair.
The backlog for transit maintenance and replacement stands “conservatively” at $86 billion, according to the Federal Transit Administration. That backlog is expected to keep growing at a rate of $2.5 billion each year without a significant infusion of funds.
To put it another way, the country needs to spend $2.5 billion more per year – from federal, state and local sources – just to keep the state of the nation’s transit systems from getting even worse. Read more
Eric Roper | Star Tribune
After receiving just below what they sought at the Legislature to renovate Nicollet Mall, city leaders are mulling whether to contribute $3.5 million to the project in order to leverage promised private dollars.
The overhaul of Minneapolis’ signature street is expected to cost $50 million. The Downtown Council has said it is prepared to match up to $25 million, but the Legislature awarded the project $21.5 million in the final bonding bill.
“Since we got something less than $25 [million], we’re talking now about what we might do so as not to leave money on the table, if you will,” said David Frank, the city’s director of transit-oriented development. Read more
Dave Berman | FloridaToday.com
Long-term, though, the impact would be minimal because All Aboard Florida’s trains would pass through Brevard, but not stop here.
During the next two years, as new track is built between Orlando and Cocoa, the study consultants estimated it would generate 704 direct and 740 spinoff jobs within Brevard.
All Aboard Florida on Wednesday released an economic impact study that found that those jobs would have a payroll of $80.9 million a year. Read more
