For years, experts and politicians have called for major changes in the transportation sector. While much of the motivation to foster public transport systems largely stemmed from a desire to curb climate change, the war in Ukraine has provided another reason: Using trains, trams and buses, rather than cars, Europeans would reduce their fuel consumption and thus the continent's dependence on Russian energy imports.
Germany's lower house of parliament, the Bundestag, introduced a heavily discounted monthly transportation pass, letting people in Germany ride regional public transport for €9(about $9.65) per month in June, July and August. Lawmakers said they hope the pass will save people some money and encourage them to use public transport rather than drive cars.
Read more at:
Europe: Free public transport gains traction | Europe | News and current affairs from around the continent | DW | 05.06.2022
Showing posts with label Public Transportation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Public Transportation. Show all posts
5/18/15
US Public Transportation Is Failing America's Poor - by Gillian B. White
Transportation is about more than just moving people from point A to
point B. It’s also a system that can either limit or expand the
opportunities available to people based on where they live. In
many cities, the areas with the shoddiest access to public transit are
the most impoverished—and the lack of investment leaves many Americans
without easy access to jobs, goods, and services.
To be certain, the aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure is an issue for Americans up and down the economic ladder. Throughout the country highways are crumbling, bridges are in need of repair, and railways remain inadequate. Improvement to public transportation—buses, trains, and safer routes for bicycles—is something that just about everyone who lives in a major metropolitan area has on their wish list.
But there’s a difference between preference and necessity: “Public transportation is desired by many but is even more important for lower-income people who can't afford cars,” says Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard University and author of a new book Move: Putting America’s Infrastructure Back in the Lead.
“Without really good public transportation, it's very difficult to deal with inequality,” Kanter said. Access to just about everything associated with upward mobility and economic progress—jobs, quality food, and goods (at reasonable prices), healthcare, and schooling— relies on the ability to get around in an efficient way, and for an affordable price. A recent study from Harvard found that geographic mobility was indeed linked to economic mobility, and a 2014 study from NYU found a link between poor public-transit access and higher rates of unemployment and decreased income in New York City.
Read more: Public Transportation Is Failing America's Poor - The Atlantic
To be certain, the aging and inadequate transportation infrastructure is an issue for Americans up and down the economic ladder. Throughout the country highways are crumbling, bridges are in need of repair, and railways remain inadequate. Improvement to public transportation—buses, trains, and safer routes for bicycles—is something that just about everyone who lives in a major metropolitan area has on their wish list.
But there’s a difference between preference and necessity: “Public transportation is desired by many but is even more important for lower-income people who can't afford cars,” says Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a professor at Harvard University and author of a new book Move: Putting America’s Infrastructure Back in the Lead.
“Without really good public transportation, it's very difficult to deal with inequality,” Kanter said. Access to just about everything associated with upward mobility and economic progress—jobs, quality food, and goods (at reasonable prices), healthcare, and schooling— relies on the ability to get around in an efficient way, and for an affordable price. A recent study from Harvard found that geographic mobility was indeed linked to economic mobility, and a 2014 study from NYU found a link between poor public-transit access and higher rates of unemployment and decreased income in New York City.
Read more: Public Transportation Is Failing America's Poor - The Atlantic
2/1/13
Public Transportation - Belgium-Brussels: more buses, trams and metros
 |
| Bruxelles |
The transport company usually prefers to count the number of journeys made rather than the passenger totals. In 2012 350 million journeys were made across the Brussels local transport network. The figure is up 19 million on the year.
The rise is being linked to higher fuel prices, increased congestion and new special ticket formats that are available to more people. Passenger totals have been on the rise for ten years now and a further increase is anticipated.
In order to increase capacity the MIVB is purchasing new trams and metro trains. This will allow the company to increase the frequency of services in the evenings, during the weekends and the summer holidays. On certain bus and tram routes the rush hour with a higher frequency of services will be extended. More services will also run during off-peak hours and the service during the weekends should improve too.
Extra services will require more staff too. Like last year the company wants to recruit 750 new employees in 2013.
By 2016 the MIVB hopes to be able to facilitate 400 million journeys. By 2025 this should rise to 550 million. MIVB CEO Brieuc de Meeûs told the VRT: "This will require further long term investments in Brussels public transport."
Brussels Transport Minister Brigitte Grouwels (Flemish Christian democrat) agrees: "Today's network cannot deal with this increase. To ensure that the company doesn't end up being the victim of its own success significant investments will be needed in coming years." Investments are being made on an automated metro on lines 1 and 5 that should be operational by 2019. The automated metro without drivers should allow a doubling of capacity.
Read more: flandersnews.be: Brussels: more buses, trams and metros
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