Kyle Whitehead’s Post

On July 29, 2024, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) held its second select committee hearing to discuss a new transportation revenue measure for the Bay Area. If MTC and Bay Area legislators craft a bill that garners wide enough support, the enabling legislation can pass in 2025, and the measure can go to Bay Area voters in 2026. An effort to pass enabling legislation in 2024 fell apart after MTC threatened to withdraw support, so the stakes are high. https://lnkd.in/gWnf-bWu #BayAreaTransit #RegionalTransportation #MTCMeeting #SustainableTransport #PublicTransitFunding

Seamless Bay Area is proud to support SB 1031, the Connect Bay Area Act from Scott Wiener and Aisha Wahab, MBA. Check out our latest blog about it: It's a 'heaven or hell' moment for Bay Area public transit right now. SB 1031 would authorize a new permanent source of transit operations funding on a future multi-county ballot measure that could fund significant service increases. It would immediately streamline regional integration of our 27 transit agencies by creating a Bay Area Network Manager - enabling our region to integrate fares, service, and the customer experience of Bay Area transit in the near future. This can be done while ensuring geographical equity of measure resources ('return to source') and it can be done without widening highways or investing in unsustainable travel. Yes, there are details to work out - but now is the time to double down and get this done. The risk of no regional ballot measure is truly 'hell' - cuts in service across the region, each county 'going alone' - and more chasing our tails on regional integration, in spite of the fact that integration is one of the most cost-effective and ridership-improving reforms we could purse - yet requires a new source of regional funding to be effective. Will the Bay Area rise up to this regional challenge, like when we came together to build BART or Save The Bay? Seamless Bay Area is here to support this work - we know there is no path to winning sustainable robust transit funding without reforms that show we pursuing a new business model for public transit - one that puts the customer first. https://lnkd.in/gPSetsBf

Truck Parking and Rail Safety Top Priorities as Congress Finalizes 2025 Transportation Budget 🚛🅿️🛤️ As Congress returns to Washington this fall, their top priority is finalizing critical transportation funding bills for fiscal 2025. These bills aim to address the nation’s infrastructure needs, focusing on road repairs, safety upgrades, and transportation modernization. In addition to highways, funding will be allocated to improve trucking safety, increase parking availability for truckers, and enhance air traffic and rail systems. With a December deadline looming to avoid a government shutdown, bipartisan cooperation will be essential in moving these funding measures forward, ensuring the continued operation and improvement of key transportation systems. These decisions will shape the future of U.S. transportation, impacting everything from safety regulations to job creation in the infrastructure sector. 1. Key Budget Allocations: • $964.5 million for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to boost trucking safety measures and operations. • $63.1 billion for highways to maintain and improve U.S. infrastructure. • $22 billion for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). •     $17 billion for transit programs that support air and rail safety. • $200 million dedicated to expanding truck parking—a critical issue for commercial drivers, endorsed by the American Trucking Associations (ATA). 2. Additional Priorities: • The Railway Safety Act is awaiting a final push, with bipartisan backing needed to move forward. This could lead to enhanced safety protocols after several high-profile derailments. • Water infrastructure projects, supported by the Water Resources Development Act 2024, will receive billions for ports, dams, and climate resiliency initiatives. 3. Political Dynamics: • Bipartisan collaboration is crucial, especially as Congress has until December 20 to finalize these funding bills. The House and Senate differ on certain allocations, which could lead to intense negotiations. #TransportationFunding #HighwayInfrastructure #TruckingSafety #Congress2024 #SupplyChain https://lnkd.in/eF8kckvk

Key highways and transport related headlines from the Budget here. We'll keep updating as we get more detail and reaction. https://lnkd.in/ePs2gyGv

Two years after the Federal Transit Administration issued a scathing report on the leadership and safety of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, the Boston region’s transit agency highlighted service and ridership improvements in an October strategic plan update.   The MBTA this month completed track work on its Orange Line, ending nearly 15 years of speed restrictions on the route and is close to finishing work that will end all speed restrictions on the Red Line. Average weekday ridership across all modes on the system grew 5.6% from June 2023 to June 2024.   But the agency faces a nearly $700 million budget gap in its fiscal year 2026 operating budget as remaining federal pandemic relief funds dry up and revenue from a dedicated one-cent portion of the state’s sales tax hasn’t met expectations. Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority Federal Transit Administration MBTA is facing the same issues as other transit systems Cost to move to greener fuel Ridership that has not fully recovered from COVID19 including the return to office objectives by many organizations. Lack of optimization of routes Revisiting the taxing model that  includes high density housing near transit. Consolidation of transit systems across urban areas Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) TransLink Vivek Ramaswamy        https://lnkd.in/gYYvHfCG       Global Transit Analysis and Commentary – October 2024 – Technology - https://lnkd.in/gbsuUDAw   Global Transit Analysis and Commentary – October 2024 - https://lnkd.in/gNKbRuJw  

Transit advocates support SB 1031 for a Bay Area tax measure vote, but TransForm opposes it due to highway expansion concerns. The bill aims to improve transit and road safety, yet debates persist over revenue details and prioritizing highway projects. #transit #SB1031 #BayArea #highwayexpansion #transportation https://lnkd.in/eCctH5QS

Update: We updated the article on October 1 so it reflects all the governor's decisions! same link but some new content. I'll mention a few surprises in comments. --- Just 5 days left for Governor Newsom to consider this year's slate of transportation legislation (deadline is Monday Sep 30). Many transportation bills didn't get out of the legislature during this fiscally lean year, while many others have already been signed, with a few vetoes, and there remain a few nailbiters still sitting on the governor's desk in these final days. If you want the full scoop, check out our California Transportation Bills Wrap-Up. This article is super fun to write, culminates our months-long bill tracking effort, and has become an annual tradition at ITS-Davis, where we are constantly working to connect our transportation research with public policy outcomes. Thanks to all authors and contributors: Simone Hudson, Sara Schremmer, Juan Carlos Garcia Sanchez, Colin Murphy, Dillon Fitch, Seth Karten, Samuel Chiu, Rashmit Shrestha, Dan Sperling, Susan Handy, Brian Harold, Dahlia Garas

“Bus stops are the front door to American public transit systems: they are where half of transit riders wait for service, particularly low-income riders. While agencies carefully plan and approve high budgets for sleek designs in rail stations or transit centers, they often forgo basic improvements to bus stops.” Transitcenter.org Municipalities and transit authorities are not trying to make life more difficult for transit riders. They may have lost sight of the little things that they can change today, for nothing. The no-cost kind of nothing.  Before we talk about the fix, let’s give a shout-out to all the transit workers trying so hard to do their best and make a difference in the lives of riders. We’re not here trying to throw shade, we are offering a solution. To quote Sonny and Cher for those of you who have lived that long, we’re learning “It’s the little things that mean a lot”. We can look at all the research and at the end of the day, Mayor John Bauters nailed it. “It’s one of those things that doesn’t need to be studied,” Bauters added. “You don’t need to study whether or not people need to sit — especially people who are older, people have mobility issues, people with children, people who’ve walked along the way, or who are carrying things.” Simple enough, right? So, what are the little things to fix this? How about a place to sit or place bags, nothing fancy, a bench works. Is it too much to ask for armrests to use as an anchor to sit and get up? Seating at bus stops can seriously improve the rider’s experience. Oh, and add a place to throw that empty coffee cup and the wrapper from the breakfast burrito. It’s that simple. Of course, we can keep adding trees, lights, electronic bus messaging, restrooms, and the list goes on. Yet in reality, the growing list is growing the timeline to get anything at all done. “People actually consider waiting at the bus stop for buses as among the most unhappy moments of their life,” says Yingling Fan, a University of Minnesota associate professor who specializes in planning and policy. This is one we can solve, now with a place to sit. If your town, city, or transit authority has a bus stop consisting of a pole in the ground and a worn path to a bare spot in the grass, I can help. COA’s bus bench and recycling partnerships are a set-and-forget-it option. We’ve been handling ALL the details for 40 years. Yeah, we’ve got that down. Our benches are designed to be aesthetically pleasing while preventing misuse. They provide an ADA-compliant resting place and fit where bus shelters may not. COA provides 100% of the funding associated with purchasing, installing, and maintaining high-quality public space benches, recycling stations, and bike racks. We also generate a sustainable revenue stream for our partners. To learn more about our program I invite you to call, or email me. Making people’s lives easier is good for everyone. Reach out today. Show some appreciation to a transit worker too!

Our new article explores the impacts of Ontario's Budget 2024 and the Canadian Trucking Alliance's recommendations for the Federal Budget 2024 on the trucking industry. Discover key highlights, implications, and potential outcomes for businesses navigating these economic landscapes. - Read at: https://lnkd.in/gcRwn-PB - #Budget2024 #truckingindustry #infrastructureinvestment #governmentpolicy #supplychain #FederalBudget #OntarioBudget #CanadianEconomy #TaxCode #article #trucking #truckingarticle #truckdrivers #truckers #truckerlife #transamcarriers

City of Charlotte is proposing to increase its sales tax to fund transit services. And as this article puts it, there’s more to the proposed sales tax increase than rail or roads. The sales tax increase is expected to increase funding for buses annually by approx $69million. Which is almost about 60% of City’s current annual operating budget for bus services. I agree with Charlotte Area Transit System Interim CEO, Brent Cagle, that “buses are the backbone of a transit system”. In fact, I will go further to say that no city can operate an efficient rail system without a ‘functional bus system’. And this is the advice I often offer to folks and ex-colleagues in Lagos, Nigeria regarding the state’s current investment in rail infrastructure. You can’t ‘leapfrog’ your way into rail success, without fixing your bus system! When you visit cities like, London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Dubai, the stories are the same. These cities have differentiated themselves by been meticulous in their bus network planning and operations, as it serves as the foundation upon which their rail system is organised. Coming back to Charlotte, the proposed transit plan might just be what the city needs to transition from good to great. As someone who’s been deeply involved bus operations in several climes and now, Charlotte, I know what an extra $69million a year can do in transforming a local bus system. The socio-economic impact of such investment through improved accessibility to jobs and services could be life changing for not just the working class, but the city wider population. #Publictransport #Charlotte #NorthCarolina