By Santiago Arango Heritage streetcars are built both to provide transportation services and to preserve the history of rail transit, a history that dates back to ancient Greece and Rome. As of late 2012, seven U.S cities have running heritage streetcars. The Tampa Electric Company (TECO) Line Streetcar System is one example. The Florida Department … Continue reading Transit and Tourism in Tampa’s Heritage Streetcar’s
The Changing Landscape of Urban Transportation
Original post date: October 10, 2014 Article by: Ben Douglas Uber CEO Travis Kalanick recently released his vision for the future, touting “a million fewer cars on the road,” along with reduced congestion, emissions, and DUIs. If this vision is realized, in combination with an aging driving demographic and the rise of driverless cars, it … Continue reading The Changing Landscape of Urban Transportation
Transit as an Inferior Good
Original post date: November 25, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas Mass transit is frequently accompanied by mass-subsidization, cartelization, and monopolies. This chronic need for artificial support might be an indication of its inherent inferiority as an economically valued good or service. If consumers preferred the bus or metro over other transportation alternatives, and if it … Continue reading Transit as an Inferior Good
Equal Access to Transportation, a Right?
Original post date: November 06, 2013 Article by: Anonymous Ray LaHood, the recently retired secretary of the Department of Transportation, said that equal access to transportation is “one of the most fundamental of American rights.” Mobility is a crucial aspect of life for many people today, and there is a large transportation need. Many people … Continue reading Equal Access to Transportation, a Right?
Transit Reform in Santiago
Original post date: October 18, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas In 2007, Chile’s center-left ruling government coalition eliminated most private provision of transit, citing the need to eliminate profit and reduce the diversity of services offered to the traveling public in the capital city of Santiago. Additional concerns included the pollution, accidents, and traffic congestion … Continue reading Transit Reform in Santiago
Lima’s Transit Woes
Original post date: October 07, 2013 Article by: Ben Douglas The World Bank has devoted a considerable amount of funding in recent years to the establishment of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) systems in Latin America (and Africa). Numerous prominent Latin American cities have taken loans from the global financial institution for this purpose, including Mexico … Continue reading Lima’s Transit Woes
Path Dependence, Entrenched Interests, and the Future of Transit
Original post date: April 09, 2013 Article by: Anonymous Path dependence: The tendency of a past or traditional practice or preference to continue even if better alternatives are available. Mortimer L. Downey has worked in New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) and the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (MATA), and was one of several presenters at a May … Continue reading Path Dependence, Entrenched Interests, and the Future of Transit