Tag Archives: buses

Transit News Roundup (Feb 29, 2016) – Latest Industry Updates

Transit News for bus, train and ferry operators

Every day we find transit news that is relevant and useful to you. But if you missed these daily posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Linkedin, you can find them all here in one place each week!

Here’s what happened in the transit world last week:

BUSES

IA Signals Change for Bus

Infrastructure Australia is starting a 15 year plan to privatize state owned bus operators.

How to Create an Awesome Bus Experience

Ideas from Share the Bus for making a bus trip a great experience for your passengers.

Bus Crash Highlights Seat belt Concerns

Companies say they’d have to increase fleet size if seat belts are made mandatory.

SCHOOL BUSES

Campaigner’s Joy After Cuts to Free School Bus Travel are Halted

A new plan nearly forced students to walk 30 miles a week, but protesters were successful in stopping the plan.

Anderson School District 1 Bus Driver Honored for Saving Student’s Life

This bus driver of 26 years saved a student’s life by paying attention to traffic.

Missouri Bill Targets School Bus Stops Near Sex Offenders

The bill will require school bus stops to be more than 500 feet away from the homes of sex offenders.

Transit News Roundup - Latest Industry Updates

TRAINS

Why are There Stones Along Railway Tracks?

Have you ever noticed the stones along the sides of railway tracks and wondered why they are there?  Here’s your answer!

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Most Public Transit Systems are Too Big for Humans to Comprehend

If you’ve ever had a hard time reading a transit map, it may be because the systems, and all the choices you must make about routes, times, and modes of transit, are just too much to comprehend.

A Brief History of Subway Etiquette Campaigns

Problems like people leaving trash on the train and taking up too much space on the bus have been around for a 100 years.

These are the 9 Cities in the World Where Commuting is the Most Expensive

In some cities, commuting can cost as much as 25% of an individual’s salary!  One more reason to take public transit.

The Progress of Public Transportation in Los Angeles 1990 vs. 2040

It’s interesting to see the growth!

How the CTA Keeps Chicago Moving Through Winter

They have a lot of systems in place for battling the snow and cold!

Public Transportation Benefits

Public transportation saves money, is good for sustainability, reduces congestion and so much more! And in case you missed it, here’s a link to last month’s article.

Public Transportation Saves $16,000 per Year

In a comparison of 20 major US cities, public transportation saved individuals between $10,000 and $16,000 per year.

Mapping the Real Cost of Public Housing- Transportation Included

New research considers how affordable public housing really is when access to public transportation is taken into consideration.

TRANSIT TECHNOLOGY & ADVANCES

Transit Data in Motion

General Transit Feed Specification (GTFS) is an important part of urban mobility.   This is the format we put transit schedules into, so they can be picked up by Google and trip planning apps.

Smart and Scalable Urban Traffic Control

A real time system made possible by advances in AI.

Advance Transit to Launch Bus App

The app provides real time tracking and status updates.

Construction Begins on Elon Musk’s Exciting New Transportation Hyperloop

The hyperloop will transport passengers at 800 miles per hour from one major city to the next.

Eltis Mobility Update

Eltis on sustainable urban mobility and how a railway station in France became on intermodal hub.

OTHER

Transit Employee Appreciation Day

Employee Appreciation Day is March 4th, and we have some awesome ideas for making it a special day for your hard working employees.

What do you think about these stories?  We’d love to hear from you!

Take Transit to See Mum for Mothering Sunday

Mothering Sunday is March 6 in the UK, and if you’re planning to go see Mum, there are no shortage of transit options.

Take Transit to See Mum this Mothering Sunday

Ferries

The UK offers over 100 ferry routes to France, Ireland, Belgium, Spain and more!  This is a great option if you want to have your car with you when you get to your destination.  Does mum live closer than a ferry ride away?  Pick her up and take her on an outing!  Take the ferry, then take a drive through the countryside.

Coaches

Coaches are a lovely way to get around Britain, allowing you to relax and enjoy the sights instead of worrying about driving.  They’re also one of the least expensive ways to travel, so if you’ve thought that you couldn’t afford to see Mum this year, maybe an inexpensive coach ride is the way to go.

Channel Tunnel – An Undersea Train

If you need to quickly get from London to Paris, the undersea train can get you there in just over 2 hours.  There aren’t many places in the world where you can hop over to another country for lunch, so take advantage of where you live and take mom out to see the sights and enjoy some new cuisine.

Bus & Rail

For smaller, local trips, bus and rail offer convenience and speed.  You don’t have to worry about parking your car or the wear and tear on your vehicle.  If Mum takes a ride with you, and she’s worried about safety, let her know that the bus and train are safer than driving.  Traveling this way will also give the two of you the chance to fully connect with each other during the ride, rather than you being focus on traffic.  And if you have kids and bring them along, they’ll love the bus or the train, and Grandma will love watching their excitement!

Whichever way you choose to see Mum this year, we hope you have a lovely day together!  Happy Mothering Sunday from AddTransit!

 

 

 

Transit News Round Up (Feb 9, 2016) Latest Industry Updates

Transit News by AddTransit

Every day we find transit news that is relevant and useful to you. But if you missed these daily posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Linkedin, you can find them all here in one place each week!

Here’s what happened in the transit world last week:

BUSES

Library in Bus Opens at Knowle West School

When this small school didn’t have enough dedicated library space in its building, they turned a red double decker bus into a library. that even has wifi.   They kids sure seem to love it!

First Driver-less Shuttle Bus Hits Public Roads

The WePods driverless bus had a test run on public roads last week.  It goes a maximum speed of 25 kilometres and will soon have cameras, lasers, GPS and radar.

This Story of a Bus Driver’s Act of Kindness is Cheering up Ireland

A bus driver’s simple act of tying an elderly woman’s shoelace has inspired many people to be more kind.   William Harris of Bus Éireann in Cork, Ireland also inspired people to share stories of other bus driver who had done kind deeds.   We want to hear lots more of these stories for Transit Driver Appreciation Day on March 18th.  Check back here for the chance to nominate your bus driver for a prize.

Rockville Takes a Fresh Look at Bus Transit

While this is specific to the city of Rockville, it does bring up some areas that are challenges for many bus companies.  How smaller companies can compliment, rather than compete, with the larger routes.  making long-range plans, the cost of tunnels, and securing funding.

Transit News Round Up: Latest Industry Updates

TRAINS

Communters Praise ‘Best Ever’ Train Driver Who Conducts Morning Quiz Over the Tannoy

This train driver makes the morning commute fun for his riders by telling jokes and asking quiz questions over the PA system of the train.  Passengers tweet the answers to the quiz questions with the hashtag #timetunneltrain.

Record Budget for Israel Railways

Israel now has a budget of 2.3 billion shekels to improve electrification, provide new signalling, and increase the number of passenger trains in the country.

Royal Mail’s Secret Underground Railway to Open to the British Public

The railway use d to transport 4 million parcels a day.  Now it is being reopened as a heritage site by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

PUBLIC TRANSIT

Hyperloop: MIT Students Win Contest to Design Elon Musk’s 700mph Travel Pods

The Hyperloop is a ground transport concept that will connect people from one major city to another.  MIT and other top ranking teams will build their pods and test them at the first Hyperloop test track.

5 Ideas we Need to Steal from Mega cities that Have Great Subways

From rethinking traffic design to better technology to more sustainability, some cities are doing a great job with public transit.

World Economic Forum’s 10 Commandments to Deal with the Urban Mobility Challenge

Changing demographics and social preferences are changing the needs of urban mobility.  Communication, leveraging existing infrastructure, mobility grids and more ideas to help “people meet their needs in the most efficient and effective ways possible.”

I Love Transit: An Interview with Brent Toderian

Brent Toderian is the city of Vancouver’s former Chief City Planner and urbanism consultant around the world.   In this interview, he talks about why he loves transit, his earliest memories of transit, and his excitement about how transit fits into a multimodal city.

OTHER

11 Emerging Technologies That Could Have Major Impacts on Transportation

Among the technologies are the hyperloop and materials science in infrastructure.  Amazing ideas that could transform how we travel!

Let us know what you think about any of these stories!

Transit News Round Up (Jan 25, 2016) – Latest Industry Updates

A roundup of transit news. What's happening with buses, trains, ferry and public transit.

Every day we find transit news that is relevant and useful to you. But if you missed these daily posts on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Pinterest and Linkedin, you can find them all here in one place each week!

Here’s what happened in the transit world last week:

BUSES

Urban Dwellers Aren’t Abandoning Buses; Buses are Abandoning Them

This article from News Geography takes a look at why bus ridership is declining, and they say the data points to a decrease in bus service being the reason.

Should Colfax Give Up Car Lanes for Faster Bus Service?

Specifically about Denver, Colorado, but applicable to any city. Is this a trade worth making?

Back to College for Bus Workers

Bus Drivers in the UK are getting more than satisfying work and a paycheck from their jobs. They’re learning foreign languages and other fun and useful skills right out of the First Group bus company’s garages. What a great way for a company to care for the whole employee!

Euro VI Bus and Coach Registrations in 2015 Top 50%

Over half of the buses registered in 2015 met the Euro VI standard for emissions. The article talks about the reasons for this boost in compliance, and how the companies will continue to improve their reduction of emissions.

UK Bus Operators Make Case for Contactless Travel

Five leading bus companies, Stagecoach, First Bus, Go-Ahead, Arriva and National Express, are working to make contactless travel the standard in Britain by 2022.

All Electric Bus

Metro McAllen shared their excitement about their new all electric bus with a picture on Twitter.

SCHOOL BUSES

New School Bus Law to Improve Crossing Roads

Bus drivers in North Carolina are now using hand signals to let kids know if it’s safe to cross the road or not.

When a School Bus Full of Kids was Heading for a Ditch, This Boy Saved Them in the Most Amazing Way

14 year old Cory jumped into the driver’s seat and hit the brake when the bus driver became unconscious after a car hit the bus.

School Bus Fleet Launches New Website, New Look

Their new website is looking very nice with easier navigation and better response for mobile users. Check it out!

Connecticut District May Cut School Bus Aides

This school district wants to cut aides from its buses to save money, but some parents are in opposition. What do you think? Should all school buses have aides?

TRAINS

Transit Officials Unmask New CTrain Car

Check out Calgary Transit’s sleek new car! It’s “more reliable, more spacious, more accessible with a variety of new features.”

Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Breaks Ground to Make Elon Musk’s Hyperloop a Reality

The Hyperloop is a vacuum tube that will be able to transport passengers at 800 MPH from one major city to another at a fraction of the cost of high speed rail.

Gothard Base Tunnel Freight Tests Begin

Switzerland is testing the world’s longest railway tunnel, which will have regular service by the end of the year.

Lyon to Torino TBM Completed

France is working on tunnels for a high speed railway.

First Metrolink F125 Completed

Metrolink in Los Angeles, California will have it’s first F125 Spirit diesel locomotive.

London Suburban Metro and Local Input to Franchising Proposed

The Department for Transport and Transport for London are working together to potentially create a London Suburban Metro.

Bus, train, ferry and public transport news.

STEAM TRAINS

Visitors Enjoy Steam Town on MLK Day, First of Several Free Admission Days Planned for 2016

The National Historic Site offered free admission on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, so families could come learn about the history of steam trains.

PUBLIC TRANSPORT

County to Provide Free Bus Passes for Those Registering to Vote

Milwaukee County will spend up to $20,000 to provide free bus passes for voters.

DOT Secretary Foxx Outlines Infrastructure Vision

US Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx discussed the infrastructure deficit and ways to improve planning for transportation dollars.

Top 10 Reasons to Thank Congress

The American Public Transportation Association lists 10 reasons to thank the US Congress for passing the FAST Act, the first long term transportation bill in 10 years.

A Good Transport Plan for Bristol

SusTrans lays out a plan that’s greener, cheaper and more efficient than reliance on fossil fuels.

TOUR OPERATORS

Polk County Orange Juice Being Flown to Iceland to Promote Polk Country Tourism at International Travel Tradeshow

Orange juice is being flown in to the 2016 Icelandair Mid-Atlantic Trade Show to show off one of Florida’s best features.

We’d love to hear from you!  Let us know what you think about any of these topics.