public transportation

The E-bike Market in US Grew in Popularity due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, as more Citizens are Opting to Rent E-bikes Rather than Taking Public Transportation

Florida based online store offer rentals and Sales of high-quality E-bikes and E-Motorcycles to help commuters travel safely during the pandemic




public transportation

This French city is largest in Europe to offer free public transportation for all

Dunkirk, France, paves the way for even more ambitious fare-free transit schemes in even larger cities.




public transportation

Research Roundup: Social Media For Public Transportation, Funding The Needs Of An Aging Population & An Overview Of U.S. Parking Management Strategies

Each and every day, social media tools change the way that organizations
interact with their users.

A recent report from the Center For Urban Transportation Research at University of South Florida titled Routes To New Networks: A Guide To Social Media For The Public Transportation Industry (66p. PDF) explains how these new platforms offer not only more personal one-on-one interaction than traditional media, but also represent the essence of niche marketing.

It is undeniable that social media is all the buzz. For some, utilizing new media tools may come as second nature. For others, however, entering the world of social media means taking a giant leap into the world of online communications.

One thing is certain – social media platforms are allowing a new opportunity for transportation providers to directly communicate with their target audiences. Communication is moving in this direction – with or without your organization.

The report analyzes the usefulness of and applications for social networks, written blogs, audio/video blogs, microblogs (e.g. Twitter), photo sharing, video sharing, user-generated content and mobile web content.

The report states that key points to consider when determining which tool(s) to use are:

1) Who is my target audience and what tools are they using?
2) What type of information do I want to communicate?
Content must always resonate with your audience. What can you provide that would be of value?

Earlier this year, the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) published Funding The Public Transportation Needs Of An Aging Population (57p. PDF).

It explains how rapid growth in the number of older people in the United States during the coming decades will lead to greatly increased needs for expanded and enhanced public transportation services. This report:
a) identifies the range of actions that will be needed to expand mobility options for older people, including accessible public transportation services;
b) quantifies the demand for these public transportation services; and
c) estimates the funding that will be needed to provide them.
Needed actions have been identified by means of a review of the extensive literature on this
subject. The actions needed to expand mobility options for older people include:
  • Enhancements to fixed-route public transportation operations and planning such as additional bus operator training, incorporating travel needs of older people in route planning and stop placement, and coordination with other agencies and transportation providers
  • Enhancements to public transportation vehicles such as low-floor buses, kneeling buses, improved interior circulation, additional stanchions and grab bars, ergonomic seating designed for older riders, and accessibility features either required or encouraged by ADA like lifts and ramps, larger letters on head signs, and stop announcements
  • Actions to help older people take advantage of existing services, like presenting information in ways that are easy to read and as clear as possible, information and assistance programs to connect older people with appropriate services, and outreach and training programs
  • Expansion of supplementary services including flexible route and community transportation services, ADA complementary paratransit, non-ADA demand-responsive services, taxi subsidy programs, and volunteer driver programs
  • Application of universal design strategies at transit facilities, bus stops, and on streets and sidewalks in the immediate vicinity of transit facilities and stops
These are the actions of greatest concern to public transportation agencies, but they are not the
only actions needed.

Other important actions include assuring supportive services to caregivers
who provide transportation, encouraging further development of unsubsidized private
transportation services, increasing the availability of accessible taxicabs, coordinating with non-emergency medical transportation provided under Medicaid and Medicare, and supporting
modifications to automobiles and roadways to increase the safety of older drivers.

Finally, we wanted to take a closer look at U.S. Parking Policies: An Overview Of Management Strategies put out by the Institute For Transportation And Development Policy in New York.

This report highlights best practices in parking management in the United States.

In the last decade, some municipalities have reconsidered poorly conceived parking policies to address a host of negative impacts resulting from private automobile use such as traffic congestion and climate change. Unchecked, these policies have proven to be a major barrier to establishing a balanced urban transportation network.

Many aspects of current parking management in the United States do not work reliably or efficiently for anyone: Motorists find themselves circling for long periods in search of a place to park; retail employees take choice parking locations away from potential customers; developers are compelled to provide more parking than the market requires; and traffic managers encounter difficulty handling traffic generated by new parking as there is often no link between parking price, supply and the amount of available road space.

Finally, the old parking paradigm doesn’t work for the environment, as hidden subsidies encourage over reliance on private car use — a major, growing contributor to global warming and air pollution.

This report identifies core sustainable parking principles and illustrates how smarter parking management can benefit consumers and businesses in time and money savings, while also leading to more livable, attractive communities.




public transportation

RFP: Homelessness: A Guide for Public Transportation

TRB's Transit Cooperative Research Program (TCRP) has issued a request for proposals to develop a guide for public transportation agencies and concerned stakeholders on effective approaches and best practices that are responsive to people who are experiencing homelessness. This project is intended to help public transportation agencies preserve the quality of their services and facilities, while respecting the rights and mobility needs of people experiencing homelessness, including the need for safe plac...




public transportation

Face Coverings Required on Public Transportation

Governor Carney’s State of Emergency declaration, starting Tuesday, April 28, requires the wearing of face coverings on public transportation until further notice.  To comply, passengers* must wear face coverings when riding any DART bus, fixed route or paratransit, or SEPTA train, and while waiting at a bus stop or train station with others.  Those not wearing face coverings will not be allowed to board the bus or train.  Please continue to practice social distancing. Thank you for your cooperation.

*children 12 years and under are not required to wear a face covering nor are individuals who are unable to wear a face covering due to a medical condition; children ages 2 and under must not wear them.




public transportation

Justice Department Resolves Americans with Disabilities Act Lawsuit with Jackson, Mississippi, Public Transportation System

The United States has reached a comprehensive settlement agreement with the city of Jackson, Miss., to improve access to public transportation for individuals with disabilities.



  • OPA Press Releases

public transportation

Justice Department Settles Case Against South Bend, Indiana, Public Transportation Corporation to Defend Employment Rights of Army Reservist

The Department of Justice announced today that it has resolved claims made by Stephen Ralston against the South Bend, Ind., Public Transportation Corporation (TRANSPO) under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.



  • OPA Press Releases

public transportation

Join Authors Jarrett Walker and Darrin Nordahl for a Discussion of Public Transportation and Community

Whether urban, suburban, or rural, transportation systems dictate and define human interaction and community. Join BookHugger for a panel discussion of this phenomena.




public transportation

Manhattan's first coronavirus patient is a healthcare worker who did not take public transportation

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo tells a press conference on Monday that there will be more cases of the coronavirus in New York City and community spread is 'inevitable'.




public transportation

Multimodal Public Transportation

Multimodal Public Transportation




public transportation

Access to public transportation




public transportation

Considerations in evaluating Florida's public transportation financial needs




public transportation

Economic and policy considerations of advanced public transportation systems (APTS): background and review of evaluation approaches




public transportation

Economic and policy considerations of advanced public transportation systems (APTS)




public transportation

Telecommunications and its future role in the public transportation arena




public transportation

Public transportation revenue opportunities




public transportation

Methods for examining environmental equity issues in public transportation




public transportation

Preliminary evaluation of public transportation projects eleigible for funding by the Florida Department of Transportation : background report




public transportation

The use of GIS in public transportation




public transportation

Review of the Hillsborough County Public Transportation Commission




public transportation

Annotated bibliography : geographic information systems in public transportation




public transportation

'You can't get there on the bus' : an analysis of ethnicity, gender, race, and work in public transportation