Uniting Arabs and Jews Through Mass Transit

Few forms of public transportation are adept at knitting together an urban community as are streetcars, but what happens when a community doesn't want to be knit together? The Wall Street Journal looks at the troubled tram system being built in Jerusalem, and finds that Arabs and Jews finally agree on something: The tram being built in Jerusalem sucks.

It'll be interesting to see if residents opinion of the tram changes after it has opened, or if peace in the Middle East is a prerequisite for effective public transportation there.

Update: Looks like Jerusalem's system has components of a light rail system, so the WSJ's mixing of streetcar, tram and light rail may be justified.

Hibernation

This blog isn't dead, it's just hibernating.

NYT on Chicago's Crumbling Transit Infrastructure

The New York Times today had a short piece on how Chicago's transportation infrastructure is crumbling, and how there's little money available to fix it. It also pointed out the CTA Tattler, a transit blog Chicago riders may want to keep an eye on.

Hanging Around in Portland

The Portland Aerial Tram officially opened to the public this past Saturday. The New York Times had coverage on Sunday, as did just about every Portland-area news outlet.

More on the tram can be found on Wikipedia. There are a few first-hand videos to be had on YouTube as well.

New SF Light Rail Line Finally Rolling

San Francisco's new T-Third light rail line finally started rolling this past weekend, albeit on a weekend-only basis, bringing service to a number of neighborhoods previously underserved by transit. Wikipedia has a good page on the project, as well as the requisite obsessive-compulsive station listing.

I also have to include one more link, not because I agree with its tone, but because it's the first time I've heard the term "white rail." Ha.

New York Traffic: It's Not Just The Suburbanites

The New York Times has a story today on where the city's traffic comes from, and it turns out on weekdays the city contributes slightly more cars to Manhattan streets than do those driving in from out of town. The Times reports that this is surprising to some, especially when considering the city's reliance on mass transit, but one excerpt in particular sheds light on why many New Yorkers are driving:

When plotted on a map, the data make a striking picture, showing that some of the densest concentrations of auto commuters are from the outer fringes of Queens and Brooklyn, where access to subways is limited.

"The concentration of auto commuters is in areas that don't have direct subway service," [transportation consultant Bruce Schaller] said. "So the travel time advantage of driving is greater than it is in the rest of the city."

USA Today on the Allure of Streetcars

USA Today published a short article on Monday on cities bringing back streetcars. Systems featured included Tampa's TECO Line Streetcar System and Kenosha, Wisconsin's 1.7-mile loop.