Turns out making trains stop at red lights was a bad idea
Houston has adjusted signal timing for the Red Line after complaints that anti-transit Mayor John Whitmire had meddled with signal priority for light rail.
"...restored its level of service after previously making changes to traffic signal timing. The public transit agency called the new adjustments "a critical step in understanding and improving traffic flow and transit reliability."
Houston's light-rail trains now have to stop for red lights like everyone else
"Trains now stop at red lights and wait for them to cycle — causing commuter delays and even train traffic jams at times...In a statement to Axios, Metro said the changes were made in conjunction with Houston Public Works to "enhance overall mobility" for drivers, bus riders and pedestrians. "
https://www.axios.com/local/houston/2025/09/30/houston-metro-light-rail-traffic-signal-change-delays
No, Defensive Walking Isn't The Solution For Road Deaths
"The United States is a bunch of automotive lobbyists in a trench coat, and there are precious few alternatives to driving, especially outside of dense urban areas. We can't stop bad drivers from driving because they'd have no other way to get around. The solution to pedestrian deaths isn't "defensive walking," as NPR says, but investment in public transit."
No, Defensive Walking Isn't The Solution For Road Deaths - Jalopnik
Transit Ridership Hasn’t Recovered Since the Pandemic. What Can the US Learn from French Transit Systems?
"In the five years before the pandemic, transit ridership among the largest urban areas in the US was already declining, though there was an uptick in 2019. But among major urban areas in France, ridership increased by about 10 percent, on average, between 2015 and 2024."
Gary Public Transit Corporation rolling out expanded bus, bikeshare services this spring
"The Cycle219 previously made bicycles available for rent through a mobile app at four hubs in Gary's Miller Beach and Downtown areas, and this year the GPTC plans to add at least two more. Plans for hubs at University Park near Indiana University Northwest and another at Calumet College of St. Joseph in Whiting have been finalized"
Bloomington Transit survey
$5 on your Umo account if you participate. Whatever Umo may be. Not for people who ride free on an IU pass.
go.iu.edu/btransit
Bloomington 10th Street Safety Improvement survey
The city is considering improvements to 10th Street between Indiana and Walnut. It's a high-speed yet narrow corridor that goes between the north side of Indiana University and downtown, and I'm not sure what you could really do with it without removing at least one car lane. Still, fill out the survey here!
10th Street Safety Improvements | City of Bloomington, Indiana
Boston tearing out bus lane because cars park in it
Somebody from Boston make this make sense! 😭
"Amid pushback from people who live and work in the Back Bay...in a letter to Back Bay leaders, Wu said city officials found the lane “has not functioned as intended to justify the space allocation,” citing reports that buses often lack a clear path of travel because of cars parking and driving in the lane in order to access local businesses."
At least 23 transportation initiatives on the ballot today, notably in Nashville and Columbus. Get out and vote for them if you live in one of those places!
(Geeks, note this URL that takes epoch timestamps for its date range. I set it to Nov. 1 for you. You're welcome)
Memphians search for answers to MATA's $60 million deficit
"Concerns over MATA’S $60 million deficit are not going away, and a tense meeting with key stakeholders added to the chorus of demands for transparency from the transit company's leaders."
Weirdest line in this story: "Memphis City Council members on Friday declined to reveal who on the council is fighting against MATA funding."
Do they not have public meetings?
Tampa is moving closer to extending the streetcar
"The proposed streetcar expansion isn’t geared toward tourists; it will provide a reliable transit option for our residents and enable us to accommodate more people in our urban core...An expanded transportation spine will realize a future of living, working and playing car free from Ybor City, Water Street, downtown and deep into Tampa Heights."
How Tennessee's lack of public transportation is failing immigrants
#UrbanPlanning #Memphis #PublicTransport
