Category: Transportation
-
Washington Metro Downsizes Board
Succumbing to political pressure from Virginia, the Washington Metro board has voted to reduce the participation of so-called “alternate” board members. The move, which will enhance the power of the eight “principal” board members, was necessary to comply with the Commonwealth’s demand for board restructuring as a condition for receiving $500 million a year in…
-
Needed: The Right Parking Policies for a Growing Richmond
by Stewart Schwartz Editor’s Note: The City of Richmond has launched a parking study focused on seven distinct areas of the city and is holding seven public meetings this week. Meeting dates and locations. Parking is perhaps the most important aspect of a city to get right if we are going to address traffic, make…
-
No Contract, No Pulse… No Riders, No Sympathy
What a clever way to introduce Richmonders to their new Bus Rapid Transit service, Pulse, when it is scheduled to commence in less than two weeks — a drivers’ strike. The Amalgamated Transit Union has been negotiating with the GRTC Transit System since September 2017 over a new contract, and apparently union members are getting…
-
Can Chesterfield Ride the Uber Revolution?
<i>This piece was originally published in the Chesterfield Observer.</i> Only a few years ago, taxicabs were a non-factor in the Richmond region’s transportation equation. Few Richmonders used a taxi other than to ride to and from the airport. Then came the Uber revolution. While Richmonders still rely upon their own cars for routine needs, they…
-
Taking Another Look at Tolls on I-81
Interstate 81, which slices through western Virginia, is one of the most heavily trafficked highways in the Old Dominion. Nearly 12 million trucks travel the Interstate, accounting for 42% of all interstate truck traffic in the state and transporting more than $300 billion in goods per year. The tractor-trailers make other drivers miserable by hogging…
-
There’s No Such Thing as a Free Parking Space
Following up on thoughts in the previous post about what is to be done about the Washington Metro… Here is a basic maxim to remember: If we want more people to avail themselves of shared ridership, be it commuter rail, bus, or shared ride-hailing services, they need to pay the full cost of their transportation…
-
Metro Rot Runs Deeper than Anyone Imagined
Washington Metro General Manager Paul J. Wiedefeld has earned plaudits for his forthright management style and the improvements he has instituted since taking over the troubled commuter bus and rail system in 2015. But the latest news raises questions whether he, or anyone, has the grit to take on a deeply corrupt organizational culture. Reports…
-
Does Uberization Increase Traffic Congestion?
The ride-hailing market in Washington, D.C. is booming — ridership for Uber, Lyft and other ride-hailing services have more than quadrupled since late 2015, reports the Washington Post. And that’s a problem, some say. All those vehicles on the road are adding to traffic congestion. According to figures provided by the Washington mayor’s office, some…
-
Hey, Uber, Over Here! Over Here!
So, Uber decides to use Washington, D.C., as a test bed for its vision for urban mobility. CEO Dara Khosrowshahi visited Washington Wednesday to publicize company plans to expand its ride-hailing app so customers can access and pay for bike share, car rentals from private car owners, and eventually mass transit. And what does Washington…
-
AVs, Pedestrians, and Human Perversity
In the previous post, I extolled the possibilities for driverless cars to improve our lives by reducing the number of traffic accidents, injuries and fatalities, provide mobility for the aged and handicapped, and reduce the vast acreage we devote to parking spaces. I guess I’m a techno-optimist. (I’m reading Peter Diamandis’s book “Abundance” right now.)…
-
Virginia as Fast Adopter of Autonomous Vehicle Technology
Virginia may not have Silicon Valley, and it may not be a center of the automobile industry, but the Old Dominion is in the thick of the self-driving automobile revolution. The Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, with a staff of 500, has established itself as a national-level player in research. Blacksburg-based Torc Robotics develops self-driving technologies…
-
Amazon-ification and Vehicle Miles Driven
I visited my daughter Sara the other day and was amused to note that delivery services had dropped off two cardboard boxes in front of her house. When I stepped inside, there was a third box, still unopened. Three packages delivered in one day. Wow, thought I. My wife and I might average one delivery…
-
Pony Up, D.C. Or Else!
Uh, oh, the Metro funding deal isn’t sealed yet. The Washington, D.C., city council could be the spoiler. While Mayor Muriel E. Bowser has asked council to back a $178.5 million annual increase in funding for the commuter rail system to go along with $154 million from Virginia and $150 from Maryland, a council faction…
-
Localities, Get in Front of the Transportation Revolution
After the General Assembly hashed out a deal this weekend providing the Washington Metro system with an additional $154 million per year in state funding, local Prince William County leaders expressed discontent that more funding for Metro means less money for roads and highways. Lawmakers had to divert roughly $80 million from regional transportation projects…
-
Approving Metro’s Bare-Bones Capital Budget
Over the weekend the General Assembly agreed to give the Washington Metro $154 million a year in permanent new funding on the condition that Maryland and Washington, D.C., make up the balance of $500 million in new funding, reports the Washington Post. Maryland has passed its own $150 million funding bill, and the District will…