Boston in Transit

Boston in Transit
Author: Steven Beaucher
Publisher: MIT Press
Total Pages: 586
Release: 2023-03-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 0262048078

A richly illustrated story of public transit in one of America’s most historic cities, from public ferry and horse-drawn carriage to the MBTA. A lively tour of public transportation in Boston over the years, Boston in Transit maps the complete history of the modes of transportation that have kept the city moving and expanding since its founding in 1630—from the simple ferry serving an English settlement to the expansive network of the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, or MBTA. The story of public transit in Boston—once dubbed the Hub of the Universe—is a journey through the history of the American metropolis. With a remarkable collection of maps and architectural and engineering drawings at hand, Steven Beaucher launches his account from the landing where English colonists established that first ferry, carrying passengers between what is now Boston’s North End and Charlestown—and sparing them what had been a two-day walk around Boston Harbor. In the 1700s, horse-drawn coaches appeared on the scene, connecting Boston and Cambridge, with the bigger, better Omnibus soon to follow. From horse-drawn coaches, horse-drawn railways evolved, making way for the electric streetcar networks that allowed the city’s early suburbs to sprout—culminating in the multimodal, regional public transportation network in place in Boston today. With photographs, brochures, pamphlets, guidebooks, timetables, and tickets, Boston in Transit creates a complete picture of the everyday experience of public transportation through the centuries. At once a practical reference, local history, and travelogue, this book will be cherished by armchair tourists, day-trippers, and serious travelers alike.

Rights in Transit

Rights in Transit
Author: Kafui Ablode Attoh
Publisher: University of Georgia Press
Total Pages: 178
Release: 2019-02-01
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 0820354228

Is public transportation a right? Should it be? For those reliant on public transit, the answer is invariably “yes” to both. Indeed, when city officials propose slashing service or raising fares, it is these riders who are often the first to appear at that officials’ door demanding their “right” to more service. Rights in Transit starts from the presumption that such riders are justified. For those who lack other means of mobility, transit is a lifeline. It offers access to many of the entitlements we take as essential: food, employment, and democratic public life itself. While accepting transit as a right, this book also suggests that there remains a desperate need to think critically, both about what is meant by a right and about the types of rights at issue when public transportation is threatened. Drawing on a detailed case study of the various struggles that have come to define public transportation in California’s East Bay, Rights in Transit offers a direct challenge to contemporary scholarship on transportation equity. Rather than focusing on civil rights alone, Rights in Transit argues for engaging the more radical notion of the right to the city.

Human Transit

Human Transit
Author: Jarrett Walker
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 256
Release: 2012-07-29
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1610911741

Public transit is a powerful tool for addressing a huge range of urban problems, including traffic congestion and economic development as well as climate change. But while many people support transit in the abstract, it's often hard to channel that support into good transit investments. Part of the problem is that transit debates attract many kinds of experts, who often talk past each other. Ordinary people listen to a little of this and decide that transit is impossible to figure out. Jarrett Walker believes that transit can be simple, if we focus first on the underlying geometry that all transit technologies share. In Human Transit, Walker supplies the basic tools, the critical questions, and the means to make smarter decisions about designing and implementing transit services. Human Transit explains the fundamental geometry of transit that shapes successful systems; the process for fitting technology to a particular community; and the local choices that lead to transit-friendly development. Whether you are in the field or simply a concerned citizen, here is an accessible guide to achieving successful public transit that will enrich any community.

Trains, Buses, People

Trains, Buses, People
Author: Christof Spieler
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2018-10-23
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1610919033

What are the best transit cities in the US? The best Bus Rapid Transit lines? The most useless rail transit lines? The missed opportunities? In the US, the 25 largest metropolitan areas and many smaller cities have fixed guideway transit—rail or bus rapid transit. Nearly all of them are talking about expanding. Yet discussions about transit are still remarkably unsophisticated. To build good transit, the discussion needs to focus on what matters—quality of service (not the technology that delivers it), all kinds of transit riders, the role of buildings, streets and sidewalks, and, above all, getting transit in the right places. Christof Spieler has spent over a decade advocating for transit as a writer, community leader, urban planner, transit board member, and enthusiast. He strongly believes that just about anyone—regardless of training or experience—can identify what makes good transit with the right information. In the fun and accessible Trains, Buses, People: An Opinionated Atlas of US Transit, Spieler shows how cities can build successful transit. He profiles the 47 metropolitan areas in the US that have rail transit or BRT, using data, photos, and maps for easy comparison. The best and worst systems are ranked and Spieler offers analysis of how geography, politics, and history complicate transit planning. He shows how the unique circumstances of every city have resulted in very different transit systems. Using appealing visuals, Trains, Buses, People is intended for non-experts—it will help any citizen, professional, or policymaker with a vested interest evaluate a transit proposal and understand what makes transit effective. While the book is built on data, it has a strong point of view. Spieler takes an honest look at what makes good and bad transit and is not afraid to look at what went wrong. He explains broad concepts, but recognizes all of the technical, geographical, and political difficulties of building transit in the real world. In the end,Trains, Buses, People shows that it is possible with the right tools to build good transit.

Transit

Transit
Author: Jim Kershner
Publisher: Historylink
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2019
Genre: History
ISBN: 9781933245553

Ever since the first streetcars rumbled through the streets of Seattle in 1884, public transportation in the Puget Sound region has been a wild roller-coaster ride, replete with scandals, triumphs, and momentous turning points. A complete rail transit system crisscrossed the region during the trolley days, only to be dismantled by 1941. After seventy years of turmoil--and traffic congestion--a new system, Sound Transit, arose in its place. The story is not just about trolleys, trains, and buses--it is also about the making and breaking of mayors and the way that Seattle, Tacoma, and Everett developed from the 1880s to today.

Sustainable Mass Transit

Sustainable Mass Transit
Author: Thomas Abdallah
Publisher: Elsevier
Total Pages: 266
Release: 2023-05-25
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0443152721

Sustainable Mass Transit: Challenges and Opportunities in Urban Public Transportation, Second Edition highlights the many sustainability solutions and alternatives to fossil fuel usage including renewable energy and efficiency in mass transit, as well as the conservation of materials, water, and air and the overall health of communities. This new edition will update the reader on developments in the field since 2017 and advancements in sustainability solutions. It explores how Environmental Management System frameworks improve environmental performance in the operations, maintenance, design, rehabilitation, and expansion of a mass transportation system. The book covers the numerous types of mass transit systems, looking closely at all their key functions, including operations, maintenance, development, design, building, and retrofitting. It explores the mitigation measures that reduce or eliminate negative environmental impacts, including green infrastructure, materials conservation, ecological conservation, and more. It covers energy, greenhouse gas emissions, toxic pollution and other significant environmental impacts, recycling, and more. It also examines organizational best practices and environmental regulatory constraints and life cycle assessments, describing which sustainable elements can be added while rehabilitating or expanding a mass transportation infrastructure or ancillary facility. The book concludes with a look at forthcoming sustainable initiatives that will enhance mass transit systems. - Contains case studies from around the world, including several new case studies from the United States, Canada, Mexico, South America, Europe and Asia - Thoroughly updated with four new chapters on The Sustainable Mass Transit Revolution, Relevance of Mass Transit, Environmental Professionals in Transportation, and Reimagining Sustainable Mass Transit - Includes a new companion website with assessment questions for educators, image files and video presentations - Shows how teams from different fields, entities, agencies and cities can work together to solve complex sustainability challenges

The Future of Public Transportation

The Future of Public Transportation
Author: Paul Comfort
Publisher:
Total Pages: 425
Release: 2020-02-15
Genre:
ISBN:

"Paul Comfort is our industry's leader on what's coming next for mobility. After a thirty year career in public transportation operations and executive leadership, he now travels the globe hearing directly from our top CEOs on what's working, what's not and what's next. If anyone can pull together a compendium on the Future of Public Transportation, it's Paul and he's done so in this book. Congrats!" - Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO of BC Transit. "With Paul's long and distinguished career in transportation as well as his current involvement in mobility through his podcast Transit Unplugged and other thought leadership, Paul is uniquely positioned to provide a clear eyed and expert view on the future of public transportation and what we as concerned stakeholders should be thinking about."-Blair Schlecter, VP of Economic Development and Govt. Affairs, Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce "As a 38 year public transportation industry veteran, and former CEO and Chair of APTA, I can say that technology and mobility is adapting faster than ever to societal demands and technological abilities. Paul Comfort has his finger on the pulse of these fast changing developments and has pulled together for this book a top notch roster of executives from the public and private sector to provide their input."-Peter Varga, Former Chair American Public Transportation Association (APTA). This new book "The Future of Public Transportation" is written by transit industry leader Paul Comfort and over forty top public transport leaders, CEOs, futurists and associations. The book examines the transformations coming this decade for cities and the public transportation systems that serve them allowing readers to become more informed and ready for these changes. In the next few years technology enhancements will produce and expand game changing new mobility options such as autonomous vehicles on regular bus routes and Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) smart phone apps allowing passengers to plan, pay for and subscribe to a full menu of traditional public transit and private microtransit options for their travel. Cities will further regulate and optimize the rampant expansion of e-bikes and e-scooters. Mobile public transit fare paying options will expand including allowing the use of not only cell phone and tap and go credit cards but even wearable fare payment jewelry and watches. Traditional transit systems are rebooting their bus networks, adding in high frequency routes & reducing the friction that slows their buses by adding bus only lanes, transit signal priority (TSP) and electronic fare payment systems. TNCs have now entered the public mobility marketplace and are supplementing or replacing public transit services for many. Transit fleets are becoming greener shifting to zero emission fuels like electric or hydrogen, large multi-national firms are transforming how we build and operate new rail and other capital projects through Public Private Partnerships (P3). Hyperloop and air taxis are looking more like science than fiction. Cities are becoming "smart" and eliminating traffic in the public square or charging for its usage in peak times. Most transit software is moving to the cloud and privately-owned electric automobiles could be the autonomous taxicabs of tomorrow.All these trends & innovations in technology and business models are explored in depth in this book with the collaboration of thought leaders, industry associations, CEOs and the major companies that are creating and utilizing them. In the end, bold leaders will take us to new horizons as they always have, but they will do so using modern technology to move us in ways we never thought possible, and in the process, eliminate barriers that have too long stood in the way of true mobility for all. And THAT is the Future of Public Transportation.

Better Buses, Better Cities

Better Buses, Better Cities
Author: Steven Higashide
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2019-10-10
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1642830143

"Better Buses, Better Cities is likely the best book ever written on improving bus service in the United States." — Randy Shaw, Beyond Chron "The ultimate roadmap for how to make the bus great again in your city." — Spacing "The definitive volume on how to make bus frequent, fast, reliable, welcoming, and respected..." — Streetsblog Imagine a bus system that is fast, frequent, and reliable—what would that change about your city? Buses can and should be the cornerstone of urban transportation. They offer affordable mobility and can connect citizens with every aspect of their lives. But in the US, they have long been an afterthought in budgeting and planning. With a compelling narrative and actionable steps, Better Buses, Better Cities inspires us to fix the bus. Transit expert Steven Higashide shows us what a successful bus system looks like with real-world stories of reform—such as Houston redrawing its bus network overnight, Boston making room on its streets to put buses first, and Indianapolis winning better bus service on Election Day. Higashide shows how to marshal the public in support of better buses and how new technologies can keep buses on time and make complex transit systems understandable. Higashide argues that better bus systems will create better cities for all citizens. The consequences of subpar transit service fall most heavily on vulnerable members of society. Transit systems should be planned to be inclusive and provide better service for all. These are difficult tasks that require institutional culture shifts; doing all of them requires resilient organizations and transformational leadership. Better bus service is key to making our cities better for all citizens. Better Buses, Better Cities describes how decision-makers, philanthropists, activists, and public agency leaders can work together to make the bus a win in any city.

The Wheels That Drove New York

The Wheels That Drove New York
Author: Roger P. Roess
Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media
Total Pages: 441
Release: 2012-08-23
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 3642304842

The Wheels That Drove New York tells the fascinating story of how a public transportation system helped transform a small trading community on the southern tip of Manhattan island to a world financial capital that is home to more than 8,000,000 people. From the earliest days of horse-drawn conveyances to the wonders of one of the world's largest and most efficient subways, the story links the developing history of the City itself to the growth and development of its public transit system. Along the way, the key role of played by the inventors, builders, financiers, and managers of the system are highlighted. New York began as a fur trading outpost run by the Dutch West India Company, established after the discovery and exploration of New York Harbor and its great river by Henry Hudson. It was eventually taken over by the British, and the magnificent harbor provided for a growing center of trade. Trade spurred industry, initially those needed to support the shipping industry, later spreading to various products for export. When DeWitt Clinton built the Erie Canal, which linked New York Harbor to the Great Lakes, New York became the center of trade for all products moving into and out of the mid-west. As industry grew, New York became a magnate for immigrants seeking refuge in a new land of opportunity. The City's population continued to expand. Both water and land barriers, however, forced virtually the entire population to live south of what is now 14th Street. Densities grew dangerously, and brought both disease and conflict to the poorer quarters of the Five Towns. To expand, the City needed to conquer land and water barriers, primarily with a public transportation system. By the time of the Civil War, the City was at a breaking point. The horse-drawn public conveyances that had provided all of the public transportation services since the 1820's needed to be replaced with something more effective and efficient. First came the elevated railroads, initially powered by steam engines. With the invention of electricity and the electric traction motor, the elevated's were electrified, and a trolley system emerged. Finally, in 1904, the City opened its first subway. From there, the City's growth to northern Manhattan and to the "outer boroughs" of Brooklyn, Queens, and the Bronx exploded. The Wheels That Drove New York takes us through the present day, and discusses the many challenges that the transit system has had to face over the years. It also traces the conversion of the system from fully private operations (through the elevated railways) to the fully public system that exists today, and the problems that this transformation has created along the way.

Transit Street Design Guide

Transit Street Design Guide
Author: National Association of City Transportation Officials
Publisher: Island Press
Total Pages: 236
Release: 2016-04-14
Genre: Architecture
ISBN: 1610917472

"The Transit Street Design Guide sets a new vision for how cities can harness the immense potential of transit to create active and efficient streets in neighborhoods and downtowns alike. Building on the Urban Street Design Guide and Urban Bikeway Design Guide, the Transit Street Design Guide details how reliable public transportation depends on a commitment to transit at every level of design. Developed through a new peer network of NACTO members and transit agency partners, the Guide provides street transportation departments, transit operating agencies, leaders, and practitioners with the tools to actively prioritize transit on the street."--Site Web de NACTO.