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May 29, 2008
FMCSA Administrator Hill Reports on Curbside Bus Carriers
Many of you likely spent at least part of the holiday weekend traveling – whether driving to the beach or perhaps flying somewhere to visit friends and family. Last week, I traveled from Washington, D.C. to New York City for a conference and decided to personally experience a relative newcomer to the transportation industry: “curbside” bus carriers.
Curbside buses transport passengers from predetermined locations after the rider purchases a ticket from a website, a local vendor or the driver. They post their schedules on-line, generally operate without ticket offices and make their stops street side instead of bus terminals. Besides those distinctions, curbside buses are held to the same federal safety requirements as the rest of the industry.
As I learned when purchasing my tickets, low costs are the big draw. Curbside carriers typically offer incentives to buy tickets early. For example, some curbside bus companies offer seats for $1 to the first purchasers. From there, the price increases as fewer seats become available. Buying a seat at the last minute, however, will still only cost about $35 for a one-way trip to NYC. In fact, I paid more for a taxi to take me 33 blocks in Manhattan than I did for the cost of the five-hour trip from Washington.
I tried two different companies – one for the ride up to New York and another for the return trip to Washington. Both were comfortable and affordable. Most importantly, however, they both operated in a safe manner, were familiar with our safety regime and both drivers appeared quite capable. And, for those of you who are wondering, I did not reveal my identity during either trip.
As the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) – the federal agency that regulates the safety of interstate trucks and buses – I’ve always maintained that interstate passenger carriers have long been and continue to be among the safest mode of transportation in the United States, something that was demonstrated to me yet again last week. Our agency is committed to rigorous oversight of the bus industry.
FINAL REPORT 506
Prepared by:
Amy Jerome and Jennifer Donahue
Environmental Planning Group
4350 E. Camelback, G-200
Phoenix, AZ 85018
JANUARY 2002
Prepared for:
Arizona Department of Transportation
206 South 17th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85007
in cooperation with
U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration
Abstract
The information we received from the DOTs surveyed included a variety of responses regarding the level of implementation of environmental justice (EJ) policies, procedures and programs. Even though the level of implementation varies among the DOTs, the basic principles of EJ evaluation and response are consistent. Below, we have provided a synopsis of what can be called "best practices" for implementing an effective EJ program. The two models have been utilized in differing degrees by many DOTs. At least three DOTs have implemented the two models. However, the macro-level model has not been in practice for a long period of time and therefore its effectiveness has not fully been measured. Neither has the success of the micro-level (project specific) action been determined.
Even though there appears to be no considerable evidence of legal challenges to the more basic approaches used by some DOTs, the utilization of the proposed "best practices" is warranted. Continuing interest and concern for EJ issues in Arizona, and the potential for increased public awareness suggest that methods that formalize ADOTs EJ policies and procedures in this manner should be continued and expanded were necessary.
Lawsuit blames NYC for failure to hire women as bridge painters
March 12, 2007
NEW YORK (AP) _ No women have been allowed to join a squad of 100 city bridge painters, the federal government said in a civil rights lawsuit filed Monday.
The city's Department of Transportation has never hired or offered to hire a woman to paint its 770 elevated bridge structures, although several have applied, the government said in a lawsuit brought in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
A city lawyer, Georgia Pestana, responded: "We are confident the court will determine that DOT's hiring practices for bridge painters comply with civil service requirements and are gender neutral."
But the government said the civil service requirements have not been met, in part because the city has not administered a civil service examination for bridge painters since 1992.
Regional transportation plan gets cold response from feds, state board
By Jim Redden
The Portland Tribune, Feb 13, 2007 (28 Reader comments)
For months Metro leaders have said that the old way of solving transportation problems no longer works.
Led by Metro Councilor Rex Burkholder, officials at the regional planning agency repeatedly have said that building new highways is no longer the solution for the area’s growing congestion problems.
Instead, Burkholder and the others have said that the Regional Transportation Plan to be adopted next year will stress such land-use goals as encouraging people to live closer to where they work and shop, in part by encouraging more mass transit.
By DIANE CARDWELL
Published: January 30, 2007
New York City's transportation commissioner, Iris Weinshall, is leaving her post to become a vice chancellor of the City University of New York, officials said yesterday.