Beverly Scott
Jarrett Walker
PART 1: HOW THE PANDEMIC WALLOPED TRANSIT SYSTEMS
When Americans were told to avoid crowded spaces, that meant buses and trains, subways and streetcars. Our policy hackers outlined what happened in the months that followed, and some of the lessons policymakers learned along the way.
Widespread service cuts
Nationally, transit ridership fell by 80 percent, so it’s no wonder that many agencies dialed service way back. Some switched to a weekend schedule or stopped late-night service.
But hackathon participants said those cutbacks soon created new problems. Essential workers working low-paying service jobs whose value Americans finally recognized but didn’t remunerate still had to go to work at grocery stores, nursing homes, hospitals and, yes, transit agencies.
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Rebirth of the Streetcar
KC Streetcar, Kansas City. William C. Vantuono photo
RAILWAY AGE, MAY 2021 ISSUE: Nearly wiped out decades ago, the lightest form of light rail has made a remarkable comeback.
Two centuries ago, before anyone had the idea of laying rails on the ground so wheels could run swiftly and smoothly over them, nobody could travel faster than they or a horse could walk, or a boat could sail. Then came trains and streetcars, and everybody’s world suddenly seemed smaller.
Then, in the past century, came the decline of passenger trains and the near-extinction of streetcars in the United States and Canada. The past few decades have brought the rebirth of the streetcar, but not necessarily the way it was in its former Golden Age. It has become a genus, with several different species of vehicles that could be classified as “streetcars” or as the related species of “light rail” in all parts of the nation.
New Orleans RTA unveils 22 newly designed buses
The new purple and gray buses sport the classic slogan, laissez les bons temps rouler. Share Updated: 9:37 PM CDT May 5, 2021 Gabbii King
The new purple and gray buses sport the classic slogan, laissez les bons temps rouler. Share Updated: 9:37 PM CDT May 5, 2021 Gabbii King Today, the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority unveiled 22 new buses with brand new designs that will enter service Thursday, May 6.The new buses sport a purple and gray color scheme and feature the classic slogan, laissez les bons temps rouler. The new buses are designed to better maintain the external cleanliness of the buses and will replace vehicles that are no longer in working order.RTA CEO Alex Wiggins said of the new buses, Introducing the new buses brings the RTA another step closer to delivering a world class transit system New Orleanians deserve. Fred Neal Jr., an RTA Commissioner, added