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MTA HEARINGS ON MARC AND COMMUTER BUS CUTS


[Yes you are reading right, because people are driving less and taking mass transit more they are cutting mass transit.]

Proposed reductions in service a result of budget cuts

The sources of revenue that support the operation of MTA's MARC Train and Commuter Bus services have declined dramatically since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Regrettably, MTA must reduce its budget, and while the majority of reductions are taking place in the administrative budget some MARC Train and Commuter Bus services are proposed for elimination.

The public is encouraged to provide input regarding the proposed modifications. MTA will hold public hearings throughout the State from November 17 through November 25, 2008 to receive public comments on these proposals. Citizens may provide comments at any hearing that is convenient, or may send comments directly to the MTA by mail or e-mail. All comments received by December 26, 2008 will be considered before proposals are finalized.

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Street Art - Ride, don't drive


What lives when public transportation is used, and dies when it's not? Potentially all of us.

This message is hauntingly conveyed by a street art installation showing polar bears coming to life as a subway passes beneath them:

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Registration open for CTC Transportation Summit


The Corridor Transit Corporation, the manager of Howard Transit and Connect a Ride, will be holding it's annual Transportation Summit on Thursday, November 13th at the BWI Marriott in Linthicum. This year the CTC summit will be focusing on creating regional and acheivable solutions to Central Maryland's transportation problems. Learn more about the CTC summit here.

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Baltimore City launches Baltimore CarShare program


Coming Soon!

Do you or could you walk, bicycle and take public transportation to most of your destinations but still need a car every once in a while?

Do you drive to work because you need a car to get to meetings during the day?

Car sharing can help!

The Parking Authority of Baltimore City is helping to launch Baltimore CarShare, a non-profit car sharing organization that will provide a network of conveniently located vehicles for members to rent for as little as a half an hour. Low hourly rates include maintenance, insurance, designated parking and gas!

Members feel free to give up one or more of their cars knowing a car sharing vehicle is available nearby whenever they need one. Employees can save the wear and tear on their own vehicles and use a car sharing vehicle instead.

Imagine a fleet of hybrid vehicles, pickup trucks, minivans, Mini Coopers, BMW's and convertibles available at the click of a mouse.

Car sharing can take up to 20 vehicles off the road!

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Move by transportation board angers some politicians


The move by the Ken Ulman-led Baltimore Regional Transportation Board to designate $340 million in future state transportation funding for mass transit projects has raised the ire of some politicians.
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But last week, officials who represent Howard's rural areas decried the change, saying it was unfair for their constituents to pay gasoline taxes to fund mass transit that they rarely use.
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"Some people feel we can build our way out of this by building more roads, but that's a shortsighted focus," Ulman said.

"The bottom line in all this is the public wants options," he said. "We see it from the petitions we get. They want a [transit] system that works, especially in the Baltimore region."

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Highway vs Mass Transit Funding


* Since 1956, federal, state and local governments have invested nine times more capital funding in highway subsidies than in transit.
* In 2004, state governments spent nearly 13 times more public funds on highways than on transit.
* The process for securing funding for new transit lines is far more onerous and less certain than for highway projects, with the federal government generally picking up a smaller share of the tab for new transit lines than for new highway projects.

Yglesias also notes:

Of course you can't bring this subject up without legions of people informing you that the gas tax pays for the highways. This simply isn't true. All the funds raised by the gas tax are spent on highways, and then a bunch of additional money is also spent on highways.

Mark Delucchi at the U.C. Davis Institute for Transportation Studies backs that up as well. In a study published last fall, Delucchi found that "current tax and fee payments to the government by motor-vehicle users fall short of government expenditures related to motor-vehicle use by approximately 20 to 70 cents per gallon of all motor fuel." U.S. drivers do not pay their own way.

After the jump is another great chart from A Better Way to Go. Anyone want to guess how many millions of dollars in gasoline cost savings and tons of carbon dioxide emissions reductions the New York City Transit produces annually? [Hint, start in the billions.]

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FREE BUS SERVICE COMING IN 2009


Baltimore City is Funding Three New Bus Routes

The short lived DASH bus service is coming back bigger and stronger than ever. One year from now,the City of Baltimore expects to be running the first of three free downtown bus routes. All three routes should be operational by September of 2009. North, East and West, the DASH will get you there in new Hybrid Electric Buses. The service will be paid for in part by an increase in the parking tax. Another reason to leave your car at home.
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With Gas Prices Reaching $4.00 a Gallon, Transit Ridership is Surging


Every day there is an article in the paper talking about how the rising price of gas is shifting commuters to mass transit. Well, here is the proof, and Baltimore is helping to lead the way with light rail and heavy rail percentages of riders increasing.

Light rail
Overall streetcars and trolleys had the highest percentage increase, at 10.3%. The biggest increases:
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