tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-384209062024-03-07T09:46:44.199-07:00The Boise Bus BlogAn unofficial blog for public transportation supporters and users in Idaho's Treasure Valley.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.comBlogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-84204225153494955042010-01-06T15:00:00.002-07:002010-01-06T15:03:36.893-07:00Thanks for readingI've decided to retire the Boise Bus Blog for a few reasons - mainly, because my blogging interests are elsewhere, but also because the political climate in Idaho remains inhospitable to improved public transit. I'm leaving this site online as an archive and I will occasionally be blogging on transit topics at <a href="http://www.sidewalk208.com">Sidewalk 208</a>, so I invite you to check that out. Thanks for reading. See you on the bus!Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-8988412900420791672009-09-18T14:25:00.002-06:002009-09-18T14:28:08.636-06:00TJ Thomson for Boise City Council<em>My letter in the Idaho Statesman today ...</em><br /><br />Spokane has a population of 198,081. Spokane Transit - funded in part by a small local option sales tax - offers 40 bus routes that run all day long, plus evenings and weekends, including Sundays.<br /><p>Boise has a population of 198,638. Valley Ride has 15 city bus routes, none running past 7 p.m. nor on Sundays, and only eight of which run on Saturday. Some routes run only once an hour.</p><p>Boise City Council candidate TJ Thomson recognizes that our city could do much better when it comes to public transit, and that's a key reason I will be voting for him on Nov. 3. What we really need to do is elect TJ to the Idaho Legislature where - eventually, along with enough other forward-thinking people from the western part of the Treasure Valley who are not now serving - he can pass local-option legislation that allows Boiseans and other Treasure Valley citizens to make our own transit decisions.</p><p>For now, however, let's get TJ on Boise City Council, where he will pursue better, more usable bus service; promote safer biking and walking routes; and lay the groundwork for light rail in our growing Valley.</p><p>JULIE FANSELOW, Boise</p><p> </p>Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-32029267151887832842008-10-19T21:04:00.003-06:002008-10-19T21:09:34.893-06:00On a detour ...I've been away from the blog for a while, mainly due to a new job I started October 1 that restricts my independent blogging on political and policy topics.<br /><br />I'd like to hear from anyone who would be interested in occasionally writing here on transit topics, especially once the Idaho Legislature reconvenes in January. If you support better transit in the Treasure Valley and would be able and willing to write about it here, let me know via email to juliewrites at yahoo dot com. (Please put "bus blog" in the subject line.)Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-84928912158660188902008-09-23T10:25:00.005-06:002008-09-23T10:31:40.206-06:00Another opportunity for inputThe Idaho Transportation Department is surveying Idahoans about what sort of transportation we use to get to work, school, shopping, dining, or entertainment. The survey coordinator says: "For this initial phase of the project, we are gathering information from Providers of public transportation and mobility services, from Human Service Agencies, and from current and potential Users of any form of transportation other than a single-occupant automobile or pick-up truck. Users include virtually every citizen of the State of Idaho. Based on who you are and what organization you may represent, you may qualify to answer more than one of three different surveys."<br /><br />Click <a href="http://www.lanresourcesllc.com/IMAP.html">here</a> to take one or more of the surveys. The ITD wants to hear from us before October 6.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-17777882196135335392008-09-12T17:21:00.002-06:002008-09-12T17:35:10.457-06:00Bus stop perks: your ideas neededI recently joined Valley Regional Transit's Regional Coordination Council, a committee that helps VRT make the most of SAFETEA-LU funding from the federal government and advises VRT on other projects. I was asked to join the RCC as an advocate for transit consumers. <br /><br />Valley Ride is nearly done installing its fixed bus stops across Ada and Canyon counties, and there is some money available to do improvements at those stops. These might include benches, curb cuts and pads, shelters, and bike racks. <br /><br />Do you know of any stops that especially need amenities like these? If you have ideas for Valley Ride, you can either put them in the comments below or email them to Mark Carnopis, VRT community relations manager, at mcarnopis at valleyregionaltransit dot org.<br /><br />Also of note: Valley Ride is taking steps to get rid of the existing benches along its routes that are NOT at the fixed bus stop locations. There's long been confusion among riders who felt a bench automatically signified a bus stop. VRT does hope to have benches at most stops in the future.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-41902203140830964512008-09-09T22:36:00.003-06:002008-09-09T23:12:34.162-06:00Valley hails start of fixed-stop era<div><embed src="http://widget-1a.slide.com/widgets/slideticker.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" quality="high" scale="noscale" salign="l" wmode="transparent" flashvars="cy=bb&il=1&channel=1801439850967569690&site=widget-1a.slide.com" style="width:400px;height:320px" name="flashticker" align="middle"></embed><div style="width:400px;text-align:left;"><a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=1801439850967569690&map=1" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-1a.slide.com/p1/1801439850967569690/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide1.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=1801439850967569690&map=2" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-1a.slide.com/p2/1801439850967569690/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide2.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a> <a href="http://www.slide.com/pivot?cy=bb&at=un&id=1801439850967569690&map=F" target="_blank"><img src="http://widget-1a.slide.com/p4/1801439850967569690/bb_t000_v000_s0un_f00/images/xslide42.gif" border="0" ismap="ismap" /></a></div></div><br /><br />About three dozen people gathered on The Grove in downtown Boise on Tuesday to mark the start of fixed-stop bus service in the Treasure Valley. Although some signs <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/ourtowns/story/497413.html">remain to be installed</a>, area leaders and transit officials Tuesday hailed the fixed stops as a sign that <a href="http://www.valleyride.org/">Valley Ride</a>, the area's bus system, is getting ready for bigger and better improvements to come. <br /><br />Mayor Dave Bieter pointed to reports of overflowing buses as evidence that the area's appetite for transit is growing. Before and after the noon event, Bieter and BSU history professor Todd Shallat led people on free bus tours tracing the same route that the proposed downtown circulator streetcar would take. "It's a fluid process and there's a lot of legwork to do," he said, yet the streetcar revival is generating "more buzz and excitement than any other project" on the city's docket.<br /><br />Several leaders from outlying towns rode buses to the event. Mayor John Evans of Garden City cited the benefits of regional cooperation, noting that when Garden City tried to run its own bus system years ago, one driver calling in sick meant 100 percent of the staff was missing. He added that there were 17 people on the bus he rode to downtown Boise mid-morning.<br /><br />There was only one empty seat on the bus that Meridian councilmen Charlie Rountree and David Zaremba and state Senator Shirley McKague took to Boise. Zaremba described how, en route, they met a young couple with a baby in a stroller and a man with a bike using the bus, too. Zaremba expressed support for a local-option tax to enact the <a href="http://www.valleyregionaltransit.org/PROJECTSSTUDIES/REGIONALOPERATIONSANDCAPITALIMPROVEMENTPLAN/TREASUREVALLEYINTRANSIT/tabid/139/Default.aspx">Treasure Valley in Transit</a> plan to bring far better, more frequent service to the area, as well as better intra-city service to Meridian, the largest city in Idaho without its own bus service. <br /><br />Afterward, I asked McKague whether she, too, would support local option authority. "Oh, people are taxed too much already," she said. I explained that a local-option tax would only go into effect if two-thirds of the voters wanted it on a vote held on a major election date. She was non-committal but thanked me for the information. If you live in District 20, perhaps you'd like to <a href="http://mckague.org/contact.php">contact McKague</a> to let her know that you appreciate her support of Vallley Ride and that you, too, would like to have the opportunity to decide for yourself whether we can invest in better local transit.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-58656341071265813342008-09-05T22:25:00.004-06:002008-09-09T23:08:41.971-06:00Boise bus stop bash set 9/9<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPAUz_P3R0B8DJ4fyPQ-vfBGwTIQ1MvyjO_FSZqt3GSaHkSumCby3fLNtee7UOS_Pi3N4b7Ay-Yof1gFyBtcoE7XDVI0UTZwUIMjiV83yhbAkJqk6ywMR2XjVHOqH0S2iREfUvA/s1600-h/MovingToABusStopSystemLogo.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPAUz_P3R0B8DJ4fyPQ-vfBGwTIQ1MvyjO_FSZqt3GSaHkSumCby3fLNtee7UOS_Pi3N4b7Ay-Yof1gFyBtcoE7XDVI0UTZwUIMjiV83yhbAkJqk6ywMR2XjVHOqH0S2iREfUvA/s320/MovingToABusStopSystemLogo.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5242764707720262786" /></a><br />A celebration of Boise's new fixed-stop bus system and a showcase of the proposed Downtown Boise Streetcar Initiative are planned for midday Tuesday, September 9, on the Grove in downtown Boise. <br /><br />Valley Ride reports that more than 725 bus stop signs are now in place throughout Ada County, signifying that the day has come when bus riders need to use those marked stops to catch a ride, rather than flagging a bus down willy-nilly. But most bus riders seem happy with the switch, since it should make the buses run more efficiently (and since stops are rarely more than a few blocks apart). Hey, if it'll end the maddening experience of people asking for stops every block on State Street, I'm all for it.<br /><br />The Bus Stops Here event set for noon Tuesday on the Grove will include plenty of speechifying by area dignitaries. There will also be some live music and informative displays, plus the chance to hop a specially designated bus for tours of the proposed streetcar route anytime between 10:45 and 11:45 a.m. and again from 1:15 to 2:15 p.m. with Mayor Dave Bieter and Boise State history prof Todd Shallat narrating the sights. <br /><br />“We really encourage people who live, shop or work downtown to hop on board and check out the tours,” says Kelli Fairless, executive director of Valley Regional Transit (VRT). “It’ll provide people a glimpse of what it would be like to be able to hop on a streetcar, and ride to the other side of downtown to run an errand, meet up with friends, conduct a business meeting or whatever.”<br /><br />“The streetcar will be the first portion of what we hope will be a larger transit system to serve the entire Treasure Valley,” Mayor Bieter said. “In addition to being a great way to get around downtown, the streetcar will also provide a real economic boost for the underserved areas of downtown.”Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-4581901965239246222008-09-02T18:28:00.004-06:002008-09-02T18:54:11.249-06:00Better transit = fewer road, bridge $$$ woesGov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Transportation Board held a hearing in Boise last week to talk about the sorry state of our roads and bridges. They made a very good case for the need for additional revenues, and the incredible complexity of solving a funding gap that seems to be growing by the day. (We all learned, for example, that liquid asphalt rose in price from $175 to $1,000 per ton between last December and this July.) But state officials still seem to be resisting the idea that better transit must be a major part of any plan to relieve pressure on Idaho roads and bridges. <br /><br />I didn't make it to the morning portion of the meeting, though Sharon Fisher of New West did, and she recounts it <a href="http://www.newwest.net/topic/article/news_flash_idaho_needs_to_fix_its_roads/C564/L564/">here</a>. Apparently John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, advocated for a proposal called Fight Gridlock Now that includes transit as part of the solution. And I was only able to stay for about an hour of the late-afternoon hearing, at which point no public testimony had yet been taken.<br /><br />Idaho has not raised its fuel tax since 1996, and vehicle registration fees have been flat since 1997. It's probably past time to raise both, but the state ought to consider curbing registration increases for people who drive fuel-efficient vehicles (who are already saving at the pump) and/or who hold their mileage below certain levels. Higher registration fees and fuel taxes would also give people additional incentives to explore transit, telecommuting, carpooling, and other options that will lessen the wear and tear on our roads, bridges, and lungs. And because fewer miles driven also means lower fuel tax collections, the state must also consider tolls on some roads and bridges. <br /><br />Of course, all of this may fall flat in Idaho's rabidly anti-tax legislature, but fee increases - coupled with conservation incentives - are the only way we'll be able to fund safe roads and bridges in our state. This fall, candidates need to be asked how they'd fund road and bridge upkeep *and* how they'll make transit part of the solution.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-28402423243743167462008-08-15T15:07:00.005-06:002008-08-18T09:36:27.781-06:00August 26 transportation meeting in Boise<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWUFo16HD8t32Y8VfWXuhyMLBGF5ncr86slwrEX2n8T4A8pldfT9dlmBg_KhXJEpDEBXW1U8NIAgXXeTm2yFN7i_owqrBOAH2t0Xfap6T50wsbfZ9K4wLzpx2sNrjAAbjKBD41A/s1600-h/FundingLogo2_b.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWUFo16HD8t32Y8VfWXuhyMLBGF5ncr86slwrEX2n8T4A8pldfT9dlmBg_KhXJEpDEBXW1U8NIAgXXeTm2yFN7i_owqrBOAH2t0Xfap6T50wsbfZ9K4wLzpx2sNrjAAbjKBD41A/s320/FundingLogo2_b.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235881508674798194" /></a><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">What's wrong with this tagline?!</span><p><br />Although Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Transportation Board <a href="http://boisebusblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/transportation-hearings-skip-boise.html">skipped Boise</a> on their round of hearings earlier this summer, they're finally giving capital city residents a chance to be heard. Otter, the ITB, and Sen. Mike Crapo will hold a transportation funding conference on August 26 in Boise at the Boise Centre on the Grove, 850 W. Front Street. <br /><br />From 9 a.m. to noon, experts will testify on national and local transportation needs and discuss what was heard at the July meetings. The public comment period will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. Come ready to voice your support for public transit (and a local option tax to help pay for it); bike and walking paths; and other projects that will help Idahoans reduce our dependence on foreign oil.<br /><br />Can't make the meeting? You can send comments via email to comments@itd.idaho.gov or call Jeff Stratten from the Idaho Transportation Department at 208-334-8005. There's also an <a href="http://itd.idaho.gov/funding/survey.html">online survey</a> at the ITB website. Unfortunately, that survey makes no mention of transit projects - only funding for roads and bridges - so be sure to make your thoughts known in the final question, where comments can be made.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-78756314700853961192008-08-14T08:11:00.004-06:002008-08-14T08:17:14.815-06:00Traffic ... is it endangered?!<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Uy45tdKJ24&color1=11645361&color2=13619151&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3Uy45tdKJ24&color1=11645361&color2=13619151&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Here's a good, snarky video from the folks at U.S. PIRG on the transportation funding choices before Congress (and, for that matter, our state legislatures) next year. Given the prices on the pump, this was apparently made months ago - but that only makes it more resonant now.<br /><br />Also <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/opinion/story/469555.html">here's an op-ed</a> by Boisean Tom Rambow on why we owe it to our children and grandchildren to make the best choices.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-60571373549828295992008-07-31T14:58:00.002-06:002008-07-31T15:02:05.434-06:00Tales of a Treasure Valley commuterThat's the name of a new blog by Byron Yankey, a Canyon County educator who is also running for state Representative in District 13. He's writing about other topics, too, like films, food, and fun at the Canyon County Fair. <a href="http://www.byronyankey.com/">Check it out.</a>Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-45170673114121086152008-07-30T18:54:00.003-06:002008-07-30T19:07:07.916-06:00Bus stop signs going up<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTslLFglPmAPmFFaMY0GA7laxl2EImDe7Y6gcMnCKopEtTBVeujDcs9d51hyphenhyphenFDu5rtS8yOb2_Uca1vf1Drte7W1Gq7bT1v9Z_TA59x7ckZPPnM_HC7cYqKcFM_IQuwWWMJFTdEgA/s1600-h/HPIM2619.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTslLFglPmAPmFFaMY0GA7laxl2EImDe7Y6gcMnCKopEtTBVeujDcs9d51hyphenhyphenFDu5rtS8yOb2_Uca1vf1Drte7W1Gq7bT1v9Z_TA59x7ckZPPnM_HC7cYqKcFM_IQuwWWMJFTdEgA/s320/HPIM2619.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5228975950801249570" border="0" /></a><br />I got back from vacation and found that the Valley Ride bus stop signs are going up around Boise. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Idaho Statesman</span> <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/102/story/453718.html">reported this week</a> that the work of marking 725 stops along 14 routes is about half done. In the same story, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">VRT</span> spokesman Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Carnopis</span> makes the point that the signs and occasional shelters - not benches - mark bus stops.<br /><br />It looks like my one regular route, the #3 Vista, has been fully marked, while the #29 Overland has not been. What are you seeing? Do the stops seem to be in logical places? Are you happy with the locations? Valley Ride has more info and a list of proposed stops on <a href="http://www.valleyride.org/">its website</a>.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-34657712752527271092008-07-07T19:54:00.003-06:002008-07-07T20:06:59.411-06:00Transportation hearings skip BoiseA series of six public hearings are planned this month with Gov. Butch Otter and the Idaho Transportation Board. Interestingly, they will NOT be visiting the state's largest city by far. Here are the dates and places for the meetings, all of which will run from 4 to 7 p.m.:<br /><br />Caldwell, July 14, at the College of Idaho Simplot Dining Hall<br />Coeur d'Alene, July 16, at the Best Western Coeur d'Alene Inn<br />Lewiston, July 17, at the Red Lion Hotel<br />Idaho Falls, July 22, at the Shilo Inn Suites Hotel<br />Pocatello, July 23, at the Red Lion Hotel<br />Twin Falls, July 24, at the Red Lion Hotel Canyon Springs<br /><br />If you don't want to drive to Caldwell to voice your support for alternative transportation choices including effective public transit and bike and walking paths, you can send your comments to Jeff Stratten, Idaho Transportation Department via email to comments@itd.idaho.gov or call him at (208) 334-8005.<br /><br />One way or another, state officials need to understand that we cannot pave our way out of our current predicament of $4+/gallon gas and air-quality alerts.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-67410665154735025932008-07-02T11:33:00.003-06:002008-07-02T11:56:29.543-06:00Legislating for $4+/gallon gasThe U.S. House of Representatives last week passed the "Saving Energy Through Public Transportation Act," a bill that chief sponsor Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minnesota) called “a <a href="http://www.nlc.org/articles/articleItems/NCW63008/transitbill.aspx">downpayment on an increased investment in public transportation</a>.” The House passed the bill on a lopsided vote of 322-98, with many Republicans - including U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson - joining the ayes. Rep. Bill Sali voted no. (Roll call <a href="http://clerk.house.gov/cgi-bin/vote.asp?year=2008&rollnumber=467">here</a>.) It's also good to see that at least one Idaho legislator is onboard with the need for better transit options. Here's hoping that Larry Craig and Mike Crapo will follow Simpson's lead when the Senate considers the bill later this month.<br /><br />In other transit-related legislation, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) introduced a bill this week that would <a href="http://blumenauer.house.gov/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=1334">reward Americans</a> who choose to drive less, telecommute, or buy homes near mass transit. "In short, he'd like to make the country look more like Portland, where he said people on average drive 20 percent less than in other metropolitan areas and bikes, buses and light rail are prominent parts of the transportation mix," writes <span style="font-style: italic;">The Oregonian</span>'s Jeff Mapes. (<a href="http://blog.oregonlive.com/mapesonpolitics/2008/06/blumenauer_looks_for_spotlight.html">More here</a>.)Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-54829897932012980902008-06-25T20:31:00.003-06:002008-07-07T20:04:26.174-06:00Valley Ride-union spat bodes ill for service<span style="font-style: italic;">Boise Weekly</span>'s Nathaniel Hoffman has <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A314986">this update </a>on the Valley Ride-bus union dispute over a one-mile stretch of the No. 42 Overland route. The mile in question - between Maple Grove and Five Mile - serves the Social Security office and used to be part of a route handed by union drivers, but it's now subcontracted to a private, non-union company based in Nampa. A federal arbitrator sided with the union drivers, but Valley Ride seems to be balking, despite comments at two public hearings which heavily favored keeping the route open.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Update, July 7:</span> Valley Ride has decided to delay a decision on this matter <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/435783.html">until August</a>.<br /><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span class="on" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link" onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);"></span></span>Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-22468859709762197852008-06-19T08:28:00.002-06:002008-06-19T08:46:01.370-06:00Dump the Pump (and a route?)Today is the Third Annual National <a href="http://http://www.publictransportation.org/contact/stories/">Dump the Pump Day</a>, an effort to get people out of our cars and onto our bikes, feet, or public transit. <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-06-19-drivingless_N.htm">Something tells me</a> it might get a better reception this year than in years past when gas was a mere $2.50 a gallon.<br /><br />It's also "Whack a Pump Day" at the Stinker station at 23rd and Main here in Boise, where from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. today only (Thursday, June 19), people can take out their frustrations over high gas prices by wailing a baseball bat at a pump (or playing the Whack a Pump game <a href="http://www.publictransportation.org/contact/stories/dtp_game_08.asp">online</a>). Hmmm, OK, but those of us who already drive minimally just don't have that sort of rage! That Stinker Station also will offer a 10-cent discount on gas, as well as E85 fuel for $3.49 a gallon.<br /><br />Meanwhile, the <span style="font-style: italic;">Idaho Statesman</span> has a story today about how a dispute between Valley Regional Transit and the bus drivers' union <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/newsupdates/story/419828.html">may eliminate service</a> on a stretch of the intercounty Route 42 on Overland Road near Five Mile. The larger issue seems to be whether Boise bus service - operated by unionized drivers - is suffering at the expense of beefed-up inter-county routes that Valley Ride subcontracts to a private, non-unionized company. There's a public hearing on the matter at 4 p.m. today at Boise City Hall. I don't think I can make it, so I'd welcome a firsthand report in the comments from anyone who can. Perhaps this dispute will help shine a light on the need for better funding sources for our sad little local transit system.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-58814345682960185472008-06-17T16:21:00.002-06:002008-06-17T16:31:45.890-06:00Ridership way upValley Ride sent out a press release today on Dump the Pump Day, which is Thursday. More on that tomorrow. The real news gem - buried midway through the release - is this: During the first eight months (October 2007 through May 2008) of its current fiscal year, Valley Ride has seen:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">• A 78 percent increase in riders on the Intercounty bus line from Nampa/Caldwell to Boise, compared to the same period last year.</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">• A <span style="font-weight: bold;">7.3 percent jump in Boise fixed-line ridership</span>, compared to last year. When gas prices vaulted to more than $3.50 in April and kept climbing, Boise routes have seen an even higher jump in ridership. For example, the ParkCenter Route No. 1 has seen a <span style="font-weight: bold;">41 percent</span> increase in ridership in April 2008, compared to April last year. </span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">• A 4 percent bump in Nampa/Caldwell fixed-line ridership, compared to last year.</span><br /><br />That's all great news. And there's more here:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Intercounty ridership hit an all-time high in April 2008 with 11,338 riders, compared to 5,904 in April 2007, a 92 percent hike in ridership on the most congested and heavily used transportation corridor in southwest Idaho. In the Boise area, 92,873 people rode the bus in April, compared to 77,785 in April 2007.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">“It’s great to see more people using ValleyRide services across the valley, and we know that increased fuel prices has a lot to do with it,” said Kelli Fairless, executive director of Valley Regional Transit. “If people haven’t ridden the bus for a while, they should know that we have tweaked our route schedules to increase trip speed and make it more convenient to get to where they need to go.”<br /><br /></span>Bus travel will get even more convenient when Valley Ride moves to its <a href="http://www.valleyride.org/">fixed-stop system</a> later this summer. Now if only we could eke out a few more hours of service in the evenings and more frequent service midday, there's no telling how many people might start riding the bus.<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-36638706886410090232008-06-17T14:52:00.007-06:002008-06-17T15:45:41.622-06:00Denver gets on board with transit<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cwtp_8i_aIsWRG3t71CMt_cv7i2c-R6dPWcQcAKSn3DPKCsZ8oIObCDChrNo7Mr3HyMc95iWMyXZpB8VejCqk3y5KlLMPnaSnZSeTUsx_Gfz0GkR0GI3Vwak4qjrmBd7yVfMhA/s1600-h/HPIM2516.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5cwtp_8i_aIsWRG3t71CMt_cv7i2c-R6dPWcQcAKSn3DPKCsZ8oIObCDChrNo7Mr3HyMc95iWMyXZpB8VejCqk3y5KlLMPnaSnZSeTUsx_Gfz0GkR0GI3Vwak4qjrmBd7yVfMhA/s320/HPIM2516.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5212968219860215922" border="0" /></a><br />I have been in Denver, where they are building light rail routes <a href="http://www.rtd-fastracks.com/main_26">all over the place</a>, for most of the past week. I didn't take advantage of the rail bonanza, but I did ride a <a href="http://www2.rtd-denver.com/TripPlannerHtml/TripPlanner20071220.cfm">city bus</a> from my hinterlands hotel to downtown Denver (for $1.75 each way, as opposed to about $20 in a taxi). Once there, I took several hops on the shuttles that run every five minutes up and down the city's 16th Street Pedestrian Mall. You can read more about the shuttle and see some of the sights along or near its route at <a href="http://www.denverinfill.com/subpages_special_topics/16th_street_mall.htm">this website</a>.<br /><br />If you plan a Denver visit, be sure to hook up with <a href="http://www.denverhistorytours.com/">Denver History Tours</a>. I took what was technically a "Golddust and Traildust" tour on Sunday, but since there were only four of us along for the walk, our guide Shawn - who is both a historian and urban planner - seemed only too happy to oblige my many requests for info on Denver's evolving infill, urban redevelopment, and transit scenes.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-3291185380612136672008-06-10T07:55:00.005-06:002008-06-10T08:24:25.483-06:00Statesman: Transit's time has comeThe <span style="font-style:italic;">Idaho Statesman</span> has the first of a four-part editorial series on gas prices in Idaho. Today's installment is headlined "Gas prices boost need for better Valley transit." A snip: <br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><br />ValleyRide is a skeletal system now. Most of its buses operate once an hour - twice an hour during rush hours - Monday through Friday, with service ending by 7 p.m. A few Boise routes run Saturdays with even shorter hours and fewer runs. That's it.<br /><br />If you work past 6 p.m. or so, or want to take an evening bus to a Downtown Boise restaurant, you're out of luck. If you're not willing or able to wait a half hour or more until the next bus comes, you're out of luck. If you don't live near one of the area's few bus lines, you're out of luck.<br /><br />Critics look at the mostly empty buses that run on ValleyRide's city rides and ask: Why should we pour even more public money into it?<br /><br />Because if we build it right, riders will come. The experiences of Salt Lake City and Denver prove that. The surge in ValleyRide's intercounty service proves the local need.</span><br /><br />Read it all <a href="http://http://www.idahostatesman.com/editorial/story/406020.html">here</a>. It'll be interesting to see whether the 2009 legislature heeds this call. Gas prices were on the rise during last winter's session, but not like they are now. Will $4 a gallon, or maybe $5, be the point at which our lawmakers finally, beleatedly acknowledge reality and give us a shot at building more robust bus choices? <br /><br />Bear this in mind, too, when you cast your votes in November: Which state legislature candidates have pledged to work for better transit, and which stand in the way of that goal?Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-11313698542970368812008-06-04T21:05:00.004-06:002008-06-04T21:20:07.318-06:00Let's stimulate transitTransit played a central role in Boise Mayor Dave Bieter's State of the City speech on Tuesday. Bieter both reiterated plans for a steel-rail streetcar system in and near the downtown core and support for local option authority. <span style="font-style:italic;">The Idaho Statesman</span> has coverage <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/localnews/story/399811.html">here</a> and an editorial <a href="http://www.idahostatesman.com/editorial/story/399765.html">here</a>. <br /><br />As for Bieter's local-option hopes, we're all thinking, "Yeah, good luck with that." But then I heard <a href="http://marketplace.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/06/04/reich_public_transit/">this commentary</a> on the public radio show <span style="font-style:italic;">Marketplace</span> today, in which Robert Reich, the former Treasury Secretary, suggested that - although public transit's moment has arrived - our local transit systems are woefully inadequate; they're facing the same soaring fuel costs that have sent people scurrying onto transit; and they're also facing funding shortfalls due to dwindling sales tax revenues. So why not include transit expansion and modernization funds in the next national stimulus package?<br /><br />It's a great idea, and it would mesh well with other stimulus ideas that would help create green jobs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and decrease our dependence on fossil fuels. Transit will never pay for itself. It's time to give it the federal support it deserves.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-88539919116031776442008-05-30T11:42:00.004-06:002008-05-30T12:01:43.194-06:00High gas prices = more bus routes?There's a <a href=http://www.idahostatesman.com/531/story/394964.html>story on the <i>Statesman</i> website</a> saying that they're "looking into adding more rural and express routes" to accommodate demand.<br /><br />But - not in Boise. In Pocatello (population 51,466). And a run between Montpelier (population 2498) and Bear Lake.<br /><br />It's reasonable to assume there would be a similar increase in demand in the Boise metro area. In fact, ridership on the Caldwell-Boise bus is up 40 percent, mostly as a result of spiraling fuel prices. But there's no funding for more routes in this area, and the "visionaries" (/sarcasm) in the Idaho Legislature - at least last year's model - were unwilling to provide more latitude.<br /><br />It would be interesting to know how they fund their transit in Pocatello. I'm confident it's not 100% funded by the ridership; public transit doesn't work that way <i>anywhere</i>, far as I know.<br /><br />Maybe $4 gas has even the people in Kuna and Eagle and Meridian <b>and Star</b> weighing their transportation options, and coming to a realization that there aren't many. And maybe they'll ask their elected "representatives" for some leadership in the next session. One can only hope.Bikeboyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17379272663647894409noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-90604538385743889132008-05-19T17:43:00.003-06:002008-05-19T17:47:03.202-06:00Talk transit this Thursday (5/22)From the news release files: <br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A second open house for three related public transit projects will be held this Thursday (May 22) from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at 802 W. Idaho Street in downtown Boise .<br /> <br />The open house will be a final opportunity for public comments on the location of a <span style="font-weight:bold;">multimodal transportation center in downtown Boise</span>. Valley Regional Transit (VRT) and the Community Planning Association of Southwest Idaho (COMPASS) will recommend a location in early June.<br /> <br />The multimodal center will connect various transportation modes and services. It will be the first of a network of facilities around the Valley. Construction is expected to begin in late 2009 or early 2010.<br /> <br />At the open house, the public will also review preliminary considerations for two other related projects:<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Downtown circulator</span>: A transit service that will connect primary destinations in the downtown Boise area.<br /> <br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">I-84 priority corridor</span>: A plan for high-capacity transit service for locations along Interstate 84 within Ada and Canyon counties.<br /> <br />The interrelated projects are bundled together as the Treasure Valley High Capacity Transit Study. The first open house for the study was held in January 2008. Approximately 500 people attended.<br /> <br />VRT and COMPASS are conducting the study in partnership with Ada County Highway District, Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce, Capital City Development Corp., City of Boise , Downtown Business Association and Idaho Transportation Department.<br /> </span>Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-88354152325825363942008-05-15T18:23:00.002-06:002008-05-15T18:42:17.009-06:00It's May in Motion<a href="http://www.commuteride.com/MayInMotion.aspx">May in Motion</a> seems pretty low key this year compared to a few years back. (Remember the free Friday bus rides once upon a time?) Still, there are signs that Treasure Valley residents are at least thinking about going mobile without their cars and trucks.<br /><br />First of all, Friday, May 16, is <a href="http://www.bike2work-day.com/">National Bike/Walk to Work Day</a>, the fabulous finish to <a href="http://www.boisebikeweek.org/">Boise Bike Week</a>. Bike Boy has been chronicling the week's events - and the joy of year-round biking to work - at his blog <a href="http://bikenazi.blogspot.com/">right here</a>.<br /><br />Also, this weekend is the first-ever <a href="http://www.idahogreenexpo.org/">Idaho Green Expo</a>, which will feature exhibits and seminars on transportation alternatives, among many other topics.<br /><br />I'll also be interested to hear from Valley Ride whether bus ridership is up in recent months. It sure seems to be.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-31018991930041113822008-05-08T15:47:00.002-06:002008-05-08T15:52:46.182-06:00Ready for $4-a-gallon gas?<a href="http://www.commoncurrent.com/pubs/oilrelease3.4.08.final.pdf">These cities are</a>, largely due to their high density, walkable housing patterns and excellent public transit: <br /><br />1. San Francisco <br />2. New York <br />3. Chicago <br />4. Washington, DC <br />5. Seattle <br />6. Portland, OR <br />7. Boston <br />8. Philadelphia <br />9. Oakland <br />10.Denver <br /><br />The list was offered last night at a workshop on "Visualizing Density," sponsored by <a href="http://www.compassidaho.org/comm/publicevents_connections.htm">COMPASS</a>. Click <a href="http://democracyspace.typepad.com/democracyspaceorg/2008/05/density-by-desi.html">here</a> for more on the presentation on why "density" doesn't need to be a dirty word.Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38420906.post-27499374630219068022008-05-05T21:00:00.006-06:002008-05-05T21:44:12.820-06:00The 'Pearl' of Boise?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdtycornvpa91M5uKo_NeAfFVXhBBnrn_Jow_A41PrDDlkuXMBY_w_DLkr9N1XIKvsaw92gGZpl-S5HiCkrlFV_VWimtZhh8bJozAA4VT2jxM6mEVFC2YmmGXcMei-SfbADm0Xg/s1600-h/HPIM2250.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOdtycornvpa91M5uKo_NeAfFVXhBBnrn_Jow_A41PrDDlkuXMBY_w_DLkr9N1XIKvsaw92gGZpl-S5HiCkrlFV_VWimtZhh8bJozAA4VT2jxM6mEVFC2YmmGXcMei-SfbADm0Xg/s320/HPIM2250.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5197103199005135426" /></a><br /><br />A "back to the future" program on Boise's former trolley system closed out the 2007-2008 Fettuccine Forum series last week, as historian Barbara Perry Bauer took a packed Rose Room crowd on a ride with the city's <a href="http://news.boisestate.edu/newsrelease/042008/0411fettuccineforum.shtml">electric streetcar systems</a> of yore.<br /><br />After the presentation, about 20 of us took a tour retracing some of those old routes and a possible new one. Led by Boise City Council member Elaine Clegg and Boise State history prof Todd Shallat, we saw firsthand how trolleys were largely responsible for the development of Boise's coolest neighborhoods, including the North and East ends, and how a new wave of trolleys could boost redevelopment in Boise's West End. <br /><br />Tentative plans call for one streetcar line to run east-west roughly from St. Luke's on the east side of downtown out to the Boise River at about 30th Street, and another to run north-south from the Capitol to Boise State, and perhaps the Boise Depot. <a href="http://www.boiseweekly.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A310913">Planners believe</a> that areas along the route - especially in the seriously underdeveloped Main Street corridor west of downtown - could someday resemble what has happened, in part because of trolley service, in Portland's <a href="http://www.portlandstreetcar.org/index.php">Pearl District</a> and Seattle's <a href="http://www.seattlestreetcar.org/openingday.asp">South Lake Union</a> neighborhood. Of course, funding remains cloudy given the legislature's unwillingness to allow local communities to support transit improvements.<br /><br />But it's good to hold this vision. As the trolley made its way through the <a href="http://www.linendistrict.com/map/LDbusinessdirectory.html">Linen District</a>, it seemed very much in place amid the throngs that were moving to and from First Thursday activities at the Modern Hotel, as well as couples and families simply out for a stroll on a fine spring evening. If this is happening at 15th Street, why can't it move westward, block by block, until the whole West End is lined with walkable, bikeable, transit-friendly housing, businesses, entertainment venues, and more?Julie Fanselowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09914548762794031621noreply@blogger.com0