A few brief bits later

Bare with me ...

* The Paper of Record has it as a fact, the love-child of the auto industry, Toyota, is feeling the hurt too.  Saddness can be read here, they are losing money for the first time since it started up in the late 30s.

* Gizmodo has an awesome post about kids in Maryland who are using speeding cameras to get their enemies.  Basically they make copies of their friend's license plates with a glossy photo paper and go speeding past cameras to get them tickets.  This is perhaps the best use of a speeding camera ever - read here.

* Apparently CNN conducted a poll which determined that Vice President Dick Cheney was the worst VP ever.  As if CNN wasn't far-leftist enough for you, I am linking to an article from Left-Wing blog Real Clear Politics for the run down on the poll - here.  

I conducted my own poll which found that we've had much worse ... and it turns that Cheney wasn't that bad, he is actually one of the best!  Yay!  In all honesty (and ignoring Corrupt's future post on the topic), Statesman Dick Cheney completely reinvented the role of Vice President ... making it a much more relevant position in today's world.  Now, we know that Biden will take a backseat to Spotlight-whore Obama.  But ... I think Cheney has done good and hope that in the future other VPs follow the path he forged for them.

* Victory for The Paper of Record.  The Chinese had blocked the paper's website as of last Thursday, without explanation - but it was up and running again on Monday, also without explanation.  Short story - here.

* From Autoblog (via H), London has scaled back the hours that the Congestion Charge is in effect due to the slumping economy.  There is also talk that they might scrap the entire concept all together - which is ridiculous.  The Congestion Charge doesn't hurt business, it just forces people to think of alternative means of transportation - and London has many other options.  I think it would be a huge mistake for London to get get rid of the CCZ.

* Connetiquette reader "Friend" sent me this image which portrays what bars and clubs will look like with Bojangles' new rules in effect.  Good job Jim Graham:

* From Lifehacker - though I have seen this elsewhere - the RIAA is no ending its five year policy of suing individual copyright infringers.  The RIAA is going to work with ISPs to identify users who are stealing copyrighted materials - and send them warnings (through the ISP, without the RIAA ever knowing who the person is).  In turn after three warnings the ISPs will be shutting off that users connection.  Sounds fair to me, though I also think the RIAA should keep suing people.

* Via Trains for America - The Governator, Arnold, says "Meanwhile, infrastructure spending as a share of gross domestic product in the United States has dropped 25 percent over the past 20 years" -- so true.  What a great American.

* Via Transportation for America - here: America is ready for change.  A study from the Brookings Institution, found the following: 

Driving, as measured by national VMT[vehicle miles traveled], began to plateau as far back as 2004 and dropped in 2007 for the first time since 1980. Per capita driving followed a similar pattern, with flat-lining growth after 2000 and falling rates since 2005. These recent declines in driving predated the steady hikes in gas prices during 2007 and 2008. Moreover, the recent drops in VMT (90 billion miles) and VMT per capita (388 miles) are the largest annualized drops since World War II.

We are ready for change ... we are ready for real smart growth and better transportation options.

Some morning thoughts...

Okay people -- Happy Monday.  This Monday post thing won't be regular because normally I don't have time to not to work on Monday, but today is your lucky day!

My Google Reader had 1000+ unread items and I'm about halfway through with that ... so I am taking a break.  I realize that most people have no idea what Google Reader is, and calling a RSS aggregator does not really help people understand.  You can read about it on my favorite site - wikipedia - by clicking here.   I guess the best way to explain it is that it looks at all the blogs and news sites that you like ... and puts them into one place.  If you are reading this, and don't use a RSS reader - I suggest you get on that.

Here is a round-up of random things I found interesting this morning...

• Via the T4 blog, the Associated Press reports on a study that not at all surprisingly has found that leaner nations walk, bike, and use mass transit to get around.  What a shock ... Americans, who can't seem to function properly without a car are obese - and the rest of the world is thin -- not surprising.  Read here.
  
  
• WaPo reported over the weekend on the plans for the 'New New Deal' and that the ready-to-go projects will likely be the first funded.  These are projects that have been on the back-burner in DOT offices around the country because they really aren't a huge priority, but if the money is there - they are ready to be done right now.  The article is here.
  
  I have two thoughts on this issue ...
  The first is that our roads and highways are in a state of disrepair.  Any funding that can be put towards roads that are falling apart should be.  There are also many cities around the country that desperately need new roads to be built - roads that never were due to 70's highway opposition.
  2nd, roads are dead.  We need to get over it.  Trains, trains, trains.  Let me say that again; trains, trains, trains.  Why do we delay this so much ... why are Americans so afraid of trains - I just don't understand.  Let's get on it people.
  
  Either way - we need to get on it.  This money needs to be spent ASAP.  This is a once in a lifetime opportunity, and we can't sit around and bicker about spending it because before we know it the opportunity will be gone.
  
  
• Our friends over at Beyond DC have a post about the auto-bailout.  Here!  They list four points that they would use as 'strings' for giving out the money.  I practically vomited when I saw this list, but I guess everyone is entitled to their personal opinion.  I will go down their list, and write my comments afterwards.
  1. No more off shoring.  Fine, no more off-shoring, that seems legit to me.  As long as we can agree on one other matter - no more unions.  The auto industry should agree to not off shore any jobs, if Congress scales back laws and statues which basically necessitate the creation of unions.  While they are at it, Congress should void the current union contracts - let's start with a clean slate.
  2. 10% of each companies output be converted to things unrelated to vehicles traveling on roads within the next 7-8 years, 20% by 15 years.   I have a wild idea ... no.  Okay, I get it - if we are going to throw money at these people we should have a say in their business model - that makes sense - like a shareholder.  But to tell a company to change businesses seems ridic.  Tell them to make buses or something, I don't care - but don't force them out of their own business.
  3. No golden parachutes, luxury jets, etc.  Not that I think we should  be meddling, but fine.  I'll agree to this one - sort of.  I don't know what a 'luxury jet' is, but I can tell that most of these CEOs and their executive teams need private jets to get around.  It's just easier for everyone to not have to fly commercial.
  4. Make clean cars.  Fine.  I think they got that memo already though.
  
  
• Speaking of the Big 3 and cars -- this AP story is very exciting.  Even as gas prices are hitting record lows, driving continues to decline.  Woot!!  Come on people - now start using mass transit instead of just staying at home.
  
  
• In New York news - via SubwayBlogger - the MTA unveiled the new South Ferry Station to reporters last week.  It will be opening to the public sometime next month.  How exciting!  The most exciting part is that the entire train will be able to platform - currently only the first 5 cars (trains are 10), of the train platform at South Ferry.  View the NYT (Paper of Record) article here.
  
  
• Oh and just a comment on this whole 5am bar thing for Inauguration.  Get over it people ... honestly - I'm sorry.  Let's live a little for once - this happens once every 4 years.  I personally don't understand why bars are ever forced to have last call - in my world they'd be open 24 hours.  But whatever.  Anyway ... write Senator-to-busy-running-for-Governor Feinstein and tell her to BACK OFF!  You can click here to email her, or you can feel free to call her DC office at 202.224.3841.  I won't even bother listing anything about the Senator from Utah because that is just no hope - we already know they hate DC and drinking.

That's it for now ... bye bye.

Sidebar: Did you know a post can only have 20 labels.  Odd.  I'm a label whore.

Politicians: FAIL

A lovely blog, Trains for America, made this post today in reference to this editorial in the Baltimore Sun.

The sun is absolutely right in saying 

The loss of MARC trains and other transit cutbacks to falling tax revenues is not only ill-timed but a sign that Maryland must rethink how transportation is financed

 ... it is just unreal to me.  Are the states really this stupid?  Do we really not get it?

We need more funding, we at least need to keep our current funding levels.  People are going to be cutting back on using their cars to save on gas and turning to mass transit.  Now is the time we need more service, better service - to show people they don't need their cars.

This was just a quick and short rant - but I just had to say it - again

Transit Policy and why Americans are just wrong...

We now take a break from our regularly scheduled programming of complaining about the people on buses to complaining about the policies that make up the mass transit systems of our great nation.  Really to ask ... What is wrong America?  Why do you lack any sort of foresight?

This morning I was reading the "Dinner Links" over at Greater Greater Washington (which if you have yet to check out - you should, its a great blog) where a post on Salon was referenced.  This post attempts to explain or to understand why at a time when we have a record ridership on transit systems around the country, we are facing budget cuts and service reductions.  I really suggest you check out the article for yourself - here! 

I think we are in an interesting conundrum as a nation - as gas prices have risen, we have thankfully left the car in the driveway and have begun taking more and more transit.  Yet as our economy collapses around us, the states are left with massive budget shortfalls - and see transit as something they can cut.  I understand the pure economics behind it, but I do not understand why politicians (and most people) do not seem to see the true economics behind cutting transit budgets.  If we cut a transit budget, that means less trains, fewer buses, and more problems - which is exactly the opposite of what we need.  

 

The Federal Highway Aid Act allows the Federal government to pay 90% of highway construction costs, but where is the Federal Mass-Transportation Aid Act?  There is no question behind the fact that most Americans think they are above mass-transit.  I will admit that up until 6 months ago, the thought of taking a bus never would even enter my mind - now I have integrated them into my life.

My current problem with buses is not the fact that I feel below them - it is that most people don't realize they are there.  When I suggest we bus somewhere instead of taking a cab or walking, people scoff at me.  I can't seem to figure out what it is rooted in, what the American aversion to mass-transit is based in ... where does it come from?  I certainly don't have the answer, but anyone who could enlighten me would be greatly appreciated.  Why is it acceptable to spend so much money on highways, yet it is a huge issue when we spend even a dime on mass-transit?  Highways are good and serve a great purpose - I love road trips, and driving in general - but for intra-city transit, roads just seem unnecessary.  

 

In my ideal city, cars would travel through underground networks, while the surface was left for pedestrians, buses, and light-rail.  What a beautiful city that would be ...  I like Robert Moses and think he is a great man, though I also agree with Jane Jacobs that the car can destroy neighborhoods -- but I disagree with their car-centric thinking.  Moses cared too much about the car, and Jacobs made it out be our enemy.  The car has a place in society, just not one that supplants mass-transit.

To go off on a final tangent (sorry that I have been all over the place) - I'm going back to the Salon article.  In 1926, Americans took 147 transit trips per capita, per year.  In 1950, it was down to 113 - and by 1956 as families moved to the suburbs and got their cars, the number had dropped to 66.  Just two years ago, in 2006, it was 33.  (Here is the link to the article again, in case you didn't click it earlier)

I fear/wonder what will happen as oil prices continue to plummet.  I can only hope that Americans don't rush back to their cars, and can also hope that layoffs don't cause ridership decreases.  The more people using mass transit, the more people care about it - which in turn will hopefully allow our state representatives, congressmen, senators, and future president to understand that we need serious investment in mass-transit now!

I promise this post is over ... so I will write about this another time, but if you haven't already - check out Transportation for America.  Very important.

-bye!