Bike share to roll into city next spring - first 30 mins free

weeklypress : "According to Russell Meddin, of Bike Share Philadelphia, a bike share advocacy group, a user will be able to use a bike for 30-minute increments before returning at no extra charge as it is in most bike share programs. An extra charge would be levied to the user’s account for time over 30 minutes."

Easton buys a trolley for free downtown rides

wfmz : "Trolley rides will be free but the city will spend about $25,000 a year to operate it during its projected 10-to-15 year life, said City Administrator Glenn Steckman."

How to go to the beach with no car

Philadelphia Inquirer: " . . . To get to Cape May and other points south, New Jersey Transit buses go at least three times a day on various routes from Atlantic City – some between islands, some down Route 9 going in and out along the causeways, some along the islands, stopping at a few places along the way.

The biggest fare is $5.25 from Atlantic City to Cape May, but the zone fares in between can be as little as a couple bucks."

Carlisle bus circulator will begin three-year trial Monday

cumberlink : "CARLISLE — Years of discussion and months of preparation will culminate at 5 a.m. Monday when the Capital Area Transit Carlisle bus circulator hits the streets."

Philly transit riders save $12,000 a year in transportation costs, report says

pottsmerc.com : "A new public transportation report finds that commuters in the Philadelphia region save $12,000 a year if they use public transit.

According to the American Public Transportation Association, using public transportation can save commuters almost $200 a month on a rented parking space.

“Over the course of a year, parking costs for a vehicle can amount to an average of $1,995,” said the APTA.

Commuters who use public transportation to get into Philadelphia, which is number five among the top 20 cities with the highest public transportation ridership, save $1,008 a month and $12,101 a year in commuting costs if parking and gas costs are factored together."

Parking Lots Demolished in Cities’ Revenue Bid as Driving Wanes

Businessweek : "“We want to create an environment where people want to walk in, want to bike in and want to take transit in,” said Beth Elliott, principal city planner in Minneapolis, which is pushing redevelopment to bolster use of mass transit. “And that is not a sea of surface parking lots.”"

Hazleton Public Transit sees increase in ridership

Citizens' Voice: "More people are turning to public transportation for work, shopping and pleasure in the Hazleton area, said Ralph Sharp, director of Hazleton Public Transit.

"We are seeing an increase in ridership," he said. "We have noticed our station is filled at certain times.""

Commuters using public transportation more often

Main Line Media News: "As for SEPTA numbers here in the Philadelphia area the overall numbers show that 2013 was basically equal to 2012. Its heavy rail ridership was up just slightly for 2013 as compared to 2012, by just more than a quarter of a percent. SEPTA’s Light Rail numbers took a significant jump, going up by 3.49 percent in 2013 as compared to 2012. SEPTA’s commuter rail numbers were also up over the previous year at 3.19 percent overall, helped by a 5.17 percent increase in the fourth quarter of 2013.

The one area that did take a bit of hit for SEPTA in 2013 as compared to 2012 was in bus ridership where there was 1.54 percent decrease."

Pocono area's public transportation popularity continues to grow

PoconoRecord.com: "Ridership for public transportation in the Poconos is on the rise, even with the dip in the economy and slow climb toward recovery."

People in central Pennsylvania stranded by lack of #publictransit

Carlisle is underserved by public transit; how does your area fare? | PennLive.com: "But Moonlight Taxicab Co.'s closure made it clear, more public transportation options are needed in greater Carlisle. Not only were residents stranded, businesses undoubtedly saw fewer customers. And Carlisle Regional Medical Center was affected by the closure. In certain instances, discharged patients couldn't get home from the emergency room, so the hospital had to have security get them there. "

Will Pennsylvania re-discover the sidewalk?

Sidewalks necessary to grow transit, improve walkability in Lehigh Valley, study says | lehighvalleylive.com: "The authority wants to grow ridership, and most municipal officials are committed to improving walkability in their communities, so LANTA has been spreading the message about how best to accomplish both goals, planning director Owen O'Neil said.

"What we've been saying to them is, 'You have to have sidewalks.' You can't expect people to move around on the bus when they don't have sidewalks," he said. "We want transit to be a convenient and feasible choice for people.""

Taking the train is more popular in winter weather

What the snow teaches us about public transportation: "When the going on the roads gets tough, people move to public transportation.

And wouldn’t it be nice if they could do that all the time - a boon for highway congestion and air pollution and probably a lot of other things I’m not thinking of at the moment?"



'via Blog this'

Chester County "frustration with having to drive everywhere"

Public transit to be addressed in Chester County: "The Chester County Planning Commission and the Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission are developing a county-wide plan for transportation and capital project improvements, and want public input. In a county where driving is often the most convenient transportation option, the plan aims to make using public transportation more attractive by making it more accessible and easier to use, said Randy Waltermyer, a director on the Chester County Planning Commission.

..."We have seen the interest in public transportation and, honestly, the frustration with having to drive everywhere and not having a choice of public transportation," Waltermyer said.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/local/20140117_Public_transit_to_be_addressed_in_Chester_County.html#peqmQHYIoW7Jz2L0.99"