Archive - bus news

Maryland's Mass Transit Administration (MTA) is caught in a dilemma that faces many transit agencies operating under tough farebox recovery rules. Their ability to expand service is limited by the same rules intended to make them financially efficient.

Farebox recovery rules require transit agencies to pay for a certain percentage of their expenses through fares. In Chicago, for example, local miles require the Chicago Transit Authority to recover 52 percent of their costs through fares. In Seattle, the figure is only 15 percent. Transit agencies that fail to meet their goals face layoffs and service cuts imposed by their legislative overseers.

The problem for transit agencies is that the rules can stunt their efforts to provide service to all but a few densely populated downtown areas. Residents of any other portions of a city must rely on automobiles, which can increase traffic congestion and emissions.

Risk Isn't Worth The Effort

Since 1983, Maryland's MTA has operated under a 50 percent farebox recovery rule, which has limited transit's ability to move into emerging job centers where workers and businesses need greater transportation access. MTA officials are reluctant to risk expanded transit service where they know the return-on-investment might be low.

Rapid business growth is creating employment opportunities in the suburbs. But potential employees are finding it hard to reach the jobs from the cities or to travel between suburbs without cars.

Although 50 percent is a relatively high figure, many transit agencies have recovery rules averaging between 34 percent and 40 percent Examples; include Los Angeles, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Tampa and San Diego.

Transit officials commonly complain that tough recovery rules limit their efforts to earn market share and to build infrastructure. In the long run, the whole local economy can suffer, they say. An example in Maryland is Harford County, one of the fastest growing counties in the Baltimore area. The county has no park-and-ride service, forcing residents to rely almost exclusively on their cars. (December 17, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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Sale of Frontier Hotel Paves Way for Settlement of Strike

Phil Ruffin, a Kansas Businessman, enters into an agreement to buy the Frontier Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev., paving the way for the end of a six-year strike. Ruffin, who will not take over the hotel/casino until he obtains a Nevada Gambling License, which could take several months, agrees to five-year contracts with the striking unions that are similar to those the unions have with other hotels on the Las Vegas Strip. The strike will continue until Ruffin takes over the property.

In addition to the five-year contracts, Ruffin agrees to return strikers with full seniority. The unions agree to work with the NLRB, the Southern Nevada Culinary and Bartenders Pension Fund, and the current owners of the Frontier to resolve the many outstanding unfair labor practice issues resulting from the strike. (October 29, 1997 Daily Labor Report )

Free Bus-To-Subway Transfers Credited with Ridership Jump

When MTA New York City Transit officials announced free bus-to-subway transfers in July, they anticipated losing millions of dollars of fare revenue.

Instead, recent ridership figures have brought a pleasant surprise. Thousands of riders who had avoided transit so they would not need to pay two fares are now using it and paying a single fare. Bus ridership was up 17 percent in July over the previous July, bringing a 4 percent increase in bus fare revenue.

Transit officials said at least part of the ridership increase could be attributed to the easier mobility and savings brought by free transfers, which can be used for up to two hours by riders who buy Metrocards. About 1.3 million people rode city buses on an average weekday in July, up from 1.11 million in July 1996. They brought in revenue of $42.1 million, an increase of $700,000 over a year earlier. Transit officials said another five or six months with the free transfer policy would be needed to determine its exact effect on ridership.

A phenomenon that might be related to the ridership increase, however, is an increase in crime. Serious crime in the subways was up 20 percent in July over the previous July. Although overall crime is still down for the decade, transit officials are studying the problem to figure out why it occurred.

Already, however, transit officials are pleased enough with the free transfer policy that they are considering expanding it to the Long Island Bus System. The policy change, which could be implemented in January, would make it possible for riders to travel as much as 50 miles for a $1.50 fare. (October 22, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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Hollywood Boulevard Reopens collapsed section

CALIFORNIA - Los Angeles reopened a 1,000-foot section of Hollywood Boulevard this month that collapsed during.tunneling of the Red Line subway two years ago. The restoration work included removing 900 concrete mats that served as a temporary road since the road bed sank during construction of the Hollywood and Vine station. The $56 million station is about 86 percent complete and is scheduled to be turned over to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority next April. Contractors were required to work around the clock for nearly a month to complete the road restoration. (October 22, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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TO ALL BUS LOCALS -

The new UTU News format becomes effective with the September 1997 edition. Any contribution that you would like to see in the news please forward to my office within the deadlines listed below. If you have any questions regarding the new format or what subjects will be covered in the News please contact my office or the public relations department of the UTU in Cleveland.

UTU News Deadlines

September - August 14
October - September 18
November - October 16
December - November 13
January - December 11
February - January 15

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NORTH CAROLINA - Business and city officials are supporting an extension of the Charlotte Trolley to the south end of town. A consultant's report shows the $9.6 million extension could help boost economic development along its path as well as provide public transit. At least part of the funding could come from local taxes.

[Reprinted from 7/30/97 Urban Transport News]

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AS CONGRESS APPROACHES the deadline to reauthorize the Intermodal surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA), congressmen with an opinion are letting it be known. Last week, for example, congressmen Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) and Nick Rahall (D-W.V.) began touring sites of major transportation projects nationwide. They want Congress to free up more federal gas money for ISTEA funding. "We want Americans to understand the importance of investing the gas tax in assets for America," Shuster said.

[Reprinted from 7/30/97 Urban Transport News]

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NEW EYEWEAR with a computer Microchip embedded in it could help bus and rail operators avoid hazards of fatigue.

The device optically monitors eye blinks to detect signs of fatigue. When the blinks indicate drowsiness, alarms go off to notify drivers to take corrective action. The alarms become progressively more urgent, beginning with a visual indicator, then an audio siren and then a shaker alarm.

The eyeware is lightweight and adjusts to different size heads. For more information, call Edward MacLeod of MTI Research Inc. at (508) 250-4949.

[Reprinted from 7/30/97 Urban Transport News]

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THIRTY-EIGHT STATES could qualify for $150 million in federal loan assistance to help them complete public transit and other transportation projects. The money could be used for low interest loans and other credit assistance.

One loan, for example, would reduce the cost of a ridesharing program in Portland, Ore., by cutting the interest debt on van leases. New York, Ohio and Texas are the largest recipients under the program, getting $12 million each. Michigan will get $11 million. Shares for other states range from $1.5 million to $8.7 million.

The federal funds would go into special banks operated by the states, with each federal dollar intended to attract an additional $3 to $4 from states, local governments, regional groups and private investors. The money could be recycled into other projects as loans and paid-back.

The program was announced two weeks ago by Vice President Al Gore. The Clinton administration has asked Congress for an additional $900 million for the banks over the next six years. Gore said the money could generate $4.5 billion in transportation projects and create 150,000 jobs. For more information, call Bill Adams of the U.S. Department of Transportation at (202) 366-4570.

[Reprinted from 7/2/97 Urban Transport News]

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EPA's New Air Quality Standards
Expected to Benefit Public Transit

In less than three weeks, the Environmental Protection Agency is scheduled to publish new air quality standards that states must follow. Early indications are that public transit will benefit because the cost of driving alone will increase.

EPA officials refuse to say before the July 19 deadline exactly what the new rules will require. Nevertheless, in Congressional hearings they hinted the new air quality standards will be tougher than the old ones. They will cover particulate matter and ground-level ozone.

States will be required to develop strategies for complying with the new standards. If they do not meet the air quality goals, they could lose federal highway funding.

For public transit, the latest rules are expected to generate new transit programs.. EPA officials already have been saying that the states' compliance strategies must include plans for employers to subsidize commuting by public transit, ridesharing programs, HOV lanes and congestion pricing. As a result, more state and federal money would be poured in to transit projects.

[Reprinted from 7/2/97 Urban Transport News]

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Los Angeles Increases Bus Service
But Creates Delays for Rail Projects

Beginning this week, transit customers in Los /Angeles can expect to find more room on buses as transportation Officials try to comply with a court order to improve service.

More than 50 buses are being added to weekday peak service and route schedules are being adjusted to assure enough buses are available. As part of a consent decree between the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) and the Bus Riders Union in federal court last October, MTA plans to reduce the average maximum number of standees on its 43-seat Metro buses from 19 to 15. Nearly 400,000 daily boarding passengers are expected to benefit from the new MTA standard.

"MTA is making a significant change in service," said MTA head Linda Bohlinger. The changes follow a lawsuit by a group that said the MTA was spending too much of its budget on expensive rail projects that mostly benefit the affluent white suburbanites. More should be spent on buses that serve inner-city residents, the Bus Riders Union said. The emphasis on rail projects was discriminatory, they said.

[Reprinted from 7/2/97 Urban Transport News]

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ISTEA Reauthorization Gets Difficult
As Congress Balances the Budget

The recent balanced budget agreement between President Clinton and Congress might be popular, but it makes reauthorization of the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) more difficult.

Some transit executives are counting the days until ISTEA is reauthorized - sometime in the next three months. Only then will they know whether they can proceed with major new rail and bus projects. Many of the pending projects include innovations in intermodalism or intelligent transportation systems.

Caps on transportation spending in the balanced budget plan made Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, propose raising the caps for transportation. He wants transportation spending to keep pace with expected growth of Highway Trust Fund revenues.

Hopes Dim for Big ISTEA Increase

Shuster's proposal failed, which means ISTEA might get reauthorized with no spending increases. Transit currently gets about $5 -billion per year. Highways get about $20 billion. Shuster's proposal would have increased all transportation spending by $12 billion over five years.

Now transit leaders are looking for alternatives. They are rethinking strategies for reauthorizing ISTEA.

One option being considered is to pursue a one-year ISTEA-2 bill, rather than the five or six-year measure most people expected. If a one-year bill is enacted, it would continue the debate over long-term transportation spending into the 1998 election year. Legislators might be more favorable toward transportation spending that could benefit their districts.

In addition to a short-term ISTEA-2, some transportation supporters want to return more federal fuel tax money to states to pay for transit projects. But that proposal would be hard to get past top congressional budget planners.

The House and Senate still must reconcile their versions of the balanced budget proposal and approve a compromise. But last-minute changes that favor transit appear unlikely.

[Reprinted from 7/2/97 Urban Transport News]

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White House Seeking Nominees for Four NLRB Seats

After months of talks, the White House is actively seeking nominees for four seats on the five-member NLRB. According to attorneys who have closely watched the discussion on possible candidates, talks have narrowed on a "concept" for filling the seats.

The linchpin of the plan is confirmation of recess appointee Sarah M. Fox to a full term. In return, the administration would name a top management attorney, and two carrier agency staffers. Confirmation for Fox, a former aide to Sen. Kennedy (D-Mass), is a key priority for organized labor and for the White House. (7/97)

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Flexible Work Scheduling Options under FLSA Detailed

As Congress debates how to make more flexible work schedules available to American workers, information provided to lawmakers by the Department of Labor shows that many of the stated objectives sought by both Republican and Democratic proponents of compensatory time and flextime can be attained under existing law.

Although comp time is not currently available to hourly workers covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act, officials of the agency's Wage and Hour Division have described at least a half-dozen other options that can be used by private sector employers to accommodate employee requests for time off to take care of family matters such as children's school activities and medical appointments. None of the options require employers to pay overtime as long as the total hours for the week do not exceed 40. (7/97)

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GREYHOUND LINES TO ACQUIRE VALLEY TRANSIT TO
STRENGTHEN TEXAS BORDER BUS SERVICE

DALLAS, TX (June 5, 1997)-Greyhound Lines, Inc. (Amex: BUS), has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Valley Transit Company and various affiliated companies. Valley Transit, a family-owned intercity bus company, serves South Texas and is headquartered in the Rio Grande Valley. Valley Transit was founded in 1941 by Vance D. Raimond who remains its chairman of the board.

Valley Transit will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Greyhound Lines and will be operated separately by its existing management. Greyhound presently has two other bus company subsidiaries, Vermont Transit and Texas, New Mexico & Oklahoma Coaches (TNM&O), that also operate as separate companies. The company is also in the process of acquiring Carolina Trailways, which will also be operated separately as a wholly owned subsidiary.

"This acquisition provides us with a strong foundation to develop our cross-border strategy," said Craig Lentzsch, president and chief executive officer of Greyhound. "Valley Transit will give us a stronger presence in the border area and help us better serve the Hispanic market."

Valley Transit provides domestic bus service to 71 cities in South Texas, with a fleet of modern buses.

"This agreement will allow Valley Transit to better serve the people of South Texas and at the same time provide us with the financial strength to grow in this market," said Robert G. Farris, president of Valley Transit.

The transaction requires the approval of the Surface Transportation Board of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

"We look at this transaction as an investment in our growth strategy," Lentsch said "Valley Transit is an established, successful carrier in a highly competitive market." (7/97)

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GREYHOUND PURCHASES 49 PERCENT OF MEXICAN BUS COMPANY;
WILL BEGIN SERVICE BETWEEN MEXICO AND ARIZONA.

DALLAS (June 17, 1997)-In the first transaction of its kind, Greyhound Lines, Inc., has completed the acquisition of a 49 percent interest in Crucero, a Mexican transportation company. The acquisition is another step in the company's plan to create strategic alliances with Mexican bus companies and to increase its cross-border service.

"Greyhound is the first U.S. company to acquire an equity position in a Mexican bus transportation company," said Craig Lentzsch, president and chief executive officer of Greyhound. "This transaction was made possible by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA)."

Crucero began bus service between Los Angeles and Ciudad Obregon, a distance of about 800 miles, on Jan. 11, 1997.

"Business has grown by 20 percent each month," Lentzsch said. "Crucero has ordered six new buses and will expand its services into Arizona as soon as the new buses arrive."

The Crucero acquisition was made by S.I.T.A., Inc. a Greyhound subsidiary. In a future transaction, S.I.T.A. intends to sell a 49 percent interest in Los Rapidos, a U.S. carrier, to the owners of Crucero.

Crucero operates eight daily round trips between Los Angeles and Tijuana, including one daily trip from Los Angeles to Ciudad Obregon. Scheduled stops include the Greyhound and Turismos Rapidos terminals in Los Angeles, the Turismos Rapidos terminal in Santa Ana, the Greyhound terminal in San Ysidro, the Tijuana bus terminal and the Tijuana airport, Mexicali, San Luis Rio Colorado, Hermosillo and Ciudad Obregon.

In the United States, tickets are sold through Greyhound and Turismos Rapidos and, in Mexico, through Crucero and Elite.

In recent years, Greyhound's market share along with the U.S.-Mexico border has declined as a result of competition from more than 300 different companies, many of them small unlicensed van operators. The new service is designed to recapture a significant portion of this market and feed passengers into regular Greyhound schedules in the United States. (7/97)

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Worker's Compensation Ruling

PENNSYLVANIA - Transit agencies who contest in court whether their employees should continue to receive workers' compensation cannot be fined if they act in good faith, a Pennsylvania court has ruled. A Philadelphia bus driver who was injured when his bus was involved in an automobile wreck received more than $74,000 in workers' compensation. The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) petitioned the workers' compensation court to terminate his benefits, saying he recovered from his job injury. After the court determined he was still injured, the bus driver asked the court to fine SEPTA and make the agency pay his attorneys' fees. The court, however, refused to fine SEPTA, saying the agency acted in good faith. Only if the transit agency's claim was "frivolous" or "filed to harass" the bus driver could SEPTA be fined, the judge said. In this case, however, SEPTA present "expert medical testimony" that showed a legitimate question about whether the bus driver should still receive disability benefits.(7/97)

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Los Angeles Transit - Funding

Los Angeles Transit officials (LACMTA) will have less discretion over how to spend federal funding as a result of a new rule imposed by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) last month. Finding that the LACMTA has been transferring money back and forth between rail and other transit projects, FTA Administrator Gordon Linton ordered that in the future the FTA will divide the Red Line project into three distinct components, each with a separate budget. (6/97)

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Congress Extends ISTEA 6 Months While Considering Reauthorization

CHICAGO - Congress decided this week to extend the Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTHA) by six months. The six-year transit funding law expires next week at the end of the 1997 fiscal year.

Unable to reach an agreement on reauthorizing the law before the deadline, Congress instead extended it to give its members more time to debate specific provisions.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater said, "I believe that a few weeks will not cause a serious problem." Slater spoke at the American Public Transit Association (APT'A) annual meeting in Chicago. He predicted the reauthorized ISIBA would be better than the version that is expiring. "We will continue to see increases in spending on transit," Slater said.

No delays, however, are expected with the fiscal year 1998 federal transportation funding bill. This week, a House and Senate conference committee was trying to work out differences between their funding proposals. The House proposes spending $4.84 billion for transit, a 10.4-percent increase. The Senate wants to spend $4.69 billion, a 7.1 percent increase. The bill would keep the 40/40/20 funding formula for Bus/Bus Facility, New Starts and Fixed Guideway Modernization programs. Approval of a compromise bill by Congress is expected next week.

Funding Levels Create Dispute

Funding levels also are the main sticking point in ISTEA reauthorization. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee introduced a generous three-year reauthorization proposal this month. Federal transit funding would increase to $5.4 billion in the next fiscal year, up from $4.4 billion this year. In 2000, spending would increase to $6.4 billion.

Many ISIEA provisions are retained in the House proposal, called the Building Efficiency Through Surface Transportation Efficiency Act (BESTEA). Flexible funding, public-private joint ventures, the same formula funding provisions, Section 3 major capital investments and planning and research programs all would be retained.

Operating assistance, however, would be eliminated in urbanized areas (UZAs) of more than 200,000 population. Transit agencies from smaller UZAs could use their formula funds for operating or capital expenses. All UZAs could use their formula funds for preventive maintenance.

The Senate, however, still is working on its proposal, which is expected to be less generous. The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee proposes a six-year ISTEA reauthorization that attempts to stay within balanced budget agreement limits but would change some ISTHA programs significantly.

In his speech at the APTA conference, Slater said he expected the reauthorized ISTEA to include funding for transporting welfare recipients to jobs. "In Boston, which has a wondefflil system, where 99 percent of welfare recipients live within a half-mile of train stations, still less than half of employers are that close," Slater said. "The president asked Congress for $600 million to help people get to where the jobs are. The House bill provides $42 million, in each of the next three years."

Also at the Chicago conference, the APTA board of directors passed a resolution encouraging transit agencies to hire welfare recipients. Slater thanked the board and added, "Only 6 percent of welfare recipients have cars. So you know who those three million people are? They are becoming your customers."

Too Much Delay Could Cause Problems

Meanwhile, the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) released a report predicting construction delays. job losses and safety impairment for transit agencies if ISTEA is not reauthorized quickly. The report is titled Survey on the Impacts of Failing to Renew ISTEA Before October 1, 1997. Among findings of the report are:

Project costs will increase because of delayed starts, extending projects over two construction seasons, and crowding projects into shorter time spans when the bill is enacted.
State transportation agencies will be forced to delay planning and bidding activities. Some Northern states could face the loss of an entire construction season if bid advertising is delayed beyond the first quarter. States that use their own funds to continue projects until federal funding is approved could face cash flow problems. For more information, call AASHTO's Sunny Mays Schust at (202) 624-5800. (September 24, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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Proposed Pilot Project for New MTA Bus Service

LOS ANGELES, Sept 5 -- MTA and the Bus Riders Union (BRU) will conduct the sixth in a series of public meetings on proposed new bus service.

The meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 6, beginning at 10:00 a.m. and will be held at MTA Headquarters, One Gateway Plaza, Third Floor Board Room in downtown Los Angeles.

MTA and the BRU will unveil a proposed master plan project for new bus lines throughout Los Angeles County. A total of 18 proposed bus lines have been identified for consideration. Subject to MTA Board approval, implementation of some of these lines is proposed for fall.

Under the October 1996 Civil Rights Consent Decree between the MTA and the Bus Riders Union (BRU), one of the benefits to the bus riding public called for a pilot project of up to at least 50 additional buses to provide new service to areas the bus system presently does not serve.

In particular, MTA and the BRU are concerned about inner city neighborhoods that need longer distance transit to outlying employment and medical facilities.

MTA and the BRU hosted similar community meetings throughout the months of June and July in the South Central and Mid-Wilshire areas of Los Angeles, Panorama City, Sun Valley and Boyle Heights.

Both the MTA and the BRU have been working together and are responsible for the planning of this pilot project. The public and community groups are encouraged to attend the community meeting and comment on the proposed plan.

The MTA Board of Directors is expected to receive a report on the proposed pilot project for new bus lines at the Authority's October 23rd Board Meeting.

Copies of the 18 new bus line proposal will be available for review at the community meeting.

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California - Subway extensions

CALIFORNIA - A key U.S. Senate panel last month recommended a $51 million federal appropriation in fiscal year 1998 for subway extensions to North Hollywood and Boyle Heights. The House recommended $76 million, meaning that a compromise probably would give the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) $63.5 million. Although it is less than the $100 million the MTA requested, it is enough to begin work on the extension. The MTA has a reserve fund to supplement the federal money. A final decision on the federal funding is expected next month. (9/97)

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North Carolina - New Buses

NORTH CAROLINA - The Charlotte Department of Transportation recently added 20 new buses to its 136-bus fleet in its latest effort to improve service. The new buses mark the beginning of the DOT's five-year transportation plan to increase ridership. Previous efforts, targeted primarily at higher-income workers, produced lackluster results. Now, a big part of the marketing effort will be aimed at persons commuting to and from the suburbs. The plan includes extending service hours, a wider area of operation, setting up hub stations and special bus lanes along major corridors. (9/97)

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Union Security Clause in UPS Pact is Focus of ULP Charges

The ill will between between United Parcel Service and the Teamsters engendered by last summer's 15-day strike has resurfaced as the result of a series of recent unfair labor practice charges filed against the union by UPS employees who crossed the picket lines during the strike and now are being threatened with union discipline. The National Right to Work Legal Defense Foundation is representing employees who have filed charges with the NLRB.The Teamsters union asserts that UPS has deliberately encouraged employees to file the ULP charges, a claim the company denies.

The charges allege that the union security provision of the national contract between UPS and the Teamsters is illegal because it requires workers to be "members in good standing" to keep their jobs with the delivery service company. The right-to-work foundation argues that UPS and the union have not informed employees of the Beck rights. The company and the IBT have "misled all employees," the foundation asserts, "into believing that formal 'membership in good standing' in the Teamsters [local] unions was their only option." (December 8, 1997 Daily Labor Report )

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Transit Agencies Could Be Partners In New Traffic Information Services

Transit agencies hoping to reduce traffic congestion can expect assistance soon from companies providing subscriber information services. The services also could be a sourceof new revenue for the agencies.

Armed with cellular telephones and computers, motorists increasingly are calling into new services to get up-to-the-minute reports on traffic backups, highway construction or anything else that might delay the daily drive. They are no longer relying on television or radio traffic reports that might be old, and are broadcast at someone else's discretion. Now, motorists are getting current reports when they want them from companies that rely on networks of traffic reporters and roadway cameras throughout a region.

In some cases, transit agencies could be the source for traffic information. Although the infrastructure for the private information services is only starting to be put in place, the market is developing. Agencies willing to work out cooperative agreements with the service providers could tap into profitable contracts.

Navigational Aids Are Cutting Edge

The turn to high-tech navigational aids marks a fundamental shift in the nation's approach to traffic management. As highways become more congested, and as many cities find finances dwindling for road construction, planners see technology as the key to using roads more efficiently.

Several cities, including Boston, Philadelphia, Cincinnati and Washington, D.C., are taking the technological leap with SmartRoute Inc., the nation's largest electronic traffic-monitoring company. Its free service, called SmarTraveler, allows motorists to use a phone or computer to get information on a specific road and get a traffic update that is usually no more than six minutes old. Subsidies from local departments of transportation and advertisers pay for SmarTraveler.

Telephone users in Boston, for example, can punch in "5*" for an update on traffic on any route to and from Logan Airport. Punching in "95*" will get a report on Interstate 95 around Boston, and will offer alternative routes if the highway is clogged. The system is especially popular among cell-phone users who get updates as they drive.

The high-tech monitoring system began four years ago in Boston. The company uses a network of 74 video cameras mounted on street lamps and on top of buildings to monitor traffic.

Three hundred human "spotters," corrunuters who phone in traffic updates daily, also provide information. Traffic helicopters, planes and police also provide updates on tie-ups and crashes. Technicians download the reports onto a Web page (www.smartraveler.com) and also give written reports to radio-style announcers. They record updates from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for telephone users.

Intelligent transportation systems will be offered in New York and Detroit next year and are scheduled to be up and running in at least 30 cities nationwide by 2000. President Clinton has proposed spending nearly $200 million on such systems.

The idea is that by giving motorists information about road conditions, drivers will take the most efficient route. That saves energy, reduces emissions and means less punishment on already battered roads.

Commuters Reduce Time In Traffic

Although the extent of traffic reduction is still debated, some studies have shown that motorists using navigational aids have shaved up to 45 minutes a week off their commuting time.

SmartRoute says their system receives about 500,000 calls and Web hits a month in Boston and Cincinnati, and about 330,000 in Washington. Philadelphia!s system, which went on line in June, gets roughly 130,000 visitors a month.

Company officials say they plan to start a new system next year that will allow subscribers to receive road-specific traffic updates over their pagers. It also will work with on-board navigational systems, which already are available options with four U.S. automakers.

And beginning in January, motorists in Boston and Washington can watch SmarTraveler TV, a cable television show for commuters similar to the Weather Channel. Show hosts will provide up-to-the-minute traffic updates. The show will make its debut in a handful of other markets later next year. It will be anchored in each city and will offer continuous updates on local roads and highways. (December 17, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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Fair Collection Machines may need new adjustments

Those Fare Collection machines that so many transit agencies use might need to be adjusted soon to accept new currency.

Earlier this month, President Clinton signed a law directing the U.S. Mint to produce a new distinctively-shaped, gold-colored dollar coin to replace the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin. The law also authorizes 50 different versions of the quarter.

The new coins are good news for the transit industry, which has been a chief supporter of a switch to dollar coins. Although the law does not phase out dollar bills, it should make coins more readily available.

Frequently, fare collection machines have problems with crumpled and torn dollar bills sticking in the equipment. In addition, personnel need to be hired to straighten and stack paper currency.

The Treasury Department plans to call on transit authorities and government agencies to help with a promotional campaign. The coins are expected to be easily adaptable to existing fare collection machines. (December 17, 1997 Urban Transport News )

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