Make urban buses fare-free. Only then will urban planning make any sense.

Friday, July 26, 2013

People are being killed by cars, not trains.

Media Matters for America: " "The real safety issue," he added, is motor vehicles, noting that deaths per passenger mile for motor vehicles are over 40 times larger than for Amtrak, and over 20 times larger than for commuter rail."

Monday, July 22, 2013

Vegetable garden illegal in Los Angeles

Farmscape: "The City of Los Angeles has instructed the homowner to remove this beautiful parkway vegetable garden. We think it should stay. What do you think?"

'via Blog this'

Friday, July 19, 2013

Free buses a better idea than forever expanding highways

Opinion: Freeway or free way - Del Mar Times | Del Mar Times: "The proposed widening of Interstate 5 has triggered renewed discussion of how to expand the use of public transportation so as to reduce the need for ever-more freeway lanes.

...Since 2002 Chapel Hill, North Carolina, has enjoyed free public transit on all fixed-route bus service and EZ-Rider service for the elderly and disabled.... The buses are fare-free for all area residents and visitors, not only for the 40,000 UNC students, faculty, and staff. Ridership has more than doubled in the nine years since the fare-free policy was adopted."

...If buses and trains were fare-free, many more people would ride them. And traffic, congestion, pollution, and new freeway construction would be reduced.

Friday, July 12, 2013

Flooding in the burn scar, this is the future. Still want cars?

VIDEO: Flash flood brings black water down Waldo burn scar, sweeps away motorists: "A torrential downpour on the Waldo Canyon burn scar before the evening commute Wednesday turned loose a flash flood that swept stunned motorists off the road and closed U.S. Highway 24 for about three hours."

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Colorado river already over-used. We still wash cars, water lawns

EcoWatch : "The hearing comes on the heels of a scientific paper published in June in the American Meteorological Society that discussed the wide predictions in variability of flows in the Colorado River basin due to a potential mega-drought. Such a mega-drought has occurred in the past and could last decades and reduce flows in the river by as much as 45 percent according to the paper. The CRBS also indicated that, due to population growth and climate change, demand for water in the Colorado River basin–which currently serves 35 million people–has already outstripped supply with the imbalance increasing dramatically over the next few decades."

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Global warming calls for dramatic action. Abolish the private auto.

Transit Riders for Public Transportation: "The urgency and magnitude of the global warming crisis demands a scale of cuts in greenhouse gases that defies the imagination. The United States is one of the world's largest historical greenhouse gas emitter and must reduce its emissions by at 60% immediately on the way to a 90% cut by 2050-based on 1990 levels. With the U.S. emitting 45% of the world's automotive greenhouse gas emissions, can we envision moving towards a 90% reduction in U.S. greenhouse gases by virtually eliminating the auto and replacing it with a nationwide system of public transit?"

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Bonin Takes Public Transport to First Day at City Hall - Government - Pacific Palisades, CA Patch

Bonin Takes Public Transport to First Day at City Hall - Government - Pacific Palisades, CA Patch: "Bonin hopped on the 733 bus at the corner of Venice Boulevard and Walgrove Avenue, before hopping on the Expo Line in Culver City. Bonin posted on his Facebook page early Monday morning:

Heading to my first council meeting via mass transit. Picking up the 733 Rapid and then checking out how the Expo Line is doing. LA's transit future is here. Go Metro!"

'via Blog this'

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Mother nature still talking, we are still not listening. Killer fire in AZ still 100% out of control

ThinkProgress: "As the community grieved the loss of 19 firefighters who died Sunday fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire, the deadly blaze continued to rage out of control. As of 9:30 p.m. Monday, it had grown to 8,400 acres and remained zero percent contained. About 500 firefighters were battling the blaze, with more expected to join Tuesday."

Monday, July 1, 2013

19 firefighters killed battling fast-moving Ariz. wildfire - CBS News

19 firefighters killed battling fast-moving Ariz. wildfire - CBS News: "YARNELL, ARIZ. Gusty, hot winds blew an Arizona blaze out of control Sunday in a forest northwest of Phoenix, overtaking and killing 19 members of an elite fire crew in the deadliest wildfire involving firefighters in the U.S. in decades."

'via Blog this'