12 Signs That The Economy Is Really Starting To Bleed Oil Patch Jobs

Zero Hedge: "
In states like North Dakota, Oklahoma and Texas, which have reaped the benefits of a domestic oil boom, the retrenchment is beginning.
 
“Drilling budgets are being slashed across the board,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council, which represents more than 500 companies working in the state’s Bakken oil patch."

Portage Indiana excited about new #publictransit investment

EDITORIAL: Public transportation is on a roll: ""Portage is very excited about this opportunity to enhance our community with easily available public transit," Snyder wrote to NIRPC in late November.

"For Portage and Hobart to consider public transportation is a great thing and could introduce a new era," NIRPC Deputy Director Steve Strains said.

Among the options are cooperating with existing transit agencies in the region.

In addition, a new "Triangle Service" is set to begin in mid-January, serving Michigan City, LaPorte and Purdue North Central. That bus service is a three-year experiment using mainly federal funds, although Michigan City, LaPorte and PNC are chipping in as well.

We hope the Hobart, Portage and LaPorte County services are successful."

More NWI communities want to expand public transit

nwitimes: "A new "Triangle Service" is ready to start up in mid-January among Michigan City, LaPorte and Purdue University North Central, LaPorte TransPorte's Tom MacLennan told a meeting of the Northwest Indiana Regional Planning Commission's Transportation Policy Committee on Tuesday.

The demonstration bus service is being funded for three years mainly with federal funds. Michigan City, LaPorte, LaPorte County and Purdue North Central are contributing local funds.

In another sign of the growing interest in public transit, Hobart and Portage are both ready to embark on feasibility studies of instituting public transit, said NIRPC transit planner Belinda Petroskey."

Chicago's Millennials Don't Like To Drive, Want More Public Transit

DNAinfo: "Millennials are drawn more toward living in urban communities than other generations. That means places where cars are less necessary and walking, biking and public transit are more of an option."

Pipeline project: 30-inch oil pipeline would be largest originating in N.D.

New oil pipeline will cost billions and create spills. Why not make buses fare-free? Then we would not even need the oil.

Jamestown Sun: "Energy Transfer Partners LP of Dallas says it expects to have the $3.7 billion, 1,100-mile Bakken Pipeline completed and in service by the end of 2016.

It would be the largest crude oil pipeline originating in North Dakota, said Justin Kringstad, director of the state Pipeline Authority."

Missouri to invest big money in obsolete #autosprawl system

Five Things You Need To Know About Transportation Tax | St. Louis Public Radio: "The St. Louis region – which in MoDOT’s case means St. Louis, St. Louis County, St. Charles County, Jefferson County and Franklin County – would receive about $1.49 billion over the 10 years. Most of the projects on a draft list are aimed at shoring up roads and highways, including major work on Interstates 270, 70 and 170."

Why not make public transit free?

Star Tribune: "So why not free public transit? Imagine the increase in ridership. Think of the decrease in automobile traffic and pollution. How much would local business benefit from the increase in foot traffic that free public transit would likely bring? Would you pay an extra $50 a year for such a system? Would you pay $100? How much would it actually cost the average taxpayer? And what about downtown businesses? We ask them to add a tax to their services to help pay for football and baseball stadiums. Perhaps a tax to pay for something people actually need is in order.

Free public transit is an idea whose time has come. It’s affordable, it’s logical and it would make Minnesota the talk of the nation — perhaps even the world."

In Chicago, some find public transit fares linked to school attendance. #youthpass

wbez : "Barbara Radner is director of DePaul University’s Center for Urban Education. She believes the reduced fare system comes with its own set of challenges. She – and a lot of school staff, parents and kids WBEZ talked to – said what kids have to go through just to get a reduced pass is way too convoluted."

Compare with Taiwan, where kids and elderly have reduced fares, but everyone uses the same card and the fares are sorted electronically. Kids go to school on public transit in great numbers.

Greenest thing a household can do -- #publictransit

huffington post : "Switching to public transportation offers an immediate alternative for individuals seeking to reduce their energy use and carbon footprints. This action far exceeds the benefits of other household energy saving activities."

Chicago Best Restaurants withing 10 min walk of CTA L Stop

Chicago Best Restaurants - CTA L Stop: "we're making that a whole hell of a lot easier by mapping out one restaurant for every single stop -- so you can eat right after getting off the L -- that's both 1) awesome, and 2) less than a 10min walk away."