Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard on mass transit: 'Now is the time' | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard on mass transit: 'Now is the time' | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: "“Now is the time for Indianapolis to invest in a first-class transit system,” Ballard said. “I ask our legislators to give us the tools we need to make this investment in our transit system. And to all the residents of Indianapolis, I encourage you to call your state legislators and urge them to pass Indy Connect Now.”"

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Are “public” streets actually public? | the get around blog

Are “public” streets actually public? | the get around blog: "I am struck by the book’s description of popular reaction to the invasion of motor cars on city streets during the early years of motordom. Before the automobile invasion, streets were public space in the true sense of the word, not very different from the way we think of city parks. As the book details, in order for cars to take over the roads, we had to fundamentally alter this view."

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Tenants flee suburban Chicago office parks - In Other News - Crain's Chicago Business

Tenants flee suburban Chicago office parks - In Other News - Crain's Chicago Business: "Suburban landlords have more unwanted office space than any major metro area in the country, concludes New York-based tenant brokerage Studley Inc. Preliminary third-quarter statistics show 24.3 percent of suburban space is available, the highest level of the 12 U.S. suburban markets it tracks. That volume of unwanted space could fill the 110-story Willis Tower 7½ times."

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Everyone will ride for free on Kansas City’s downtown streetcars - KansasCity.com

Everyone will ride for free on Kansas City’s downtown streetcars - KansasCity.com: "Riders on Kansas City’s proposed downtown streetcar circulator should be able to hop on — at no charge — as often as they like once the new transit system starts to roll."

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Let's promote the right to get to work | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com

Let's promote the right to get to work | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com: "We hear from our politicians all the time about creating jobs, yet if these politicians are serious about creating jobs, they also need to make sure people can get to jobs. "

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A/N Blog . Rail Picking Up Steam in the East and Midwest

A/N Blog . Rail Picking Up Steam in the East and Midwest: "According to the New York Times, Amtrak is gaining riders in the northeast corridor thanks in part to arduous airport security procedures and frequent airline delays. Amtrak also beats airline shuttles in on-time arrivals and proximity to major business centers. In Chicago, the Chicago Transit Authority is counting 16 months of ridership increases for both rail and bus lines. The rail system has seen 51 consecutive months of ridership growth, including a 6.2 percent jump over the last six months. Last year the CTA carried 523 million riders. [Photo: Bruce Fingerhood/Flickr]"

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In congestion benefits alone, #publictransit pays for itself - Aaron Renn

Aaron M. Renn is an opinion-leading urban analyst, consultant, speaker, and writer on a mission to help America’s cities thrive and find sustainable success in the 21st century.
The Urbanophile » Blog Archive » The Cost of Congestion, The Value of Transit: " In Chicago, which is gearing up for another round of fare hikes and service cuts, the cost of congestion avoided due to public transit is about the same as the combined operating budget of all regional transit agencies. Chicago transit is effectively self-funded in terms of benefits delivered to motorists alone."

Big Banks Slam the Brakes on Public Transit - Bob Simpson - Open Salon

Big Banks Slam the Brakes on Public Transit - Bob Simpson - Open Salon: "It gets worse. Investigators from several nations including the US Justice Department are looking into charges that banks conspired to manipulate interests rates illegally to extort even more cash from cash-strapped municipalities. Fortune calls it,” The Wall Street scandal no one is talking about”: "

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Big Banks Slam the Brakes on Public Transit - Bob Simpson - Open Salon

Big Banks Slam the Brakes on Public Transit - Bob Simpson - Open Salon: "Dale Burnett stood in the lobby of a Chase bank in downtown Chicago the morning of June 7 and explained why Chase and other big banks need to stop gouging millions from the city’s public transit system. A home care worker who cannot afford a car, Burnett’s job pays her poverty wages and she cannot afford fare increases or service cuts. In contrast, Jamie Dimon, CEO of Chase, has a $23 million compensation package this year. Nationally, 43% of transit riders make under 25,000 annually."

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Chicago Mercantile Exchange Entrance Blocked As Protesters Criticize Huge Tax Break : The Bobbosphere

Chicago Mercantile Exchange Entrance Blocked As Protesters Criticize Huge Tax Break : The Bobbosphere: "After having a Peoples’ Shareholder meeting, the assembled union members and community activists voted to divest CME of their tax break and return that money to the working people. The march was a lively parade of singing, chants and lots of dancing down the LaSalle Street financial district to the music of a very energetic band in clown costumes. When they reached the CME, organizers had hoisted two enormous banners, one in front of the The Merc and the other in front of the Federal Reserve,The message is,”Give back our tax dollars"

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