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The future of transportation is… a bus?
The future of transportation is… a bus?
Once considered the least glamorous of public transportation services, it seems that buses may be poised to make a big comeback. CityLab, a website focused on “design, transportation, environment, equity, and life,” is launching an ongoing series on their website called “Bus to the Future” with a goal of putting public coaches front and center once again.
CityLab wants to remind people that buses are:
- a cheap and flexible general-purpose option
- available already
- carry large numbers of people in a compact amount of road space
- don’t require special rights-of-way
- can be deployed and rerouted in response to needs
- affordable to cities in terms of both capital costs and often operations as well
woman looking at bus route screen
While the American Public Transportation Association indicates that as recently as 1990 bus trips represented about two thirds of all transit trips, more recent Department of Transportation figures show that bus ridership has been on the decline over the past decade. Transit ridership overall is down, and many bus riders have been replaced by an increase in subway and rail riders. Not to mention the fact that, despite their closely guarded data, many believe that ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft are pulling riders off of public transportation.
But don’t count buses out just yet. Beginning with an experiment that established a pop-up bus lane where there had been on-street parking in Everett, in February of 2017, Massachusetts began testing the idea that bus lanes can save time for commuters. The project was so successful that the bus lane has become permanent. BostonBRT, a project of the Barr Foundation, is providing the funding for the Everett project as well as pilot projects in Arlington, Cambridge, and Watertown. The participating communities all developed successful grant applications for the program and are working with the MBTA to make the projects a reality. The goal is to show that Bus Rapid Transit has the potential to improve the transit experience in areas where there is high bus ridership as well as high traffic.
New bus technology is on the horizon that could make travel by bus even more convenient. Just a few months ago in San Ramon, California, the Contra Costa Transportation Authority launched the first autonomous shuttle bus. The City of Rochester Minnesota also recently tested a driverless bus. Both pilots used an electric bus to cut down on emissions. The hope is that the buses would improve safety and have the ability to offer more frequent service with smaller flexible vehicles.
With a recent shift in demographics to more urban areas and an increase in greenhouse gas emissions from mobile sources, buses may once again be the next big thing in transportation. Check out www.citylab.com
for the latest article in the Bus to the Future series.
This blog post originally appeared on the TransAction Associates
blog, Driven, and was reprinted with permission [source: http://transactionassoc.com/the-future-of-transportation-is-a-bus/].
It's officially winter! Are you ready for the snow and ice? Is your car ready? Join Luis Mejia, Fleet Mechanic at TransAction Associates & Corporate Shuttles, as he shares some winter car maintenance and safety tips.
World Car-Free Day 2023 was a huge success! Organized in a variety of ways around the globe, every event shared the unifying goal of reducing the number of cars on the road. The Watertown TMA participated in MassCommute 's 2023 Car-Free Day, the Commonwealth’s Coalition of 15 TMAs to promote and celebrate Car-Free Day in Massachusetts. Commuters who participated helped to make a positive impact on the environment and contributed to a greener Bay State!
The WatConnector launched on September 7, 2021, with hourly service between Watertown Mews on Pleasant Street and Harvard Square. Starting February 13, 2023, the WatConnector will go electric and will run every half hour. Thanks to a grant from MassDOT, along with other public and private funds, two new electric shuttle buses were purchased and will replace the existing gas shuttles.
This past November, Watertown Transportation Management Association (WTMA) commuters were challenged to express their gratitude for the commutes that bring them safely to-and-from the workplace.
Also known as the WATConnector, passengers along Pleasant Street can now get to and from Watertown Square as well as Harvard Square during the AM and PM commutes. The WATConnector Pleasant Street shuttle services are available to participating corporate and residential partners and the public.
As a green commuter, you’ve done your part to help the environment. You found a carpool partner, coordinated schedules, made the trip in together. But what if you arrive at work and find that all of the good parking spots are taken? Many organizations have good intentions when they designate special preferred carpool parking spots in a prime location near an entrance. One carpool space reduces the need for at least one other parking spot. Promoting carpooling is a great way to reduce your parking demand and encourage commuters to share the ride. However, without the proper enforcement and program management in place, the positive impact of the preferential parking incentive can lose its effectiveness. That’s where having a partner like the Watertown Transportation Management Association (WTMA) to manage the program can help.
Everyone knows biking is good for you and good for the planet. Incorporating biking to work and during the workday has its advantages on the business side of things too. Studies have repeatedly shown people who bike are healthier (and therefore take fewer sick days), arrive to work less stressed, and are more productive. Need even more reasons? Below are just a few more of the benefits of biking for your commute: Avoids unhealthy traffic congestion Helps to improve air quality Saves on gas Avoids parking costs Increases your physical activity Reduces your stress Be a member of the bike commuting community Feel the thrill you get from bike riding
The Watertown Connector transports passengers to and from Harvard Square during the AM and PM commutes. There are two services available to participating corporate and residential partners (listed below).
The MBTA Forging-Ahead service cuts were approved by the MBTA's Fiscal Management and Control Board (FMCB) on December 14, 2020. These reductions are being made based on an overall 80% drop in ridership due to the pandemic. Although these cuts are not as severe as originally proposed by the MBTA in early November, they are significant and will impact the Watertown commuter community. According to the MBTA, by focusing on the reductions to service frequency, this allows for better preparation to increase service when ridership returns, after the widespread vaccine distribution.
Walking is something most of us do every day, it is our default transportation mode. By incorporating more regular walking habits into our routines, it can lead to some incredible physical and mental benefits. You're More Creative & Productive "A study done at Stanford showed that walking made participants more creative than their sedentary counterparts. They found that creative output increased 60 percent when a person was walking." source: Medium It's Healthier Than Running According to research reported in the American Heart Association journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology , "Calorie for calorie, walking also had a stronger impact on heart disease risk factors. The risk of first-time high blood pressure was reduced by 4.2% by running and 7.2% by walking." source: The Guardian Make Your Walk Fun! Plan multiple walks throughout your day. Take a break from the work day and go for a quick 10-minute walk Walk to an errand Create a destination Set out to just enjoy the beauty of nature