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March 21, 2005
Study of Bus System Moves into High Gear In response to a variety of fiscal and political considerations MTA has begun a long-awaited study of the region's bus system. Despite slow declines in ridership over the past several years, MTA operates the 12th largest bus system in the country when ranked by passenger miles traveled. Approximately 250,000 passengers board buses each weekday, about 70% of the total system ridership. Due to the lack of a comprehensive service planning framework, conflicts among divisions within the agency, and a mandate to earn a relatively high percentage of the operating budget from fares, bus routes and schedules have become overly complex, service levels do not consistently match demand, and service is unreliable. The current study is a high priority for the administration, and follows a year-long process of data gathering. The study entered the service planning phase this winter with a series of public outreach meetings around the region and a two-day workshop for stakeholders. BTA's position, expressed in correspondence to MTA last year, is that the priority of the study should be service quality for riders rather than overall reductions in the size of the bus system.
Frustrated by Lack of Progress on Light Rail Signal Timing, BTA Calls on City, MTA to Cooperate Calling the stretch of track along Howard Street in downtown Baltimore the "Achilles heel" of the regional rail system, GBC President Donald Fry has called on city and MTA officials to re-double their efforts to coordinate the traffic signal system to speed up trains. While much of the 30-mile line from Hunt Valley to BWI Airport is overseen by MTA's Light Rail Control Center, trains traveling along Howard Street are limited by the city's traffic signal system which favors east-west streets. Equipment to give trains priority at intersections was installed in the early 1990's but it was never fully implemented and has now been made obsolete by the city's project to upgrade its central traffic signal computer and controllers at intersections. Challenges to implementing a solution include competing priorities for "green time" and constantly shifting priorities by MTA and the city.
Drive to Reauthorize TEA-21 Picks Up Speed Following Votes in House and Senate On March 10 the U.S. House of Representatives passed its version of the six-year transportation authorization bill by an overwhelming vote of 417-9. The bill authorizes $52.3 billion in guaranteed funding for the federal transit program through FY 2009, and a total of $283.9 billion over a six-year period for both transit and highway programs. A week later, on March 17, the Senate Banking Committee approved the transit title of the Senate's reauthorization bill. The bill would authorize $51.6 billion in funding for transit for FY 2004 through FY 2009. The transit title will be combined with the highway title passed by the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee into a single bill that would authorize a total of $283.9 billion for the six-year period. While the Senate and House versions are identical in the total amount authorized, the House version contains more funding for transit.
Las Vegas Monorail Re-Opens Following Shut Down to Correct Mechanical Problems The Las Vegas Monorail, a four-mile long line serving seven stations along the Las Vegas Strip, re-opened December 24 following a three-month shutdown after a series of incidents where parts fell from passing trains. The project is unusual, not just because of its design but also because of its mostly private financing. The $650 million capital cost was covered by the sale of tax-exempt bonds backed by operating revenues and corporate sponsorships. Ridership since re-opening has been close to the forecast, bringing in $1.8 to 2 million in monthly revenue.
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