Latest news with #GreenLine
Axios
3 days ago
- Business
- Axios
How San Antonio wants to catch up on mass transit
San Antonio is the largest U.S. city without a light rail system, but experts say two new rapid bus lines can offer similar transportation benefits with lower costs. Why it matters: As the city cements its status as one of the most populous in the U.S., it has lagged behind its peers in public transit efforts. Context: A decade ago this month, San Antonio voters passed a charter amendment that said the city would have to get voter approval for any light rail or streetcar systems. In 2000, voters rejected a light rail proposal; in 2014, a streetcar project died. State of play: Fast-forward 10 years, and VIA Metropolitan Transit leaders and transit experts say two coming bus rapid transit routes — the Green and Silver lines — will offer an experience similar to rail and move almost as many people. And officials are betting on it to increase public transit use. VIA's buses had nearly 27 million trips in 2024, up more than 11% from 2023, per American Public Transportation Association data. "People taking the Green Line are going to be able to get to their connections to other lines faster and more reliably than ever before," Rod Sanchez, VIA's senior vice president of planning and development, tells Axios. "We're definitely taking our service to an all-new level." The latest: The Green Line will run along San Pedro Avenue from San Antonio International Airport on the North Side through downtown to the Missions on the South Side. Construction is slated to begin in July. The Silver Line will run from the Frost Bank Center on the East Side through downtown to North General McMullen on the West Side. It's still undergoing design; construction could begin in 2027. How it works: A rapid bus runs in a dedicated lane, rather than sharing the street with cars. It's expected to arrive every 10 minutes, and riders can pay their fare before boarding to speed up the process. Construction of both rapid bus routes is largely funded with federal dollars. Despite threats to funding under the Trump administration, Sanchez says VIA feels confident the city will keep it. It's already secured $268 million for the Green Line. Maintenance and operation will fall to VIA. Follow the money: The Green Line is projected to cost a total of $480.8 million and the Silver Line $289.2 million. What they're saying: Frequency is what matters most to convince riders to take public transit over driving, Kelly Blume, associate research scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, tells Axios. If San Antonio creates "a transit service that achieves high frequencies and fast speeds and can carry a lot of people, you could meet that need with bus rapid transit or with rail," Blume says. Zoom out: As San Antonio builds out its transit future, systems in major U.S. cities are faltering. Ridership and revenue tanked during the pandemic and has still not fully recovered. Federal funding is uncertain.
Boston Globe
4 days ago
- Business
- Boston Globe
Market Basket boycott? The supermarket's loyalists say they're ready for a fight.
Advertisement Judy Price, 81, remembers joining one of the demonstrations outside Somerville Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'I just love this place, and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that they'll work it out,' she said. But Price added that if workers call for a boycott again, she will support them. Word that the chief executive had been sidelined came late Wednesday afternoon, and by Thursday morning many loyal shoppers said their social media feeds had been overtaken by discussion over their favored supermarket's fate. On forums from Reddit to Facebook, posters debated whether to continue shopping at Market Basket as the dispute plays out. Many pointed out the similarities between this week's crisis and the 2014 showdown that led to worker walkouts and a shopper boycott that attracted nationwide support. Advertisement Others noted a key difference: Arthur T's sisters backed him 11 years ago as he faced off against his cousin, Arthur S. Demoulas. This time, his sisters support the Market Basket board members who voted to suspend Arthur T. Back in Somerville, Market Basket shopper Annmarie Costante described the sisters' involvement as one more reason to back Arthur T. 'I think the sisters are jealous, and they just want him out to take over and raise all our prices,' said Costante, 62. 'If Artie T. is not in charge and his sisters take over, we're going to be another Star Market, which we don't want.' Supermarket industry analyst Burt Flickinger III of Strategic Resource Group in New York said he's mystified about the attempt to oust Arthur T. Flickinger, whose firm works with grocery chains worldwide, called Arthur T. 'one of the best CEOs we've studied anywhere in the world.' He also disparaged the Market Basket board for demanding that Arthur T., 70, create a formal succession plan. 'He's got at least another strong decade to run the company,' said Flickinger, who added, 'were Arthur T. to be hit [by] the Green Line tomorrow morning, God forbid, the leadership team he developed would be able to step in very capably.' Hiawatha Bray can be reached at
Express Tribune
4 days ago
- Express Tribune
Passengers abandon trains for buses amid rail chaos
Facing a surge in derailments, sudden train cancellations and long delays, a growing number of passengers have begun abandoning Pakistan Railways in favour of luxury bus services. The shift in travel preferences has left the railways operating with reduced passenger numbers, often merging the bookings of two or three trains into one journey due to low occupancy. According to official railway data, over the past month, multiple Up and Down trains, including major routes like Karachi, Faisalabad, and Rawalpindi, have been suspended without prior notice. Notable among the cancelled services are Shah Hussain Business Express and the Shalimar Express. Affected passengers are being accommodated in other trains, such as the Green Line, which itself is frequently delayed. Officials cite an aging railway infrastructure as a key factor. Many tracks, especially in smaller cities and remote regions, are over a century old. Lack of timely maintenance has led to an increase in accidents, derailments, and collisions with trolleys and other vehicles at unguarded crossings. The decaying state of the railway's physical assets has significantly eroded public trust in the service. Adding to passenger frustration are the appalling conditions at railway stations. Waiting areas are overcrowded or nearly non-existent, many platforms are over 100 years old and lack adequate space for passengers and their families, and sanitation is a major issue. Toilets are foul-smelling and often unusable, while food vendors charge exorbitant prices for poor-quality items. Despite repeated visits and surprise inspections by Federal Minister for Railways Hanif Abbasi and directives to improve services, conditions have barely improved. Passenger Rehan Hashim, who was scheduled to travel to Karachi, told Express News: "We were shocked to learn our Business Express was canceled. They shifted us to Green Line, which was four hours late. There was no proper waiting area, and the heat was unbearable. Rail travel used to be enjoyable, but now it's a humiliating experience despite paying thousands. Traveling by coach is far better." While Pakistan Railways claims that passenger numbers typically dip during pre-summer vacation months and expects traffic to pick up once schools close, passengers and analysts argue that service quality, not the season, is driving the decline. Officials insist that food quality and station facilities are being upgraded in coordination with the Punjab Food Authority. Yet passengers report no visible improvements beyond short-term clean-up efforts following inspections.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
Metro Transit taking health-centered approach to Green Line safety
Metro Transit is teaming up with law enforcement and social service providers in the Twin Cities to improve the experience of Green Line riders, as well as help riders in need. It's part of an ongoing effort to make the Green Line on St. Paul's University Avenue safer after incidents of violent crime and drug use over the years. Metro Transit Police will work with seven city of St. Paul and Ramsey County agencies, including St. Paul Police Department, Ramsey County Sheriff's Office, health services and the county attorney. The collaboration takes a health-centered approach to public safety. "Everybody has been doing this work separately," said Metro Transit Interim Police Chief Joe Dotseth. "This effort brings us all together in a much more organized approach." Metro Transit's Homeless Action Team has utilized similar partnerships and outreach strategies for years. "We're out there trying to help those that are utilizing shelter on our system, trying to get them into shelter, into treatment," said Metro Transit Officer Kat Kompelien. Kompelien and the rest of her team, which includes other police officers and mental health specialists, ride the trains to meet people who need the help where they are. Kompelien says the HAT has moved more than 550 people into housing since 2018. "People who are causing a disturbance, there's law enforcement there but there's also an opportunity for us to get to the root causes of what's occurring," said Gloria Reyes, Ramsey County's deputy manager of safety and justice. Dotseth says riders can expect to see more officers this summer as part of a new Hamline-Midway police beat, but the interagency collaboration is an acknowledgement that cops aren't the only answer. "We need to figure out ways to actually change the behavior, and we have limitations about who can be jailed, who can be incarcerated," said Ramsey County Attorney John Choi. Dotseth says the frequency of serious crime on trains and buses is "relatively low" and hasn't changed. The number of riders per day has stayed more or less steady in the last year.
New Straits Times
6 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Sarawak's ART project on track with no cost overruns despite minor delays
KUALA LUMPUR: Sarawak's Autonomous Rapid Transit (ART) hydrogen tram project remains financially on course with no cost overruns reported, despite experiencing a slight delay of about 3.97 per cent, according to State Transport Minister Datuk Sri Lee Kim Shin. Responding to a query from Chong Chieng Jen (DAP–Padungan) during the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly, Lee clarified that while there had been minor setbacks in the project timeline, these delays have not led to additional expenses for the state government. "The minor delay has not caused any cost overrun up to this stage," he said. Minister Lee addressed concerns in the Sarawak Legislative Assembly, stating that any delays caused by contractors are subject to standard contract management practices, including the submission and execution of mitigation plans. Lee added that contractors are liable for Liquidated Ascertained Damages (LAD) in cases of delay and that they are required to submit and implement mitigation plans if delays arise to ensure project continuity and minimise disruption. The ART project, part of Sarawak's initiative to modernise its public transportation network, spans a 52-kilometre route through Kuching and is powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. The project spanning Kuching, Samarahan, and Serian is reportedly expected to cost RM6 billion and may take approximately six to seven years to complete. The state government chose the ART system as a sustainable and innovative solution to its urban transit challenges. The first phase includes the Red Line, while the Green Line package has yet to be awarded, and the Yellow Line is planned for a subsequent phase. The ART system will feature driverless tram-like vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells, operating on dedicated trackless lanes. Each vehicle is designed to carry up to 300 passengers at speeds of up to 70 km/h. The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2025, with operations commencing in 2026. As for the cost details of awarded packages, Lee said this information would be furnished in writing to Chong, who had submitted a formal request for a written reply. Lee reaffirmed the government's commitment to delivering the project efficiently and transparently, positioning Sarawak as a regional leader in green, future-forward public transport.
