Latest news with #publictransport
New York Times
6 hours ago
- General
- New York Times
‘I Thought to Myself: I'm Not Going to Rush This Time'
Pretty Fast in Pink Dear Diary: I was standing at the corner of Lexington Avenue and 42nd Street. The blinking 'walk' sign indicated four seconds left to cross. Tired and somewhat defeated after a long day, I thought to myself: I'm not going to rush this time. Just then, a tall woman dressed in pink from head to toe, with pink nails, heels, sunglasses and cowboy hat to match, slapped me on the back. 'We got this!' she said. We darted across the avenue together and high-fived when we got to the other side. — Nick Trepanier No Seats Dear Diary: Seventy-five years old and late for an appointment at N.Y.U., I hopped onto a downtown Q headed for Times Square. Submit Your Metropolitan Diary Your story must be connected to New York City and no longer than 300 words. An editor will contact you if your submission is being considered for publication. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
ABC News
16 hours ago
- General
- ABC News
Victorian train network failing to meet national accessibility standards
Accessing Melbourne's train network is a challenge for Andrew Bretherton. The 38-year-old was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome about 10 years ago, and relies on a wheelchair to get around. But using his closest train station — Windsor in Melbourne's inner-south-east — has become an inconvenience because of the steep ramps and limited accessibility features. The station also has no lifts, independent boarding or accessible pick up and drop off points. 'I've missed out on an event with friends because I couldn't get there," Mr Bretherton said. Even with the power settings on his wheelchair, designed to help with mobility, he pushes his weight forward to travel up the ramp from the underground platforms to the busy Chapel Street thoroughfare above. Mr Bretherton, who is an advocate with the Disability Resource Centre, believes it would be nearly impossible to exit the station manually without this setting. Windsor is on the Sandringham line, which sprawls across Melbourne's bayside suburbs and has no stations with lifts or elevators. The ABC collected accessibility data from the Metro Trains website, and found across the network of 220 stations, one in three did not meet Australian standards that for every 14 metres, the slope of a ramp should increase by one metre. Metro Trains suggests assistance may be required at some stations like Richmond and South Yarra, which connect several train lines, because of the inadequate station access. Two-thirds of stations are without lifts, and more than half do not have accessible toilets. 'This is a basic necessity but it doesn't surprise me because so little thought is given to our community,' Mr Bretherton said. He said subsequent state governments had failed to make accessibility improvements to the network, despite funding other transport infrastructure. 'They're putting a dollar value on our lives and what they're saying is our lives aren't worthy enough for that dollar value,' he said. Lilly Cascun walks an additional half an hour each way to Darebin train station, because her closest at Ivanhoe in Melbourne's east is not accessible for her needs. The 18-year-old was born totally blind and said the extended journey had become a burden. 'It means I'm getting home pretty late at night sometimes. Mum and dad don't like the idea of walking home in the dark,' she said. Ms Cascun relies on the little dots and bars raised above the edge of train platforms – tactile ground surface indicators (TGSIs) – to help guide her and move with ease. 'I find it really sad that there are so many stations that I can't feel safe at,' Ms Cascun said. Ivanhoe is among 36 stations across the network without TGSIs lining the edges of platforms in full or in part. After writing to Victorian MPs and refused funding, Ms Cascun started an online petition, which received thousands of signatures. Public Transport Minister Gabrielle Williams said the government had listened to the community's concerns. 'We'll deliver tactiles at Ivanhoe station, providing a safer and more accessible station for locals like Lilly,' Ms Williams said. Ms Cascun said she was grateful for the support but called on the government to speed up its commitment to meeting nationally-legislated accessibility targets. 'I must say it's taken quite a few months of fighting for it.' 'I think it's something that needs to be fixed not just here at Ivanhoe but all of those other stations. I'm hoping this is a shift that will help to work on that,' she said. Liberal MP Nick McGowan has met with Ms Cascun and also written to his parliamentary colleagues to ask for increased accessibility funding across the network. He welcomed the state government's commitment to fund TGSIs at Ivanhoe but said there is still a long way to go. 'Lilly's an inspiration but it shouldn't take a campaign from an 18-year-old for the government to realise that we actually should have facilities for everyone of low or no vision on our public transport system,' he said. In 2002, the federal government passed laws to ensure public transport operators and providers make their services accessible and remove discrimination against people with disabilities. A spokesperson for the Department of Infrastructure and Transport said trains were required to be 100 per cent compliant by the end of 2032. "While progress has been made across Australia, public transport operators and providers still haven't met their obligation to meet the requirements of the Transport Standards," the spokesperson said. In Melbourne, nearly half of stations do not have paths greater than 1.2 metres wide to accommodate wheelchair users. Ms Williams said the state government was making ground but conceded there was still more to do. "These are challenging requirements to meet but they are important standards. "We're all dealing with very similar challenges in terms of legacy networks that were often built a long time ago, and therefore we need to continually invest to make sure that we're bringing them up to standard," Ms Williams said. However, the opposition said the slow progress had left over one million disabled Victorians behind. 'We want the public to use the transport system, not just the able-bodied public but people with disabilities too,' Mr McGowan said. Metro Trains declined to comment At Ivanhoe train station, Lilly Cascun said the increased accessibility features will help her travel with ease and minimise her travel journey. 'I'm so grateful that our pleas have been heard and I'm really excited that this station's going to become so much more accessible.' 'It's a pretty amazing feeling to know that if you work hard enough you can really create change,' she said. With additional reporting by Madi Chwasta.
Khaleej Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Dubai: RTA to renovate parking spaces in key areas
Parking spaces in key areas of Dubai are being renovated, the Roads Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) announced on Saturday, May 31. The transport authority said that it is developing parking facilities in Al Rigga, Al Sabkha and Al Souq Al Kabeer. "To ensure convenient travel during this development phase, we recommend choosing public transportation, an efficient and comfortable solution to reach your destination effortlessly. The metro, buses, taxis, and other modes of public transport are all available for your daily commute," RTA said in a post on X. Dubai
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
At least 4 MTA employees attacked by unhinged riders on NYC buses, trains: cops, sources
At least four MTA employees were hurt in recent attacks as unhinged riders raged at them with wrenches, fists and feet across the Big Apple, cops and sources said. In the first assault, a wrench-wielding maniac bashed a 71-year-old driver in the forehead on board a B61 bus at Lorraine and Hicks streets in Red Hook just after 8 a.m. May 13, authorities said. Investigators believe a female passenger had an issue with the driver and called in her sidekick, who boarded the bus and immediately attacked the operator, sources said. Then the pair — whose relationship is unknown — fled off the bus together, according to the sources. The driver was taken to Brooklyn Methodist Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Police released surveillance footage of the suspect, who is described as having a dark complexion, standing about 5-foot-6 and believed to be in his early 40s. He was last seen wearing a black sweatshirt and tan pants. The violence continued on Thursday, when three MTA workers were attacked in less than 12 hours, according to cops and sources. The earliest assault occurred minutes after midnight, when a 68-year-old MTA cleaner spotted a crazed man swinging a pipe at intercom kiosks inside the Bergen Street F and G train station in Boerum Hill, police sources said. When the cleaner tried to step in, the brute started swinging the pipe at him but missed — before punching him in the chest, cops and sources said. The assailant, seen wearing all black and carrying a backpack, then fled the scene. Video released by the NYPD shows him yelling as he aggressively points the pipe at the victim. The assailant is still on the loose. Then, around 5:30 p.m., a masked lunatic threw a cup of hot liquid on an on-duty 38-year-old MTA bus driver at Innis Street and Nicholas Avenue in the Port Richmond section of Staten Island, sources said. The driver was taken to Richmond University Medical Center, where he was listed in stable condition. The still-at-large attacker was last seen wearing a black face mask and a beige hoodie. About six hours later, a 53-year-old MTA conductor was clearing an M train at the Delancey-Essex Street station around 11:30 p.m. when she tried to rouse a sleeping passenger, the sources said. The subway snoozer became angry and kicked the conductor in the stomach before taking off, according to sources. The on-duty employee was taken to Bellevue Hospital with minor injuries. The attacker, who is still on the loose, is believed to be a Hispanic man in his 30s, standing about 6 feet tall and last seen wearing a black and white hoodie, the sources said.
The Guardian
a day ago
- Business
- The Guardian
In Hong Kong, my daughter was dazzled by futuristic tech – and I glimpsed the world she'll grow up in
A few months ago, I travelled with my six-year-old daughter to Hong Kong. As we made our way out of the airport and boarded a train, we shared a brief moment that gave me pause to reflect on how different her conception of the world will be from the one I grew up with. We sat down on immaculate seats, surrounded by LED screens. She looked around and said: 'Wow Daddy, we don't have trains like this back in London.' As the week wore on, and she pointed out other things that she had never seen back home, her comment about the high-speed train took on a broader resonance. Used to Britain's strained and crumbling public transport, my little girl had identified how economic power has migrated to a different model of capitalism over the past generation. When I was growing up in the heady, Cool Britannia era of the 1990s, Britain almost seemed like the apex of global civilisation. The only place ahead on its developmental trajectory was the US. And even if MTV or Hollywood presented it as the shining city on the hill, the smart kids knew it was really just Rome to Britain's Greece. In school, we learned how Britain, the birthplace of industrialised capitalism and parliamentary democracy and long the colonial ruler of places including Hong Kong, had created an ideal form of society that was the model for everywhere else. When we told the story of how capitalism emerged, it was through the enclosure of medieval English villages and the growth of the Industrial Revolution's 'dark satanic mills'. When we spoke of the rise of democracy, it was through the nobles holding King John to Magna Carta or Oliver Cromwell cementing the power of parliament. Britain, the US and some parts of western Europe were the 'developed world'. Everywhere else was 'developing'. And development was a one-way road. The various crises we saw on the news engulfing distant lands in Africa, Asia or the Middle East were framed as a painful step in the maturing process that countries passed through in order to become societies like Britain. This is not the world that British children growing up in the 21st century are now experiencing. Our trip to Hong Kong was a stark reminder of this. Back in 2014, the Chinese island city-state was named the overseas destination that most young British professionals wanted to relocate to. In second place was Dubai. Today, entire television programmes are devoted to the subject of young Brits moving to 'DXB', alongside other Arab cities such as Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. In Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman is pushing forward with his sci-fi vision for the Line – a futuristic, AI-powered linear city, where smart technology will connect inhabitants moving between two parallel mirrored skyscrapers that stretch across 170km of desert. Meanwhile multiple UK governments have been trying and failing for years to advance plans for a high-speed rail line, HS2. The affection young British influencers show for places that are still ultimately autocratic, no matter how much gloss and ring-lighting they use, is hardly surprising. The football clubs British kids support might be owned by Gulf royalty. The films they watch might look as though they take place in LA but are shot in the UAE. The idea that these are the places you now go to if you want to 'make it' has become almost as ubiquitous as the idea of following the 'American dream' was a generation ago. What does this shift in the axis of our global order mean politically? As the historian Quinn Slobodian detailed in his 2023 book Crack-Up Capitalism, Hong Kong long functioned as a utopian ideal for free-market radicals who sought to push a vision of capitalism that worked best without the constraining demands of mass democracy. Even Donald Trump, in his nativist justification for a trade war with China, often betrays the envy he feels towards its ability to crush dissent and suppress wages in a way that US constitutional traditions make more difficult. In Britain, it has become more common for our politicians and journalists to cite their admiration for the emergence of technologically advanced, politically repressive states in what was once called the 'developing world'. The former British prime minister Boris Johnson travelled to Riyadh in February and stated: 'Saudi Arabia is a country where things are happening with incredible speed and decisiveness. Frankly, we need to learn that in the UK.' About the same time, the Telegraph journalist Isabel Oakeshott wrote a gushing piece about moving to Dubai for cheaper private school fees, saying that 'unlike angry, divided Britain, Dubai is the ultimate multicultural success story'. The idea that capitalism might work best with limited, or even nonexistent, democracy is quietly becoming more acceptable. Just last week, Oakeshott's partner, Reform UK's deputy leader, Richard Tice, said Britain should 'aspire to' the low crime rate and widespread national pride found in Dubai. That the Emirati city is an absolute monarchy – regularly criticised by human rights organisations for imprisoning journalists, lawyers and political dissidents with little concern for the public's right to freedom of expression – appeared to be of little concern to Tice or others on the conservative right who celebrate the city's 'booming metropolis'. With our political and media elites now openly celebrating draconian regimes, it is likely that my daughter's generation will grow up receiving a different message about the importance of Britain's democratic 'traditions'. According to a Channel 4 study from earlier this year, 52% of gen Zers felt the UK would be a better place 'if a strong leader was in charge who does not have to bother with parliament and elections'. Unless our leaders start to promote an alternative vision of how society could function, and Britain's place in a world where the west is no longer 'best', more and more of our young people will have the feeling that the future lies elsewhere. Kojo Koram teaches at the School of Law at Birkbeck, University of London, and writes on issues of law, race and empire
