Blog Profile / Cap'n Transit Rides Again
| URL : | http://capntransit.blogspot.com/ | |
|---|---|---|
| Filed Under: | Industries / Transportation | |
| Posts on Regator: | 762 | |
| Posts / Week: | 2.8 | |
| Archived Since: | March 4, 2008 | |
Blog Post Archive
The Island of Sausage Heros
Last week I was walking down Woodhaven Boulevard along Saint John's Cemetery, and I came across a food truck selling Italian sausage heros. Google Maps tells me that this is on the edge of Middle Village, but it's kind of Forest Hills and kind of Rego Park and maybe a little Glendale. Show More Summary
We can't depend on the Northeast Corridor
The big news this weekend is the major derailment and crash on the New Haven line between Fairfield and Bridgeport yesterday. The National Transportation Safety Board is shutting down that entire stretch of track for several days while they do a thorough investigation, and only after that can the repairs begin. Show More Summary
Stuck on the subway
Today the Times published a good article by Kimberly Matus telling the story of how she was groped on a crowded subway train. In that particular case there were undercover police officers who noticed her facial expression and arrested her attacker, but the experience was upsetting nonetheless. Show More Summary
Goals for long distance trains
Man, you railfans are a chatty bunch! I think my two recent posts on the competitive environment for long distance trains and long distance trains around the world have gotten the first and fifth most comments out of all of my posts....Show More Summary
"Why would they take the glass encasing off of a bus stop?"
I've written before about the Republican mayoral candidates' responses to a debate question about bus frequency, and their notions of accountability for transit. The Democratic candidates got their own bus question, too, which you can...Show More Summary
Long distance trains don't work?
Everyone seems to have figured out exactly why long distance trains don't work, and can't work, in the US. I wrote before about the efficiency arguments that Jarrett Walker and Bruce Nourish make against them, and a whole raft of people weighed in in the comments with well-constructed cases against routes longer than 750 miles. Show More Summary
Apartment buildings near the Rockaway Branch
In 2011, Alon Levy wrote this about the possibility of restoring service on the Rockaway Beach Branch Railroad in Central Queens:Observe the land use maps of Queens Community Boards 6 (PDF) and 9 (PDF), which host most of the Cutoff: along the Cutoff’s right of way, the primary uses are single-family residential, with only a little commercial. Show More Summary
MTA complaints: myth vs. reality
There's actually a lot to say about the few minutes that the mayoral candidates spent discussing transit at the 92nd Street Y forum last month. When the Republican mayoral candidates responded to Selig Alpern, there seemed to be a sense that you could actually complain to the MTA about something. Show More Summary
The density to support long distance trains
There's a new dust-up among transit bloggers, stirred by a recent report showing that while Amtrak's Northeast Corridor makes a profit and the state-sponsored corridor trains break even, the long distance trains are still losing money (although Don Phillips disputes those numbers). Show More Summary
In 2013, subways raise property values
Suppose that you live in a detached single-family home a block from the old Brooklyn Manor train station in Woodhaven. Your neighbors are selling a house a lot like yours, containing about 2000 square feet of floor area on a 5,000 square...Show More Summary
Will "Willets West" relieve Flushing Meadows's parking curse?
One of the least pleasant things about Flushing Meadows is the sheer amount of parking, as I've helpfully highlighted for you on the Google satellite photo below. Unfortunately the photo doesn't do justice to the enormity (and I do mean enormity) of the situation. Show More Summary
Enough riders for what?
In many discussions of transit feasibility, the question arises: will it attract enough riders? This can lead to some heated discussions, because not everyone agrees on what counts as enough.The most basic criterion for the transit rider is personal: I am enough. Show More Summary
The Federal Pies of Evil
In this week's Strong Towns podcast, Chuck Marohn expressed the frustration he felt with other advocates at the national Bike/Walk Summit. I share his frustration as I see people spending our scarce donations lobbying for a handful of...Show More Summary
The case for yield streets in New York City
Back in December I noted that there are actually three ways to adjust the balance of a road to favor pedestrians over cars, or vice versa. You can have expensive, permanent infrastructure: curbs, barriers and stop lights. You can have...Show More Summary
When is the MTA going to stop sending limiteds all day long?
Last night the 92nd Street Y hosted a debate for candidates for the Republican nomination for Mayor of New York. Members of the Y submitted questions to a camera crew on the sidewalk in front of the building, and the questions were then projected onto a screen behind the candidates. Show More Summary
The difference a lane (or toll) makes
Stephen Smith has a great piece in the Observer showing how the Bloomberg administration has adapted its development strategy to avoid clashing with long-term residents, many of whom live near subway stations. The resulting disconnect...Show More Summary
Exporting death to Thailand
Cyclists have been shocked by the death last Wednesday of Mary Thompson and Peter Root in Phanom Sarakham, Thailand. The couple from Guernsey were cycling around the world and blogging their adventures when they were rear-ended by a pickup truck. Show More Summary
What is the best use for the Flushing River valley?
I've lost count of all the proposals to build things in the Queens Valley. Here's a map from the Wall Street Journal: In addition to the plans to build on Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, there are also the various proposals for the auto...Show More Summary
Exploring the Death Valley of Commute Options
Recently I argued that there was a "Death Valley of Commute Options" between transit and driving, If you're sick of the crowding on transit it costs a lot to upgrade to driving, and if you can then no longer afford to drive it's a big...Show More Summary
What I want from a mayor or city council member
After I laid out the ways that Christine Quinn has disappointed me as a transportation and livable streets advocate, I got a couple of emails from 2013 candidates asking for my support for their campaigns. I'm flattered to be asked at...Show More Summary