It’s time to build a bus system the people of Franklin County can use and appreciate. Time to expand service, providing transportation to the people who contribute to the local economy every day. FRTA has no Saturday or Holiday Service, most RTA’s even have limited Sunday transportation ! In a recent American Public Transportation Association survey, titled “Americans Support for Public Transportation,” nearly 74 percent of survey respondents agree that their tax dollars could and should be used to create, expand and improve pubic transportation in their community. This number is up from 2012’s 69 percent. According to another American Public Transportation Association’s report, individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, more than $811 a month and $9,728 annually. These savings are based on the cost of commuting by public transportation compared to the cost of owning and driving a vehicle and the national unreserved monthly parking rate. The Center for Neighborhood Technology and the National Association of Realtors found that homes closer to public transit performed 42 percent better (in terms of resilience of property values) than those farther away. This finding was based on an analysis of home values in San Francisco, Phoenix, Boston, Chicago, and Minneapolis-St. Paul between 2006 and 2011,sw with the highest city being Boston. From World War II until just a few years ago, the number of miles driven annually on America’s roads steadily increased. Then, at the turn of the century, something changed: Americans began driving less. By 2011, the average American was driving 6 percent fewer miles per year than in 2004. The trend away from driving has been led by young people. From 2001 to 2009, the average annual number of vehicle miles traveled by young people (16 to 34-year-olds) decreased from 10,300 miles to 7,900 miles per capita—a drop of 23 percent. In 2009, 16 to 34-year-olds as a whole took 24 percent more bike trips than they took in 2001, despite the age group actually shrinking in size by 2 percent. In 2009, 16 to 34-year-olds walked to destinations 16 percent more frequently than did 16 to 34-year olds living in 2001. From 2001 to 2009, the number of passenger-miles traveled by 16 to 34-year-olds on public transit increased by 40 percent. According to Federal Highway Administration, from 2000 to 2010, the share of 14 to 34-year-olds without a driver’s license increased from 21 percent to 26 percent. Studies suggest that this trend will continue because of economic, environmental and lifestyle choices. April 2012 Publication ” Transportation and the New Generation” funded by Frontier Group, U.S. PIRG Education Fund Secretary of Transportation Richard Davey Speaking at the May 2013 Franklin County Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting, said he and the governor are focused at this point on maintenance and investments in better transit systems. “We need to provide Tina with more resources, for instance,” he said, referring to Tina Cote, administrator for FRTA. “We need to find more resources to expand services of bus and rail.” Davey said if the state can help in that way, then after making its initial investment, “people will come.” He said increased transit options will increase tourism to Greenfield. Recorder Staff Friday, May 24, 2013 September 26, 2013 Master Plan Community Gathering Results concluded “There will be dramatically increased ridership of all forms of public transportation, which will offer expanded service and accessibility. Oct 3rd Stan Rosenberg in Email “Thanks for letting me know about your effort . I will continue to work with my colleagues to help expand public transit services and options in the region. Happily more funding is being made available and I am excited about the new funding as a result of the new transportation legislation recently approved .” Transportation Justice for Franklin County Ma.collected hundreds of petition signatures supporting our effort to get FRTA more funding to enable expansion of present bus routes. Local support is strong enough to collect hundreds more. The $17.5 million John W. Olver Transportation Center has been recognized by the Massachusetts Chapter of the Sierra Club as one of the best transportation projects in the nation by The Sierra Club. This is a mandate for building an equivalent bus service. Transportation impacts the environment and economy. Its time for the public to get behind Public Transportation by funding and using it!
Posted on: Sun, 02 Feb 2014 11:50:01 +0000
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