July 9, 2011 | Author: John Fineran
With area transportation funds dwindling, and legislators shirking their responsibilities year after year to ensure that dedicated revenues for transportation (like the gas tax) keep pace with inflation and population growth, State officials across the region have little choice but to raise toll rates. So here is what is coming: The toll man cometh Reason Tolls for two-axle vehicles Maryland Rate before July 1, 2011 As of Oct. 1, 2011 As of July 1, 2013 Hatem Memorial Bridge $10/year with decal, $5 for trip $72/year EZPass plan to replace decal, $6...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
Read MoreJuly 1, 2011 | Author:MoveMDweb
A federal Government Accountability Office (GAO) performance audit, released yesterday, faults the Metro Board of Directors for micro-management and lack of strategic focus, among other failings, according to an excellent article in today's Washington Post by Dana Hedgpeth. The Metro Board has been called to task by GAO for getting involved in decisions no Board of Directors should ever be involved in -- the hiring and firing of individual employees (other than the General Manager) and other minor personnel policies, "excessive contact" with mid-level managers, and such operational minutae as picking out seat colors and station tiles. As anyone who...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
Read MoreJune 23, 2011 | Author: John Fineran
A new report by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy sheds important new light on the growing worldwide trend away from light-rail-transit and toward new bus-rapid-transit (or BRT) systems. BRT generally offers lower levels of capital investment and more flexibility in its operations than most fixed rail systems. What's been missing so far, however, is any way to clearly evaluate what is and isn't "true BRT" and the design attributes that are most important in identifying it. There is a world of difference, both in perception and reality, between running a...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
Read MoreJune 21, 2011 | Author:MoveMDweb
One of our key goals at SMTA is to raise the level of the debate over transportation policy in our region, to focus more on the factual issues, less on politics or ideology. This is why we were pleased to participate in the recent survey of regional transportation experts released by the 2030 Group. A recent article in Patch.com reported on this effort. NewsChannel 8's "News Talk with Bruce DePuyt" also did a follow-up piece today, with both SMTA and anti-road activists represented, in what turned out to be a lively debate. The show illustrated areas of agreement and stark differences of...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
Read MoreJune 17, 2011 | Author: John Fineran
The study released yesterday by the 2030 Group on regional transportation priorities has already generated considerable interest. Today, SMTA President Rich Parsons and Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance President Robert Chase appeared on NewsChannel 8's "News Talk with Bruce DePuyt" to discuss regional priorities and the formation of SMTA as a new voice in the transportation debate (the segment will re-air tonight sometime between 10:00 and 11:00 PM, and may be available on-line tomorrow). WTOP News "Sprawl & Crawl" and the Washington Examiner are also reporting on the transportation priorities study. In case you...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
Read MoreJune 16, 2011 | Author:MoveMDweb
Today the 2030 Group released a new study that was conducted jointly by SMTA and the Northern Virginia Transportation Alliance, to explore how the region sets transportation priorities and what leading experts in the field feel those priorities should be. The survey was conducted over the past several months through telephone surveys and focus groups with over 40 top transportation professionals from Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia. Summary of the Key Findings: 1. The nation’s most congested region lacks a well-defined short-list of transportation investments that would have the...regional poll of 800 residents in Maryland, DC and Virginia support:
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