Friday, October 16, 2015

Need for expanded bus service in Salem is "undeniable"

The Lund Report: "The editors called the absence of weekend service in the state capital "reprehensible" and the need "undeniable." Beyond the tri-county Portland metro area, Eugene, Bend, Corvallis, Albany, even Tillamook and Newport all have weekend bus service -- but not Salem."

Friday, October 9, 2015

Workers can't afford TOD housing

King County just bought 286 apartments near public transit to keep them affordable - Puget Sound Business Journal: "“As rents in the region continue to rise, lower- and moderate-wage working families are increasingly being priced out of housing with easy access to mass transit," said Stephen Norman, executive director of the housing authority. "Purchasing existing housing along emerging transit corridors is the most cost-effective way of ensuring that these families have continued access to light rail, providing connections to healthcare, education and employment opportunities, and reduced commuting costs.""
TOD sounds good, but is not a solution. The solution is to stop subsidizing cars. Make buses free, and with the savings on externalities, there will be plenty of money to provide housing.