PublicTransportation

With the auto industry in the toilet and the perpetually cash-burning airline industry stinking as usual, at least one element of transportation is booming: public transportation.Record summer gas prices helped contribute to a 4% rise in public transportation in 2008. When gas prices came back...

Across the country, public transportation systems are telling weepy stories to politicians, begging for funding. In New York, crippling real estate holdings have led the MTA to warn riders of an impending 23% fare hike. Chicago, which just raised fares in January, is agitating for even more...

Here's one problem with $490 million in transportation funds headed to the San Francisco Bay Area, as part of $787 billion economic stimulus plan enacted by Congress and President Obama last week: Much of the money will go to refurbish buses, train systems and fill potholes, but not much will go to...

In the interests of full disclosure, I should begin by pointing out that I live in New York City, where I am a regular and enthusiastic patron of the city's amazing public transportation system. I approach the train in much the same way that a cocker spaniel approaches car rides. If I could open...

I found this ridiculous piece on MarketWatch about why people should be happy that gas prices are high and going higher. Using oil is apparently an evil, evil act, and now we are being punished and this writer is happy. I can't really argue with his points on a decreased dependence on the Middle...

As gas prices in the U.S. continue their steady march upward, the news is filled with stories about the way that it's changing our lives. As we hear every night, people are finding cheaper ways of getting to work, cutting down on trips to the grocery store, buying locking gas caps, and even...

It's nearly summertime, and that means you can look forward to hours on the road, on the rail or in the air. Of course, there's no way to completely cut gas out of your life when talking about transportation, but there are ways to cut gas out of your vacation: Public transportation. Now, sure, the...

As the national average price for a gallon of gas creeps closer to $4 (and actually hit $4 at home for me on Monday) mass transit is looking more appealing to many. Consumers are leaving their cars behind in favor of buses and subways. It makes plenty of sense, as a family with 2 cars will spend an...

The hard thing about writing comedy is that it all too often loses its punch by becoming reality. A few weeks ago, I joked that governments could make money by running real-time auctions among cars approaching an intersection, the highest bidder getting the green light. In the current issue of...