Four the Future - Transit Effects

Today: Bad transit stops, increasing transit demand, changing transit communities, and a transit public health win.

• This Tiny Roadside Refuge in Silver Spring Is Your Sorriest Bus Stop, America
  Source: StreetsBlog USA; July 8, 2016
  Summary: StreetsBlog USA had a tournament of "sorry" bus stops. The tournament allowed readers to vote of how bad the bus stops were. The worst is in Maryland, where the bus stop is completely inaccessible to pedestrians. There is hope, however, as there has been a request to fund a pedestrian crossing so people don't have to take their lives into their hands just to catch a ride.
  Opinion: If you follow the link in the story to the Washington Post article, you'll see that it used to be even worse--probably because none of the responsible agencies would take responsibility. And, what's the effect of this kind of infrastructure? Little, except perhaps reinforcing the perception that transit is mainly for people who don't have a choice, because who, exactly, would use this bus stop if they had an alternative?


• TransLink report highlights chronic overcrowding and record ridership
  Source: CBC News; September 8, 2016
  Summary: The transit system in Vancouver, British Columbia is experiencing overcrowding even outside of peak times. The federal and provincial governments have committed to expansion plans. TransLink is in talks with local governments to find the additional revenue needed to expand service.
  Opinion: Many transit systems experienced expansions in the last decade as communities experienced a significant shift in their travel habits. The increase in demand must have a spatial effect, as transit is concentrated in specific locations. So what's the effect of high ridership? Consider the increased value of the land and buildings adjacent to places with significant transit investment, as in the next story.


• Watching Los Angeles Gentrify
  Source: City Lab; September 6, 2016
  Summary: There appears to be a correlation between the construction of transit lines in Los Angeles and the increase in the value of the adjacent neighborhoods. In neighborhoods where transit investments were made, "residents became whiter, richer, and more educated." People with lower incomes were displaced.
  Opinion: It makes perfect sense that when a service that is valued is added to a location, the location's value goes up. However, it is not correct to assume that because the location's value goes up that the people who live there can continue to afford it. I've mentioned this before and it bears repeating. Just because you make improvements in an area doesn't mean that the benefits will go to those who currently live there. Indeed, you may tear the neighborhood apart. You must be mindful of whether the benefit is designed to help the place or the people.


• When Light Rail Opens, Do People Really Get More Exercise?
  Source: City Lab; September 8, 2016
  Summary: One of the benefits touted for transit use is that people who live near light rail stations walk more. But, it may be that the level of exercise you get is actually related to how much exercise you got before--only sedentary folks increased physical activity. Bus trips may have been replacing walking and biking trips for more active people. There is still much we must learn about how transit affects neighborhoods.
  Opinion: It makes sense that one change to a person's environment may not be enough to change a person's habits all by itself. Certainly, when a person has already made a commitment to physical activity, adding transit wouldn't alter that too much. But, as the study notes, getting a sedentary population to walk more is a significant public health win. Providing focused assistance to this population might have a great effect. (Need I note that many Americans are part of this population?)