IN ONEONTA, NY: GRANT FUNDING TO PROVIDE ECOFRIENDLI-ER TRANSPORTATION

I found this particularly impressive given the mostly rural surroundings in Oneonta, NY. As a general rule, urban areas tend to place more emphasis on transit services than rural ones, though urban areas may have more than just ecofriendliness driving their efforts (i.e., reducing traffic congestion, providing social mobility for individuals without access to cars, and keeping roads and parking manageable may be a cost-effective incentive to continually improve public transit services).


(Posted in:) The Daily Star
February 11, 2008
(No author listed.)
http://www.thedailystar.com/opinion/local_story_042034518.html

"Good step for environment"

"Oneonta has taken many steps in the past several years to become more eco-friendly.

"The city has investigated buying electric cars for use by various departments. The public transit buses run on B20 biodiesel, a biodiesel mix. And last month, the Common Council set a goal of reducing city government's nonrenewable energy usage by 5 percent by next year.

"Now, Oneonta plans to have a hybrid-engine trolley in use this year, Mayor John Nader said.
The trolley will be purchased using a federal transportation grant. The state Department of Transportation, which administers the grant, notified the city last week about funding totaling $555,000, of which $444,000 is federal, $55,500 is state and $55,500 is local. Of that funding, $375,000 will be for the trolley.

"Otsego County also received a nearly $600,000 federal grant, which will be used to replace eight vehicles in the 12-bus fleet. The 16-passenger vehicles will have modified engines that burn fuel more cleanly, Otsego County Planning Director Terry Bliss said.

"As part of the grant program, which, in part, encourages transportation agencies and municipalities to reduce pollution by using clean-fuel vehicles, Chenango County will receive $1,288,000, and Schoharie County, $328,800.

"Public transportation can be an effective tool in reducing pollution. If the public transportation vehicles are more environmentally friendly, the impact is that much better."

BUS RAPID TRANSIT (BRT)

On Tuesday, January 15, 2008, CDTA unveiled its plan for new rapid transit service along Route 5 corridor over the next two years, called the Bus Rapid Transit, or BRT, line. About 25% of CDTA ridership comes from east- and westbound travel along the Route 5 (#55) corridor. The BRT line will feature 20 "stations" that may replace up to 96 stops along the route depending on where riders get on or off the bus, shaving up to 17 minutes off the 72-minute route. The stations will also provide riders with heated shelters, rest rooms, security, and vending machines, allowing riders to purchase bus passes, thus further speeding boarding times.

Kristina Younger, CDTA's strategic planning director, said, "We think we are designing a service that will keep our existing riders happy and will also attract new riders."

Depending upon BRT's success, it will be interesting to see if CDTA extends the improvements to other routes in the Capital District, or if they will be able to use similar improvements to extend service to outlying areas where bus service is either sparse or nonexistent.


Source:
Cathy Woodruff. "CDTA Rapid Service Advances." Times Union. January 15, 2008.
http://www.timesunion.com/AspStories/story.asp?storyID=655230