Fred Jandt’s rethinking rail article on the Mass Transit web site (discussed here on Monday) offhandedly mentioned “what Foothill Transit did this week” with buses. That was a reference to the introduction of some of the first all-electric buses in the U.S. A mere 10-minute recharge of the batteries on these “ecoliners” is supposed to [...]

$100 fill-ups unlikely to kill our suburbs TheNewsTribune.com, WA - Jul 10, 2008 Sound Transit is counting on a changed mind-set among voters to boost a bus-and-rail tax package in the fall. Still others assert that $7 gas will kill the ...

WOW. According to a Washington Policy Center study: “Attracting a new rider to light rail costs 16 to 47 times as much as attracting a new rider to a traditional bus system“.

Read the Washington Policy Center’s research on light rail and download the study at:

http://www.washingtonpolicy.org/Centers/transportation/policybrief/08_Ennis_LightRail.pdf

The Facts on Light Rail: A Comparative Analysis of Light Rail Systems in Six West Coast Cities

by Michael Ennis
Director, Center for Transportation

As Washington cities consider whether light rail is right for them, this study on the performance of the six existing systems on the West Coast provides factual, real life examples of what taxpayers could expect here. Policymakers and the public should consider whether diverting transportation taxes away from other programs and services is worth the opportunity costs. Based on the data, this analysis concludes that it is not.

Driving an economy beater may help the planet in some small way, but most people are looking for a more fuel-efficient ride. Would you recognize one if the miles-per-gallon rating was staring you in the face? Probably not, according to two Duke University professors, Richard Larrick and Jack Soll, who published the results of a study in the latest Science.

Okay, so this isn’t exactly breaking news, but I found it interesting that a former professor of mine is behind the research. Dr. Keith Leffler was one of my Econ professors and has drafted a $161,000 report commissioned by the state of Washington.

“Washington has the highest gas tax in the nation. The combined federal and state tax is 54.4 cents a gallon. Unlike most states, Washington depends almost exclusively on the gas tax, as opposed to general tax revenue, to fund state highway maintenance and construction.”

The report focuses on determining how gasoline prices are structured, but additional conclusions were reached — including the amount of gas taxes paid by our state residents compared to the rest of the nation.

Seattle goes gah-gah over choo-choos Crosscut, WA - 22 hours ago But a leading critic of Sound Transit's Link light rail project offers metrics that suggest the environmental costs are much higher than those of more ...

This morning, the Seattle Times published the Antiplanner’s op ed about rail transit, energy, and greenhouse gases. But where did they get that deer-caught-in-the-headlights photo? The Oregonian published an abbreviated version of the same op ed (san photo) last week. Someone named Jake thinks he found a flaw in my study. As he points out in his [...]

Eugene, Oregon’s Lane Transit District (LTD) is facing the same problem that is no doubt confronting transit agencies all over the country. High gasoline prices are encouraging some people to leave their cars at home and take transit. But those same high fuel prices are threatening LTD’s finances and may force cuts in service. As noted [...]

A successful region, such as ours on the shores of Puget Sound, must expect more people as the jobs and the attraction of coastal climates shift world populations toward us.

Buried in the Seattle Times story about the road-toll initiative, however, is the most-likely explanation as to why legislators are backing it: The Washington State government needs a new source of money to compensate for falling revenues due to more fuel-efficient cars. Apparently the growth of state gas-tax revenue is slowing and, as vehicles become more fuel-efficient, officials are afraid tax collections won't keep up with their spending projections. So instead of allowing people to reap