![A Toronto streetcar on St. Claire Ave. [PHOTO: Brett Gundlock, National Post Files]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/toronto_streetcar.jpg)
A few months ago we took notice of a graphic designer named Jason Shelowitz who created a series of subway etiquette signs and posted them throughout the NYC Subway. Well the idea has spread north—to Toronto, Ontario Canada. The Canadian National Post liked Jason’s idea so much they formed a psuedo transit agency called the Toronto Transit Civility Commission (TTCC) and designed a series of posters to remind the Canadian public of the responsibilities inherent in travelling with fellow “human” beings. Take a look…
Posts Tagged ‘mass transit’...
Transit Etiquette Spreads North
Thursday, July 15th, 2010Tags: Canada, Jason Shelowitz, mass transit, mass transportation, Ontario, public transportation, subway etiquette, Toronto
Posted in Subways Around the Globe, Transit + Infrastructure | 2 Comments »
Beyond the Motor City — at the Dryden Theater, June 28
Wednesday, June 23rd, 2010
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On Monday June 28 at 7:00pm you are invited to a FREE screening of PBS’s eye-opening film, BLUEPRINT AMERICA: BEYOND THE MOTOR CITY. The documentary is touring cities across America to raise questions—and seek answers—about the future of transportation in America. Can we build the “infrastructure of tomorrow” today? Can the cash-strapped and car-dependent cities of the so-called Rust Belt become new models for fast, clean, public transit? The links and similarities between Rochester NY and Detroit MI are glaringly obvious—and I think you owe it to yourself to see this film.
Tags: America, Beyond the Motor City, Detroit MI, documentary, Dryden Theater, Empire State Future, film, infrastructure, mass transit, mass transportation, movie, New York Museum of Transportation, PBS, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Rail Transit Committee, Rochester Trolley & Rail Corporation, RRCDC, transit, video
Posted in Events, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 1 Comment »
‘Google Transit’ Tames Rochester’s Baffling Bus Schedules
Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
If we’re being 100% honest with each other I have to tell you I used to pee myself with fear at the thought of having to ride Rochester’s bus system. Not because the buses are dirty—they’re actually some of the cleanest buses I’ve ever been in. And no, I’m not afraid of the “people” who ride the bus—some my best friends 
Traveling to and from downtown wasn’t the problem. All I had to do was find a bus stop and hop on—it’s a straight shot. But if I had to get anywhere involving a transfer (which, in Rochester, is pretty much everywhere) then I was lost. How in the world would I know which bus to transfer to once I got downtown? And how long would I have to wait? Would it be quicker to walk? How do I know if this is the most direct route? How much time do I have to leave myself to catch the 7 o’clock show at the Little? AAAAAAH! Forget it! I’ll drive.
Not so fast… There’s an app for that…
Tags: Broad Street, bus, Exchange Street, Fairport, Google, Google Transit, Google Transit Layer, Irondequoit, London Tube, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, public transportation, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, Tunisia
Posted in Transit + Infrastructure | 5 Comments »
NYC Subway Etiquette
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The West Village artist behind these subway etiquette signs, Jason Shelowitz (aka jayshells
Tags: Gothamist, Greenwich Village, Jason Shelowitz, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, New York City, NYC Subway, public transportation, subway, subway etiquette
Posted in New York City Subway | No Comments »
See Seattle’s Super Sweet Streetcar
Saturday, February 20th, 2010About a year ago I had the awesome pleasure of riding Seattle’s new South Lake Union Streetcar—a 1.3 mile line that opened in December 2007. Peep this video from Streetfilms.org. Seattle’s state-of-the-art streetcar line features real time arrival message boards, solar-powered ticket vending machines, and human-activated doors to save energy while the train is in layover mode. And check this out, you can find out the next arrival time
But what has this hi-tech investment done for the South Lake Union neighborhood? For one thing, a Whole Foods Market moved in—downtown Seattle’s first full service supermarket in decades. Plus, new condos, mixed-use development, and Amazon.com’s brand new world headquarters. That’s impressive.
Oh and while I was there I made sure to ride the monorail
See also Rochester’s Case for a Streetcar Line.
Tags: Amazon.com, light-rail, mass transit, mass transportation, mixed-use, Rochester Streetcar, Seattle, Seattle Monorail, South Lake Streetcar, streetcars, transit, urban planning, urban renewal, video, Whole Foods Market
Posted in Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
Rochester’s Case for a Streetcar Line
Tuesday, February 16th, 2010
America seems to have taken a renewed interest in mobility. Maybe due to President Obama’s recent commitment to high speed rail—or perhaps the positive results seen in towns like Portland and Denver have caught our collective attention. Whatever the reason, from the top down, people are rethinking our automobile-oriented culture—and getting excited about the possibilities.
There’s also good reason to focus on transportation as a way of jump-starting economic development. Industry requires access to people. And people need to have easy access to centers of employment. Continually improving access makes further development possible. Interrupting access will have the opposite effect. Likewise, doing nothing or simply maintaining existing infrastructure for an extended period of time will also hinder development.
For 30+ years Rochester has relied on the infrastructure choices it made in the 1950’s, 60’s, and 70’s. At that time we made development choices that encouraged our population to emigrate from the downtown core. We scrapped our extensive streetcar system, choked off downtown with the construction of the inner-loop, and paved super highways to take us from the city to the NY State Thruway and beyond. Since then that’s exactly where our money, our workforce, and our future have gone—down I-490 and out of state.
Tags: 19th Ward neighborhood, Amtrak, B&L, bus, bus routes, Cornhill neighborhood, Denver, downtown Rochester, Eastman Theater, Fast Ferry, Federal Transit Administration (FTA), Greater Rochester International Airport, GRI Airport, hub-and-spoke system, infrastructure, Kenosha, Kodak Theater, light rail transit, light-rail, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Mark Aesch, mass transit, Midtown Plaza, Monroe County Civic Center, New York, Paetec, Park Ave neighborhood, Portland, public transportation, rail transit, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Riverside Convention Center, Rochester, Rochester Amtrak Station, Rochester Art Gallery, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester Museums, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, RRCDC, RTS, SAFETEA-LU, Seattle, Small Starts program, streetcar, streetcars, Tampa, transportation, trolley, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), University of Rochester, urban planning, urban renewal, urban revitalization, War Memorial Arena, Xerox
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 27 Comments »
The Electric Interurban Railways in America
Sunday, January 17th, 2010
Long before hybrid cars, SUV’s, JetBlue, and even Amtrak, travel between American cities occurred largely by rail. With the industrial and technological revolution around the turn of the 20th century, America’s interurban railway developed so fast and connected so many of us, it must have seemed like the future had suddenly arrived out of nowhere. So when Henry Ford’s Model T was introduced who could have anticipated the turn transportation history would soon take.
If you’re interested in understanding the history of rail travel in American (its rise and quick fall), we’ve got a book for you. One of our readers, Laurence Keefe, recently brought this one to our attention. The following is Larry’s review…
“When we were children on summer vacation, the highlight of the day was when Dad got home from work. We would eat dinner at six o’clock, when the news came on the radio. That was because it took him 50 minutes to get from his office near the Four Corners in Rochester, NY to our farm in Victor…
Tags: Alexander Street, Amtrak, automobile, Averill Street, Canandaigua, Clyde, Court Street, Exchange Street, General Motors, George W. Hilton, GM, Great Depression, Henry Ford, hybrid car, I-490, industrial revolution, interurban, JetBlue, John F. Due, Laurence Keefe, mass transit, mass transportation, Model T, New York, New York Central Railroad, NY, public transportation, rail, rail transit, railroad, Rochester, Rochester and Eastern Rapid Railroad, Rochester and Sodus Bay Railway, Rochester Syracuse and Eastern Railroad, SUV, Syracuse, The Electric Interurban Railways in America, train, trains, transportation, vintage postcard, War Memorial
Posted in Opinion, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
Rochester Misses Out on a “No Pants Subway Ride”
Monday, January 11th, 2010Yet another reason to bring back the Rochester Subway… We’re missing out on No Pants Day! Hundreds of New Yorkers stripped down to their skivvies on Sunday for the ninth annual No Pants Subway Ride. The event, organized by a Guerilla group called Improv Everywhere, has grown from 7 or 8 people riding the NY Subway in 2002 to over 3,000 people taking part in 44 cities and 16 countries around the world.
Tags: Chicago, event, Facebook, Honolulu, Improv Everywhere, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, New York City, New York City Subway, No Pants Day, No Pants Subway Ride, NYC Subway, Pittsburg, Rochester Subway, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, uffalo
Posted in Rochester Subway, Subways Around the Globe | No Comments »
Light Rail 1 – Van 0 Caught on Camera
Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
Wow, this match wasn’t even close. An Arizona driver runs a red rail crossing signal and gets plowed into by an oncoming commuter train. Her van is then dragged… well, I don’t need to give you the play-by-play. The entire violent fiasco was caught on the train’s onboard surveillance camera! Watch the video…
Tags: Arizona, light rail transit, light-rail, mass transit, Phoenix, Phoenix AZ, public transportation, rail crash, railroad crossing, surveillance video, tracks, traffic, train, transportation, video
Posted in Subways Around the Globe, Train/Railroad Stuff | 1 Comment »
Ray LaHood Announces Money for Transit Projects
Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009
BECKY BOHRER (AP) NEW ORLEANS — The federal government is making available $280 million for street cars and other public transportation projects aimed at creating jobs and more walkable, environmentally friendly communities.
(Will Rochester see a dime?)
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood made the announcement Tuesday at a streetcar barn in New Orleans. The city, which has been trying to overhaul its public transit system since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, was LaHood’s first stop on a listening tour on federal transportation policy.
The last transportation spending bill expired in September. While President Barack Obama’s administration has sought a reprieve into 2011, given the federal stimulus package that passed earlier this year and was aimed largely at public works projects, Congress hasn’t agreed to an extension past mid-December.
LaHood said there’s a “pent up demand” for infrastructure work around the country… (more…)
Tags: economic stimulus, federal stimulus money, federal transportation policy, Four Corners, Gov. David Paterson, government, Great American Streetcar Scandal, infrastructure, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Mayor Patrick Duffy, New Orleans, New York, public transportation, Ray LaHood, Rep. Louise Slaughter, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Sen. Charles Schumer, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, street cars, transit, Transportation Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)
Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
Maggie on Ren Square, “This is no fast ferry”
Sunday, July 5th, 2009
In a recent post I implored our readers to send Maggie Brooks an email and request that she listen to Mayor Duffy’s concerns about the Renaissance Square project. It took a while but I actually did receive a response from Ms. Brooks. There no big surprises in it. As expected she defends the project citing the federal dollars, potential new jobs, and the 11 years it’s taken the project to get off the ground (11 years and still counting). But there are a few points that seem rather curious to me—one of which is a “full return on investment [for taxpayers] within seven years. Sure sounds dreamy. Here’s Maggies full response…
Tags: Center City, city planning, downtown Rochester, economic development, high speed rail, highspeed rail, infrastructure, Maggie Brooks, Main Street, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Monroe County, New York, NY, public transportation, Renaissance Square, Rochester, transportation center, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
Shhh! Secret Offer: The 1928 Rochester Subway Poster…
Wednesday, June 24th, 2009
Okay, the cat’s out of the bag. Our fans have been patiently awaiting this news for nearly a year. The 1928 Rochester Subway Poster is now in production and will be available to purchase right here beginning July 1! But subscribers to our newsletter have already put their orders in. “How’s this possible” you ask? That’s because our dedicated followers received an invitation to pre-order a copy of the 1928 poster early. BUT WAIT, there’s more… not only did these lucky railfans get to pre-order, they also received a hefty discount offer. Want to find out how much they saved? Oh alright you beat it out of me… Sign up for our newsletter before July 4, 2009 and I’ll send you the very same offer! Tick, tock.
UPDATE: This offer has expired. Email me for new offers & promotions on our Rochester Subway merchandise.
Tags: light-rail, mass transit, Rochester history, Rochester Subway story, transportation, trolley, vintage
Posted in Rochester Subway, Subway Gifts | No Comments »
Mayor Duffy Awakening
Wednesday, May 27th, 2009
The City Newspaper this week published an interview with Mayor Duffy, ‘It’s not too late to change’: Duffy on Ren Square
Tags: city planning, downtown Rochester, Maggie Brooks, Main Street, mass transit, Mayor Duffy, Monroe County, New York, NY, Renaissance Square, Rochester, Rochester City Newspaper, transportation, urban planning, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 1 Comment »
Rewind: High Speed Rail Art from 2002
Tuesday, May 5th, 2009Fast forward or rewind? The dream of high speed rail in Upstate NY is nothing new. Back in 1993
Tags: Albany, Amtrak, art, Art Deco, Buffalo, Chicago World's Fair, Genesee Transportation Council, high speed rail, highspeed rail, infrastructure, Laura Wilder, Mario Cuomo, mass transit, Niagara Falls, NYSDOT, poster, President Obama, railroad, Rochester, Rochester history, transportation, Vice President Biden
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester News, Subway Gifts, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
Rochester 2020 — Rail vs. Fast Buses?
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
If I said Rochester may one day have a rapid transportation system linking RIT to downtown Rochester and beyond, you might automatically think ‘light rail’. Think again. RochesterSubway.com recently discussed the future of Rochester’s transportation infrastructure with Richard Perrin, Executive Director of the Genesee Transportation Council
NOTE: If you’ve got a question that we didn’t ask in our interview, please leave a comment at the end of this post and we’ll pass it along to Mr. Perrin who will do his best to answer it as time permits.
Tags: Brighton, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, bus routes, City of Rochester, congestion, Curitiba, downtown Rochester, Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Federal Transit Administration (FTA), fixed guideway public transportation, future, Genesee Transportation Council, Genesee-Finger Lakes Region, GRI Airport, high-capacity corridors, highways, historical trends, hub-and-spoke system, infrastructure, Inner Loop, Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), interview, light-rail, mass transit, mobility and accessibility, Monroe County, New York, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Renaissance Square, Richard Perrin, Rochester Central Business District (CBD), Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester Institute of Technology, Rochester NY, streetcars, suburbs, subway, Transmilenio, Transportation Plan, Travel Demand Management, trolleys, U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), University of Rochester
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
Monroe County Transportation, Highly Satisfying?
Saturday, February 28th, 2009I asked Monroe County Executive Maggie Brooks if our current transportation infrastructure (highways, bus routes, etc.) are adequate to serve the needs and growth of our community moving into the future. I also asked what she thought Rochester mass-transit should look like by the year 2020 and if there was anything she’d like to see changed or improved. Read her response, then please let me know what YOU think…
Tags: bus routes, commute, highways, infrastructure, Maggie Brooks, mass transit, Monroe County, New York, NY, public transportation, Rochester, traffic, transportation center
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 6 Comments »
