Bus

Smart thinking Broward County Transit getting your schedule and routes on Google Transit is a smart move.

Inside UF reports on this cool new service. Just makes the wait a little easier for the techies...

It is cool to watch the buses move.... (it takes a while to start up)

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Beginning today, bus riders in Gainesville will be able to pinpoint the exact location of the bus they’re waiting for with the help of the Gator Locator bus tracking system.

Google Maps Transit is a very cool addition to Google Maps. I just don't understand why more cities in Florida don't have their information loaded in the system.

Right now the only Florida city taking advantage of this awesome service is Tampa. Check out HARTLine on google maps this just makes the system very understandable.

No surprise that April 2008 average daily SCAT ridership was up 14 percent over April 2007. Guess the high gas prices have lots to do with that. But the expansion of services has also helped. More frequent service makes the system better.

Read more here

Among the new services or schedule changes taking effect June 14 are:

StarMetro news has this cool article .... wifi is good anywhere you can find it.

StarMetro offers Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), a technology that allows for wireless Internet connections, on ten of its coaches. This new technology will allow StarMetro riders to access the Internet via wireless enabled devices, such as laptops and personal digital assistants.

"From local listening sessions, we discovered that riders really wanted and valued WiFi access on transit," said Samuel Scheib, StarMetro Planner.

Naples Daily News article Missing link: Could Collier and Lee bus systems be connected?

We need smarter ways of providing transportation to places / routes / times that people want to travel. Ideas like this make sense -- unfortunately there is lots of inertia in the way of making it happen.

The theLedger.com article tells the story Polk Considering Merging Transit Boards
Even smaller cities and rural areas are seeing the benefits of mass transit -- with big increases in ridership too...

BARTOW | County commissioners agreed today to consider merging some of the county’s transit boards.

The first board that may be merged is the Winter Haven Area Transit board, which was formed before the creation last year of the Polk County Transit Authority.
...

Lynx CEO: We're on road to progress

Lynx has worked extremely hard the past four years to educate people in Central Florida about the value of mass transit, so when I read Gary Przyborski's May 3 letter to the editor, it was a welcome sign that people do understand what a vital role we play in this community.

Przyborski had six suggestions to improve Lynx, and we not only agree with all six, we are at varying stages of trying to implement each one of them.

Just as mass transit succeeds, officials slam the door on it

In fact, budget-conscious government is reacting almost as if transit is the enemy. It's suddenly working, so we're cutting back.

The Tampa Tribune reports: HART plans fare increase, cuts trolley fare

HART ridership, meanwhile, grows, projected to approach 12-million this fiscal year.

Regular bus fare would rise from $1.50 to $1.75. HART also expects to increase the costs of fare cards, express fares and paratransit fares. Overall, the changes would generate about $736,000 more annually.