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The Travelin’ Grampa Touring the U.S.A. without an automobile

Focus on safe, fast, convenient, comfortable, cheap travel, via public transit.

Vol. 10, No. 7, July 2017

Illustration credits: Rhode Island Public Transit Authority; Santa Clara Transit.

As these announcement by Rhode Island and California transit systems indicate, many summer beach destinations are readily reachable by transit bus, and in New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles also by subway/el train.

It’s time again to catch a bus, or train, to the beach Back in summer 2015, three issues of The Travelin’ Grampa were packed with info about the USA’s

best beaches on coasts east, west, north and south, and on lakes and rivers in-between, and how to reach

them conveniently and economically via public transportation, including even transit-accessible Hawaii

and Puerto Rico beaches, although no transit-scarce Alaska beaches.

This month we list this year’s TripAdvisor Best 40 summer vacation and weekend getaway

destinations, their public transit systems and handy web sites (see page 2). If your favorite summer fun

spot isn’t among them, locate its transit system on Bing, Google, Yahoo or another search engine.

Also featured is President Trump’s proposed cuts in federal funding of public transit. Photo: Delaware Transit Corp, aka DART First State; L.A. Urban Soul, Flickr.

DART First State beach bus goes to Delaware beaches. Bus 534 goes from Los Angeles rail line to Malibu.

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. Bus or Train to TripAdvisor Summer Destinations .

Best 40 USA summer destinations & their transit systems Based on survey of 1,381 travelers and their 2017 summer vacation destinations, with at least 200

lodging accommodations, showing the largest increase in seasonal booking interest on TripAdvisor, the

world's largest Internet travel site. For more: http://ir.tripadvisor.com/releasedetail.cfm?releaseid=1026545

1. Wildwood Crest, N.J., New Jersey Transit: http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TripPlannerTo

2. Ocean City, N.J., New Jersey Transit: http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TripPlannerTo

3. Lake George, N.Y., Adirondack Trailways: https://trailwaysny.com/ 4. Bar Harbor, Maine, Concord Coach Lines: https://concordcoachlines.com/ 5. Ocean City, Md., Coastal Highway Beach Bus: http://ococean.com/explore-oc/getting-around-oc 6. Rehoboth Beach, Del., Delaware Transit Corp.: http://dartfirststate.com/home/about/index.shtml 7. Ogunquit, Maine, C&J Bus Lines: https://www.ridecj.com/locations/ogunquit-me/

8. West Yellowstone, Montana: https://www.westyellowstonenet.com/transportation/public_transportation.php

9.. Montauk, N.Y., Long Island Rail Road: http://www.mta.info/lirr

10. Cape May, N.J., New Jersey transit: http://www.njtransit.com/sf/sf_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=TripPlannerTo 11. Estes Park, Colo.: Estes Park Shuttle: https://www.estesparkshuttle.com/ 12. Traverse City, Mich., Bay Area Transportation Authority: http://www.bata.net/

13. Jackson, Wyo., Mountain States Express: http://www.mountainstatesexpress.com/

14. Virginia Beach, Va., Hampton Roads Transit: http://gohrt.com/

15. Anchorage, Alaska: Alaska Railroad: https://www.alaskarailroad.com/ride-a-train/schedules

16. Lake Placid, N.Y.: Adirondack Trailways: https://trailwaysny.com/

17. North Conway, New Hampshire, Concord Coach Lines: https://concordcoachlines.com/stop/north-conway-nh/

18. Wisconsin Dells, Wis., Greyhound Bus: https://www.greyhound.com/ 19. Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, Dare County Transportation: http://www.darenc.org/transportation/elgblty.asp 20. South Lake Tahoe, Calif., Amtrak & Greyhound go there, plus: http://www.tahoetransportation.org/transit 21. Newport, Rhode Island, Rhode Island Public Transit Authority, www.ripta.com/

22. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, Coast Regional Transportation Authority, http://coastrta.com/

23. Fort Walton Beach, Florida, Okaloosa County Public Transit, http://www.ecrider.org 24. Colorado Springs, Colorado, Mountain Metropolitan Transit, https://coloradosprings.gov/department/91 25. Branson, Missouri: No local public transport. Springfield Airport Shuttle: http://www.sgf-branson-airport.com/taxi

26. Destin, Florida, Okaloosa County Public Transit, http://www.ecrider.org 27. Gulf Shores, Alabama. Baldwin Regional Area Transit, http://baldwincountyal.gov/departments/BRATS

28. Hilton Head, South Carolina, Palmetto Breeze Transit, http://palmettobreezetransit.com/wp/

29. Williamsburg, Virginia, Williamsburg Area Transit Authority, www.gowata.org

30. Orange Beach, Alabama, Baldwin Regional Area Transit, http://baldwincountyal.gov/departments/BRATS 31. Wilmington, North Carolina, WAVE Transit, https://www.wavetransit.com 32. Panama City Beach, Fla., Bay Town Trolley, http://www.pcbgov.com/visitors/city-transportation 33. Seaside, Oregon, Sunset Empire Transportation District, www.ridethebus.org 34. Seattle, Washington, King County Metro, http://kingcounty.gov/depts/transportation/metro.aspx 35. Pensacola Beach, Florida, Escambia County Area Transit, ECAT, https://goecat.com 36. Santa Cruz, California, Santa Cruz Metro, www.scmtd.com

37. Tybee Island, Georgia: On July 22, 2016, Tybee Island Shuttle canceled due to lack of funding. 38. Carlsbad, California, North County Transit District. http://www.gonctd.com/breeze 39. Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, Fun Time Trolley, http://www.cityofpigeonforge.com/trolley.aspx 40. Laguna Beach, California, Orange County Transportation Authority, http://www.octa.net/

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. Bus or Train to the Beach .

Photo credit: Harrison Leong, Wikipedia.

116th Street Station near Rockaway Beach, one of more than a dozen New York City area beaches easily reachable by subway-elevated train or transit bus. For more, click on this Mommy Poppins story about subways to NYC beaches: https://mommypoppins.com/newyorkcitykids/nyc-beaches-coney-island-orchard-beach-rockaway-beach:

Trains, buses to beaches from Boston, Chicago, NYC, etc. New England beaches reachable via public transportation:

https://www.boston.com/culture/travel/2016/05/28/beaches-you-can-reach-using-public-transportation

To the Sea by the T – a guide to Boston area’s transit accessible beaches: http://www.bu.edu/today/2013/boston-beaches-accessible-by-mbta/

Taking public transit to the Beach in Los Angeles and beyond: https://www.kcet.org/history-society/taking-public-transit-to-the-beach-in-la-county-and-beyond

Chicago Beaches closest to Chicago Transit Authority buses and subway/el trains: https://chicagotransitguide.com/2017/05/15/chicago-beaches-closest-to-cta/

Beaches near NYC easily reachable by train: http://offmetro.com/ny/5165/beaches-near-nyc-without-a-car/

Beaches accessible from NYC, and how to get there without a car: https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/nyc-beaches-without-a-car

Cape FLYER summer weekend train speeds riders between Boston and Hyannis, Massachusetts.

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Latest Public Transit News .I

Public transportation fare increases coast to coast

Washington DC area: Metrorail fares (based on distance traveled) now are 10¢ higher during rush

hours and 25¢ higher during non-rush hours than they were prior to Sunday July 2*.

Metrobus fares (not subject to rush-hour pricing) now are 25¢ higher, i.e., $2. Metrobus express bus

fare now is $4.25. Senior ages 65&+ Metrobus fare is $1. It was 85¢ since 2014’s 80¢ fare.

Senior fare on express Metrobus now is $2.10. To get senior fare, use Senior SmarTrip card, or pay

exact amount of cash while presenting acceptable photo ID showing age.

Metrorail and Metrobus also reduced evening and weekend service on many routes.

It’s said that Washington Metropolitan Area Transportation Authority (WMATA) management

anticipates these actions should generate about $21-million additional annual revenue.

* Rush hours are from weekday startup time, usually 5 am, until 9:30 am, and again from 3 pm to 7 pm,

excluding Sat., Sun. & holidays.

In the DC suburbs, Ride On, in Montgomery County, Md., and Fairfax Connector, in Fairfax

County, Va., raised bus fare to $2, senior to $1, express $4.25. Senior, 65&+, pays no fare on Ride On

bus Mon.-Sat. 9:30 am - 3 pm, when showing valid Senior SmarTrip card, reduced fare Charm Card, or

Medicare card and acceptable photo ID. Otherwise, senior pays half fare.

TheBus, in Prince Georges County, Md., adult fare is $1.25. Senior pays no fare, period.

DASH bus, Alexandria, Va., adult fare remains $1.60.

Virginia Railway Express (VRE) commuter railroad fare July 1 increased about 3%.

Baltimore and other Maryland public transit fares rose 10¢ per ride Sunday June 25. Regular adult

bus, light rail, and Baltimore subway fare now is $1.80. It was $1.70. One-day pass now is $4.20. It was

$4, Senior, ages 65&+, fare now is 80¢. One-day senior pass $2.10. MTA (Maryland Transit

Administration) commuter bus fares and MARC regional railroad fares remain as before.

New York MTA (Metropolitan Transportation Authority) fares increased in March. Single

MetroCard ride remains $2.75, but weekly and monthly cards now cost more. Adult seven-day pass is $1

higher, or now $32. Monthly is $4.50 higher, or now $121. Offsetting these a bit is: each $5.50 or more

added to a MetroCard adds a 5% bonus to the card. In other words, for every 20 rides, you get one free

ride. MTA Long Island RR and Metro-North commuter railroad fares also now are 4% higher.

San Francisco Muni (Municipal Transportation Authority) fares rose Sat. July 1. Adult single-trip

cash fare now is $2.75. It was $2.50. Paid by Clipper Card, it’s $2.50. It was $2.25. Senior cash fare is

$1.35, It was $1.25. Paid with Senior Clipper Card, it’s $1.25, It was $1. That’s a hefty 25¢ increase,

which sounds worse than it really is. Many low-to-moderate resident seniors get free Muni rides.

AC Transit raised fares 5¢ to 15¢ per ride. Adult cash fare now $2.25, Clipper Card fare $2.15.

Golden Gate Transit also raised bus and ferry boat fares 25¢ per ride July 1. Larkspur ferry cash fare

now is $11.50, senior $5.75. Sausalito is $12, senior $6. Senior Clipper card users pay less.

Philadelphia area’s SEPTA Key Card single ride fare increased July 2 to $2. It was $1.80. Cash fare

mow is $2.50. It was $2.25. Seniors ride free on most Pennsylvania public transit who use a proper senior

ID card, including new photo ID SEPTA Key Senior Fare Card. Pennsylvania Lottery pays their fares.

Foothill Transit, in southern California, will eliminate paper transfers this coming October, when it

introduces a discount for TAP farecard user and a one-day pass its riders have long sought.

Spokane Transit raised adult cash fare July 1 to $1.75, from $1.50. Senior fare remains 75¢.

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget . Illustration credits: The White House; Crown Publishing’s Bonanza Books; New York Central System Historical Society.

Trump Administration budget, left, favors ‘good ole days’ of privately owned public transportation.

Been there, done that; private mass transit idea flopped

Here we go again. Let’s mostly privatize public transportation, suggests President Donald Trump,

whose memory of the past seems distinctly limited. As Grampa well recalls, until the 1950s, almost all

mass transit systems and passenger railroads in the USA were public utilities owned and operated by

profit-seeking private companies and corporations.

When Grampa was a teenager, folks rode the Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe, Baltimore & Ohio,

Chesapeake & Ohio, Great Northern, Illinois Central, Missouri-Kansas-Texas, New York Central,

Norfolk & Western, Pennsylvania Railroad, and Southern Pacific – all giant corporations.

Kids knew many by their nicknames: Pennsy, Chessie, Katy, Monon, Mopac.

Who of us can forget riding a streetcar, bus or subway run by: DC Transit, Brooklyn-Manhattan

Transit (BMT), Philadelphia Transportation Co. (PTC), New Jersey Public Service Corp., Los Angeles

Transit Lines, Twin Cities Rapid Transit Co., or Chicago Rapid Transit Co. – all privately funded,

privately owned enterprises that, during the mid-20th Century, weren’t profitable enough to satisfy their

owners – who often left big messes for public authorities to clean up.

Privately owned transit was a 19th Century fabulous success story, that turned into a 20th Century

fabulous flop. It’s a concept whose time came and went.

Trump campaigns like FDR, governs like Calvin Coolidge “What we’re seeing,” said Rep. John Delaney, D-Md., “is the inherent dissonance generated by the

President campaigning like a New Deal Democrat on infrastructure and then governing like a tea partyer.”

President Calvin Coolidge often is quoted as saying in 1924, “The business of America is business.”

We know where that philosophy led – to a catastrophic 1929 financial collapse and worldwide economic

Great Depression, followed by a horrific World War II, during both of which Americans turned to the

socialistic yet also capitalistic administrations of presidents Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt and

Republican Dwight David Eisenhower to lead us back to peace, prosperity and progress.

Coolidge was president Aug. 2, 1923 to Mar. 4, 1929., when public transport was owned and operated

mostly by profit-making private companies and corporations, including passenger railroads, streetcars,

buses, subways, ferries, etc. He was followed by scandal-rocked President Warren Harding and President

Herbert Hoover of 1929 Stock Market Crash, 1931 Hooverville and 1932 Bonus March fame.

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget .I

Uncertain federal funding threatens many transit projects Uncertainty over federal funding threatens to scuttle many transit projects and thousands of transit

related jobs, as President Donald J. Trump, who promised to focus early on a $1-trillion program to

modernize the USA’s infrastructure creating “millions of jobs,” continues to focus on tweeting about last

year’s election campaign and other distractions, while influential members of his staff plot to turn the

USA’s public transportation systems into profit-making enterprises for private investors.

Instead of funding many current projects with federal money, the Trump Administration favors

“private-public” financing partnerships for bridge, highway, port, railroad and transit construction and

maintenance. Consequently, more than 50 public transit projects are awaiting funding, said Andrew

Brady, government affairs chief, American Public Transportation Association.

At least 50 transit projects in 23 states doomed? In jeopardy are about 50 proposed projects in 23 states, proposed to the Federal Transit Administration

years ago, now awaiting a formal final okay. Ironically, many are in places where a majority of voters

voted for Trump last November, such as Texas, where a new light rail line remains in limbo.

Others possibly doomed include:

► $325-million grant for a new 16-mile Purple light-rail line* for Washington DC Maryland suburbs.

► Light rail projects Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Seattle and Orange County, Calif.

► New rail projects in Denver, Phoenix and New York City.

► California’s not-quite-mythical high-speed railroad.

* Purple Line also is stalled by an environmental lawsuit in a federal court.

‘Pittsburgh not Paris’ president’s DOT denies Pittsburgh funding “I was elected to represent the citizens of Pittsburgh, not Paris,” President Trump declared, while

pulling out of a global environmental accord reached in Paris by his predecessor, President Obama.

Meanwhile, U.S. DOT officials told Pittsburgh transit officials not to expect an $80-million Capital

Investment Grant (CIG) to help pay for a new $223-million electric express bus line.

Trump’s infrastructure plan: 80% funding by investors President Trump’s aides indicate his $1-trillion infrastructure plan really is a $200-million plan, with

$800-million more somehow coming from “private” investors. What the Trump Administration proposes

is “private sector driven, has minimal investment, and ignores huge sectors of infrastructure,” said Senate

minority leader Charles Schumer, D-NY. Presumably, the 80% could include not only private investors,

but also state and/or local taxes, fees, fares, etc.

President Trump often says one thing, does another “He's saying a lot of good things on infrastructure, but what he's done is implement very real cuts to

infrastructure programs,” says APTA’s Andrew Brady, as quoted by The Washington Post.

Private road building came and went during 19th Century “Private road building came and went in waves throughout the nineteenth century and across the

country, with between 2,500 and 3,200 companies successfully financing, building, and operating their

own toll road,” during “three especially important episodes of toll road construction: the turnpike era of

the eastern states 1792 to 1845; the plank road boom 1847 to 1853; and the toll roads of the far West 1850

to 1902.” For more: http://eh.net/encyclopedia/turnpikes-and-toll-roads-in-nineteenth-century-america/

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget .I

Illustration credit: U.S. Dept. of Transportation; Streets blog from Wikimedia.

Left: The DOT’s Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) discretionary grant program has provided nearly $4.6-billion for road, rail, transit and port projects. Right: One of the latest to be assured CIG (Capital Investment Grant) money from the Federal Transit Administration is Caltrain, to electrify and expand its railroad that runs between San Francisco and San Jose, Calif. This is one of its new electric locomotives.

Administration seeks to phase out CIG & TIGER funds The Federal Transit Administration typically provides $2.3-billion Capital Investment Grant (CIG)

money annually for transit projects. Although congressional committees have recently approved its

repetition, the Administration proposes phasing out CIG funding altogether.

On the Administration’s chopping block is the FTA’s $5-billion TIGER grants program for road, port,

transit and bicycle projects. Local transit projects got about $500-million in TIGER grants in the current

fiscal year. The Administration believes “localities that benefit from them” should pay for such projects,

not the federal government. In general, DOT now seeks to restrict federal funding to proposals that “rise

to the level of national or regional significance.” These are exact quotes from the budget proposal.

Trump sees government regulations deterring investors President Trump sees government regulations as a big obstacle to investment in modernizing and

expanding transportation infrastructure. If investors think they’ll quickly begin getting a significant return

on their money, they’ll more likely invest, he supposes. In a recent brief speech at DOT HQ, Trump

stressed the importance of eliminating and minimizing regulations. “The excruciating wait time for

permitting has inflicted enormous financial pain to cities and states all throughout our nation and has

blocked many important projects from ever getting off the ground,” he declared.

Trump would cut discretionary DOT spending 13%

Discretionary U.S. DOT spending would be $16.2-billion in the coming fiscal year*. That’s 13%

below that for the current fiscal year. Entire DOT budget would be $75-billion, mostly for mandatory

items, such as salaries. Notably, DOT would cut $928-million from FY18* transit construction grants,

nearly 50% of what Congress already has okayed for FY17*. Funding would be limited to $1.23-billion

for new transit construction already approved. Also cut would be $630-million from Amtrak

* Fiscal year 2018 starts Oct. 1, 2017, ends Sept. 30, 2018. FY17 ends Sept. 30, 2017.

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget .I

Congress could reject Administration’s budgeted cuts “I always say the President proposes, Congress disposes,” Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., a House

transportation and appropriations subcommittee member, recently told a Fortune magazine reporter.

He was paraphrasing President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s oft-quoted statement: “It is the duty of the

President to propose and it is the privilege of the Congress to dispose.” Added Dent: “At the end of the

day, Congress will write the appropriations that we need to make for the DOT and FTA.”

Transit system leaders reflect viewpoint of their communities Transit executives aired their views about the Trump Administration’s proposed cuts in public

transportation funding at a June 7 gathering in the Marriott Inner Harbor hotel at Camden Yards in

Baltimore, Maryland, where the American Public Transportation Assn.’s annual Rail Conference was

taking place. Here’s a sampling of their comments:

► Peter Rogoff Sound Transit, Seattle, Washington “Continued strong federal partnership will be

instrumental to completing voter-approved projects… The voters of Puget Sound have already voted to

tax themselves for the local share to make these projects happen. They now have the right to expect a

reasonable return on their federal taxes.”

► Nuria Fernandez, Valley Transportation Authority, San Jose, Calif.: “The federal government

has been an important partner for transportation infrastructure. Voters of Silicon Valley approved a new

local tax on themselves, expecting the federal government to maintain the support it’s always provided.”

► Sharon Greene, HDR Engineering Inc., Irvine, Calif.: “While public private partnerships are an

important financing tool, they cannot replace the federal funding needed for America’s public transit

infrastructure projects.”

► John D. Porcari, Gateway Program (Northeast Corridor rail line and tunnel project between

Newark, N.J., and New York City): “The Gateway Program is the most urgent infrastructure project in

America. Ten percent of the nation's gross domestic product relies upon … a 106-year old bridge and

tunnel. There is no time to waste in advancing this crucial project.”

► Mark Fuhrmann, Metro Transit, Minneapolis, Minnesota: “Without the CIG program to match

the nearly $1.6-billion in local funding already committed, our Green Line and Blue Line extension

projects would not move forward.”

► Gary Thomas, Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, Texas: “Sustainable, predictable and

substantial federal funding is essential if transit agencies like DART are going to be able to continue

providing effective mobility choices for our customers. Our customers and stakeholders are ready for our

projects to get going so they can begin taking full advantage in their investment in mobility.”

Photo credits: Historical Society of Pennsylvania; The Cable Car Home Page.

Left: Philadelphia Traction Co.’s first electric streetcar in 1882. PTC’s lines were acquired in 1901 by Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. (PRT), which operated the city’s streetcar, bus and subway network when Grampa was a boy.

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget .I

Illustration credits: F.N. Otis, Illustrated History of the Panama Railroad, published 1861; S.J Rankin, Flicker.

Left: Passengers board Panama Railroad train at Aspinwall, in Panama. Until the Panama Canal opened in 1914, this was the world’s most profitable railroad, Grampa learned during his Army service in Panama. Right: The Elkington & Soldiers Home Railway in 1888, first Washington DC electric streetcar line. Company went bankrupt but was acquired In 1899 by Washington Traction & Electric Co. that defaulted on its bank loans and went bankrupt June 5, 1900.

Public transit systems ‘very concerned’ about proposed cuts American Public Transportation Assn. chairman Doran Barnes says APTA’s 1,500 members “are very

concerned about the Trump Administration’s FY18 budget proposal to phase out federal investment of

public transit programs that are vital to our local communities and millions of Americans.” Barnes is

executive director of Foothill Transit, a major bus system in Los Angeles County.

Administration’s proposed cuts ‘inconsistent,’ ‘contrary’ “This proposal is wholly inconsistent with the Administration’s approach to improve our nation’s

infrastructure,” declared Richard A. White, chief exec of the American Public Transportation Assn. “It is

contrary to the 35-year federal partnership that was created under the Reagan Administration.”

Congress passed the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act in December 2015 okaying

$2.3-billion annually, through 2020, for Capital Investment Grant funding, White noted.

Traditionally, the Federal Transit Administration pays up to 50% of the cost of new transit line

construction, expansion, or modernization. “The federal government is an essential and critical funding

partner for public transportation capital projects that help to create prosperous communities,” said White.

Local and regional taxpayers expect fed support Last November, communities nationwide approved nearly $200-billion in local and state ballot

measures to support public transportation. Voters okayed these local funds with the expectation they

would be matched with federal funds for implementing capital projects. Now it’s time for the federal

government to step up and match local and state funds for transit projects already approved by voters, say

transit advocates. “It takes investment from all levels of government and the private sector to improve our

public transit systems and enhance the communities they serve,” said APTA exec Richard White.

Congress running out of time After a July 3-7 recess, Congress is slated to work three weeks before a five-week recess. Federal

budget must be passed and signed by the President by Sept.30.

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. Trump’s 19th Century Proposed Transit Budget .I

Amtrak long-distance trains and stations likely to be fewer Amtrak, the national passenger railroad, would kiss $630-million goodbye, if top Trump advisors,

including Steve Bannon and OMB Director Mick Mulvaney, get their way. The White House budget

proposal (pictured on page 5) calls Amtrak long-distance passenger trains “a vestige of when train service

was the only viable transcontinental transportation option.

Long distance trains attract only 15% of Amtrak passengers but account for 38% of its operating

expenses, while chalking up annual operating losses of $500-million a year, says the budget proposal.

Politico says it looks like it was “ripped from Bannon’s nationalistic playbook.”

Administration and Congress view Amtrak differently

Amtrak should focus on its moneymaking Northeast Corridor trains between Washington and Boston,

the White House suggests. Disagreeing, Sean Jeans-Gail of the National Association of Railroad

Passengers, points out that Congress members from largely rural and small-town states are reluctant to

appropriate money for “elite” Amtrak Northeast Corridor trains if trains and railroad stations for their

own constituents are abandoned. “Expecting taxpayers in Mississippi to pay for tunnels for New Jersey

and New York residents just doesn’t work,” he told The Washington Post.

Long-distance train cuts would especially hurt about 220 “middle America” places in 23 states, where

a majority of voters supported Trump last November, he pointed out. “These communities really depend

on these trains as an economic lifeline,” he related.

NOTE: The White House budget plan calls for cutting $175-million annually from U.S. DOT’s FAA

Essential Air Service program, which makes possible commercial air service at remote airports. Photo credit: Wikipedia, Cooper Collection of US Railroad History; posted on eBay.

Los Angeles Railway weekly pass and 1920s-era Philadelphia Rapid Transit Co. fare ticket. Both companies went

bankrupt, their successor companies taken over by public transit authorities, but not until they had made Philadelphia tycoon Thomas Mitten and Los Angeles financer Henry E. Huntington multi-millionaires.

Private public transit boomed in 19th Century, died in the 20th “Exclusive monopolies, often granted by the government” made “traction magnates (titans of the

streetcar business) the Wall Street bankers of their day,” writes Stephen Smith in The Great American

Streetcar Myth, that describes the rise and fall of privately-owned USA public transit. “Eager to receive

guarantees on their large up-front investments, streetcar operators agreed to contract provisions that held

fares constant at 5¢ and mandated that rail line owners maintain the pavement around their tracks. These

rules made sense in the 19th century… but as the next century dawned, these provisions grew

increasingly anachronistic and would soon lead to the streetcar’s downfall.”

For more: https://marketurbanism.com/2010/09/23/the-great-american-streetcar-myth/

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■■■■■■■■■■■■■■ Grampa’s monthly Capitol Hill Report ■■■■■■■■■■■■■

115th Congress includes some strong transit supporters Not many members of the 115th U.S. Senate and House of Representatives ride public transit

frequently, but those who do – and even some who ride it infrequently – seem to be among its most

enthusiastic supporters. To wit:

☺ Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee member, regularly

rides the Metrorail subway to/from Capitol Hill. “Being honked at, screamed at, yelled at while driving in

D.C. is not something I miss,” he told Roll Call, the newspaper.

☺ Rep. Ed Pastor, D-Ariz., rides the Orange Line from his home near Eastern Market and frequently

rides a Metrobus. He’s done so for more than 20 years. “If you want to know what the city is really like,

ride the Metro or a public bus,” he said.

☺ Rep. Rob Wittman, R-Va., also is a frequent Metro subway rider.

☺ Sen. Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., rides Metro occasionally, but is a strong public transit supporter.

☺ Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-N. Mex., often rides Metro Red Line from his Silver Spring residence, to

avoid “fighting traffic.” He told Roll Call: “I’ve learned it’s better to take the public transit. Let a

professional fight the traffic. Well over 90% of the time, I take a combination of bus and Metro.”

☺ Sen Christopher S. Murphy, D-Conn.: “I'm sure I could have someone on my staff pick me up

every day, but why put someone through all that hassle if I have public transportation 10 minutes away

from my house.” He rides the Metrorail Red Line from/to Tenleytown.

☺ Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., told Politico, “The Metro system is superb.”

☺ Rep. Beto O’Rourke, D-Texas, who plans to run in 2018 for the Senate seat now held by

Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, likes public transit so much he holds “town meetings” in El Paso’s Sun Metro

transit buses. He says this lets him meet folks who “typically do not show up to our regular town halls.”

☺ Joseph (Joe) Biden, former Vice President and U.S. Senator, calculates that while holding these

jobs he made about 8,200 round-trips back and forth on Amtrak trains between Delaware and Washington

DC, “not every day, but on average 217 days a year.” Biden became U.S. Senator in January 1973.

Amtrak began operations in May 1971. Wilmington’s railroad station bears his name.

☺ Eleanor Holmes Norton, elected delegate in Congress from the District of Columbia, usually

walks to/from the Capitol, not far from her residence, whenever her hectic schedule allows, she told a

Politico reporter. On weekends, she drives to various places.

☺ John Mica, former chairman of the House Transportation Committee, Florida Republican, and

member of Congress 1993 to 2017, said he rode it often, because it’s “just quicker” and “it’s safe.” “I take

it to the airport,” instead of driving and leaving his car at the VIP parking lot there, he said. Mica now

often rides a Route 41 LYNX bus back home in Orlando.

☺ Nick Rahall, member of Congress from 1993 to 2015, said. “I’ve had nothing but positive

experiences with it.” The West Virginia Democrat called Metrorail a “secure, clean, obviously quick

mode of transportation.” He was at that time an active member of the House Transportation committee.

Most members of Congress rarely ride on public transportation, except for three small subway lines

linking Senate and House office buildings with the U.S. Capitol building and on commercial passenger

airlines. Most can afford first-class private transport. During its current (115Th) session, 271 of its 534

members are millionaires.

Metrorail’s congressional riders range from Oregon liberals to Midwest centrists and Florida

conservatives. Some come from cities with established transit systems; others from rural areas where a

taxicab, or bus line or two might be the only transit choice.

Wrote Politico’s Adam Snider: “Many senators and representatives are driven to the Hill, or simply

walk from row houses located on the prime real estate that surrounds the Capitol.”

12

. So That’s From What Those Sausages Are Made . I Photo credits: District Three Governmental Cooperatives; Carbon County Community Transit.

Smyth County, Va., Mountain Lynx Transit bus. Carbon County, Pa., LYNX bus.

District 3 Public Transit renames itself Mountain Lynx Transit A rural bus system in far southwest Virginia, near the state’s borders with North Carolina, Kentucky,

Tennessee and West Virginia, has changed its name. It’s now Mountain Lynx Transit. Previously known

as District Three Public Transit, it’s operated by District Three Governmental Cooperatives, Marion, Va.,

the county seat of Smyth County.

On its seven new buses is the new name and a new logo, a silhouette of a lynx wildcat. It also has

adopted a new slogan: “Linking People with Life.”

Anyone can ride Mountain Lynx. All fares are 50¢ each way. Transfers are free.

District Three staff members were joined by local government officials and other VIPs for a ribbon

cutting ceremony June 2 at Wayne C. Henderson School of Appalachian Arts, a Marion landmark most

local folks call “The Henderson.”

The buses have bicycle racks, power doors and large windows.

Other bus systems also feature Lynx name and logo As pictured above, the LYNX name and similar wildcat silhouette appear on buses operated by

Carbon County Community Transit (CCCT) that serves riders in not only Carbon County, Pa., but some

in adjacent Lehigh and Schuylkill counties.

Cottonwood Area Transit (CAT) operates four bus routes in Cottonwood, Ariz., plus a commuter line

between Cottonwood and Sedona, named Verde Lynx.

Best-known LYNX buses probably are Central Florida Regional Transportation Authority buses

carrying riders around Orange County and, in particular, the city of Orlando and its environs, including

Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Legoland, etc. Also, see below:

CATS bus system delays opening of LYNX Blue Line Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), based in Charlotte, N. C., is delaying opening of its LYNX

Blue Line Extension until August 2017. “This updated schedule opening,” it says, “is due to construction

coordination challenges and remaining system integration testing, vehicle burn-in, signalization testing

and safety reviews.” Opening date target now is Mar. 31, 2018. With 91% of the project complete, the

delay shouldn’t increase the project’s original $1.16-billion cost estimate, suppose CATS officials. The

Blue Line project is being largely funded by a U.S. DOT FTA grant. ______________________________________________________________________________________________ © 2017, all rights reserved. The Travelin’ Grampa is published monthly by John A. Moore Sr., freelance journalist, P. O Box 636, Clifton Heights PA 19018-0636. Price for one year (12 issues) subscription by email: $75. Special 66½ discount to U. S. residents ages 62 and above.