Cincinnati - #publictransit key to labor supply

Cincinnati Enquirer: "• Feb. 2 – The benefits of improving mass transit in the region, from reduced congestion on roads to better health outcomes to attracting young workers who prefer alternatives to driving: http://tinyurl.com/mhu4nee

• Feb. 16 – The business benefits of better public transportation, which allows lower-income workers a cheaper, more predictable way of getting to work and also attracts higher-income workers who have lived in other cities with good transit: http://tinyurl.com/kqovcay"

Public transportation use up despite funding cuts

zanesvilletimesrecorder.com: "One of the biggest increases was in bus ridership. Since 1995, the report notes a 3.8 percent national increase in cities such as Zanesville that have a population less than 100,000.

South East Area Transport, commonly referred to as Z-Bus, has been seeing similar numbers. Year-to-date, SEAT has seen 473 more riders this year than in 2013, a 2.25 percent increase, according to a SEAT operations report.

Head dispatcher Linda Minter said this winter’s harsh weather has discouraged bus ridership and even shut down the buses for a day. Seeing an increase despite those conditions might be a sign of good things to come for the rest of the year, she said."

Why not make public transport free?

Mano Singham: "I feel that free public transportation should be the norm, especially in major cities with a lot of traffic where atmospheric pollution can be a real problem. Not only will it reduce pollution, it will also be a boon to poorer people who depend more on public transportation for work and daily living.
Of course, nothing is really free. We have to pay for it in some other way in the form of taxes. But there is no reason why taxes on gasoline, 60% of which currently pays for highway and bridge construction in the US, should not be used for this purpose. State and local gas taxes that pay for local roads could also be used to cover the cost of public transport."

Auto and highway system more deadly in snow - 50 cars pile up in Ohio

                                                              AP Photo/The Chronicle-Tribune, Jeff Morehead

montrealgazette : "TOLEDO, Ohio - A storm that swept through the Midwest and the Northeast just a week before the start of spring dumped more than 2 feet of snow on parts of northern New England and caused pileups on the Ohio Turnpike involving at least 40 vehicles, leaving three people dead and a state trooper seriously injured."