Fare-Free Ohio

Hardy transit, hardy economy | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com

2012-02-17T19:50:00.002-06:00

Hardy transit, hardy economy | Cincinnati.com | cincinnati.com: "Maintain, grow public transit"

The need: Transport urban dwellers and elderly, disabled and poor to jobs, groceries, health centers and services.

The details: Public transit plays a critical role in the region’s economy: Metro provides 17 million rides every year, about half getting people to and from work. The Transit Authority of Northern Kentucky (TANK) serves 5 million passengers every year, about 75 percent to and from work. Local transit authorities say the greatest challenge is to maintain funding for services and programs and find ways to fund new ones, such as a planned $9 million bus rapid transit corridor in Uptown.

The experts: “Transportation is really important in terms of economic development, job creation and linking people to job opportunities,” says Terry Garcia Crews, CEO and general manager of Metro. “Here’s an opportunity to seize that moment .”

The cost: Maintain existing federal and local funding for public transit operations, infrastructure and the replacement of buses. Secure funding for new service and initiatives.

The prospects: Uncertain. Transit officials say the transportation plan put forth by U.S. House Republicans would jeopardize federal funding for public transit. And local funding is often tied to local governments, increasingly cash-strapped themselves.

Why Transit? | TransitColumbus

2012-02-16T21:14:00.000-06:00

Why Transit? | TransitColumbus: "Public Transportation saves Money at Home and at the Gas Pump

The average American household spends 18 cents of every dollar on transportation – nearly all of which goes to buying, maintaining and operating a car – the largest personal expense after housing.
Families living near public transit drive an average of 4,400 fewer miles than families with no access to public transit. This equates to an individual reduction of 223 gallons of gas per year."

'via Blog this'

$4,000 a year for gas, and you could have free #transit for 60 basis points of tax

2012-01-14T21:28:00.000-06:00

Gas Prices and the Value of Walkable Communities | Planetizen: ""While the average American household paid $4,155 for gasoline in 2011 -- a 25% increase over 2010 -- (in our walkable community) we paid about $1,400. And it wasn’t because we made sacrifices. It was because we happened upon an immensely satisfying lifestyle that just happened to be less dependent on gasoline. At whatever price.""

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#Transit Intangibles - Life in the human lane

2012-01-14T04:24:00.001-06:00

Transit Intangibles: "Transit evangelists can name off a long list of tangible benefits from riding transit. A smaller carbon footprint, better health, lower stress levels from driving can all be named but effects from riding that are rarely talked about are the intangible benefits of transit. This brings me back to an experience I had yesterday while waiting on my bus to return to work."

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#occupy has shaken loose more #transit funding

2011-12-14T20:40:00.000-06:00

RTA wins $12.5 million grant for new rapid station at Mayfield and East 119th | cleveland.com: "CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority has landed a $12.5 million grant to build a new rapid station at Mayfield Road and East 119th Street, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown's office reported today."

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Koch Bros - ALEC - Get Slapped Back

2011-11-09T03:44:00.000-06:00

Ohio Turns Back a Law Limiting Unions’ Rights - NYTimes.com: "COLUMBUS, Ohio — A year after Republicans swept legislatures across the country, voters in Ohio delivered their verdict Tuesday on a centerpiece of the conservative legislative agenda, striking down a law that restricted public workers’ rights to bargain collectively."

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Kasich - Lehman Bros crook, Koch puppet - give back the stolen funds!

2011-10-25T20:34:00.000-05:00

Quinnipiac: Opposition To Ohio's SB 5 Grows; Women, Union Members Push Kasich Deeper In Hole - ProgressOhio: "If the election were held Tuesday instead of in two weeks, a solid majority of Ohioans would vote to reject the state's new law restricting collective bargaining by government workers.

The latest poll from Connecticut's Quinnipiac University released Tuesday showed a 25-point gap between opposition and support for Senate Bill 5, which appears on the Nov. 8 ballot as Issue 2. That's nearly double the 13-point gap seen about a month ago when the poll showed momentum shifting to the side of those trying to save the law."

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#occupywallstreet in 72 cities

2011-10-11T19:13:00.004-05:00

Cleveland (photos.cleveland.com)

Dayton (daytoninformer.com)

Cincinnati (cryptome.org)

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mjs538/cities-that-have-joined-the-occupied-movement

RTA should provide free transportation for all

2011-10-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

RTA should provide free transportation for all: "Fares provide only 16 percent of RTA’s operating budget. The rest comes from taxes of one kind or another. Why can’t taxes provide the other 16 percent?
Eliminating fares would offer the following advantages:
• Bus travel time would be reduced, as the driver would not have to wait while passengers paid fares. This would also save fuel.
• Coins would not have to be counted.
• Those most in need of financial help would benefit.
• Many may choose the bus rather than their cars, saving fuel, traffic and parking spaces.
Fare-free public transportation would send a message that Dayton cares about its citizens.
Harvey R. Tuck
Harrison Twp."

'via Blog this'

Ditch Your Car And Travel Faster With Public Transit | Mildly Relevant Thoughts

2011-09-17T10:03:00.000-05:00

Ditch Your Car And Travel Faster With Public Transit | Mildly Relevant Thoughts: "As I hastily throw down a college breakfast (cereal), I’m reminded of how last night was a perfect example showcasing how the city bus kicks a car’s ass. Ironically, this incident came the night before I officially go car-free. That’s right. In about three or so hours, I will proudly no longer have a festering turd of scrap metal to constantly maintain, pay insurance on and inevitably fork over hundreds of dollars at a moments notice because something went wrong."

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SARTA ridership surges in August, September - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com

2011-09-16T04:32:00.000-05:00

SARTA ridership surges in August, September - Canton, OH - CantonRep.com: "CANTON —
Stark Area Regional Transit Authority said Wednesday its fixed-route ridership for August surged to its highest level in at least four years, and September ridership is on pace to be the highest since at least 2007.

The countywide bus service said it provided 207,919 rides on its fixed-route buses in August, a nearly 22 percent increase from August 2010.

The ridership surpassed the August 2008 mark of 192,361 rides, which occurred during a summer in which fuel prices surpassed $4 a gallon."

Build Soil. Build Community. “Beyond Organic” Farming in Yellow Springs, Ohio (Part Two) | Andrew Frank

2011-09-12T02:40:00.000-05:00

Build Soil. Build Community. “Beyond Organic” Farming in Yellow Springs, Ohio (Part Two) | Andrew Frank: "Andrew Manieri and Terry Schneider at Heartbeat Community Farm in Yellow Springs, Ohio, are doing the most important work in the world – they’re learning how to grow food in a truly sustainable fashion. Along the way, they’re building soil and community."

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No access to transportation limits job prospects, economic opportunities

2011-08-22T19:58:00.000-05:00

No access to transportation limits job prospects, economic opportunities: Many people cannot imagine life without an automobile, but more than 7.5 percent of Dayton metropolitan area households do not own a vehicle, and some of those residents also do not have easy access to public transit, according to a new report.

Another Gov Koch-Puppet goes from bullying to whining

2011-08-17T21:12:00.000-05:00

Daily Kos: Realizing SB 5 is likely to be repealed, Ohio Gov. Kasich seeks compromise: "One, two, three, and suddenly John Kasich is all wounded and aggrieved that the people he came into office attacking won't compromise with him. For the good of the state, don't you know. Because he's a 'believer in talking,' not because he's a bully who's afraid he's going to lose."

RTA reporting an increase in ridership during summer

2011-08-15T19:12:00.000-05:00

RTA reporting an increase in ridership during summer: "More people are riding Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority buses at a time when ridership usually drops.
RTA ridership climbed 5.6 percent in May, 4.8 percent in June and 1 percent in July compared to those months last year said Frank Ecklar, director of planning and marketing for the RTA. That translates to 81,600 more rides for those three months. Ridership overall on the RTA is up almost 2 percent this year with 87,000 more rides than this time last year he said."

The most important investment -- the common good

2011-07-24T03:47:00.001-05:00

(Reich is a free transit advocate!)

Public transit means jobs, access to life-saving medical care

2011-06-27T20:35:00.000-05:00

Repeal SB5 - Progress Ohio

2011-06-25T11:04:00.002-05:00

APTA: Public transit user saves $10,074 on average - News - METRO Magazine

2011-06-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

APTA: Public transit user saves $10,074 on average - News - METRO Magazine: "Riding public transportation saves individuals, on average, $10,074 annually and $840 per month, according to the American Public Transportation Association's (APTA) Transit Savings Report, which bases these savings on the June 13, 2011 average national gas price of $3.70 per gallon and the national unreserved monthly parking rate."

TaxProf Blog: Sullivan: The Rich Get 100 Times More Mortgage Subsidy Than the Poor

2011-05-15T04:22:00.000-05:00

TaxProf Blog: Sullivan: The Rich Get 100 Times More Mortgage Subsidy Than the Poor: "Providing about $100 billion of tax benefits annually, the mortgage interest deduction is the nation's largest housing program. So where are these subsidies distributed? Those readers with some scintilla of idealism might hope it goes to those most in need. So naïve! The tax benefit provided by the mortgage interest deduction flows overwhelmingly to rich families like those portrayed in the hit television series Beverly Hills, 90210. We've done the math and, as shown in the figure, the average annual per-person tax benefit provided by the mortgage interest deduction for the residents of 90210 is $1,873. For the residents of Clarksdale 38614, it is $45."

Sen. Brown Announces 'Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act' - ProgressOhio

2011-05-14T01:50:00.000-05:00

Sen. Brown Announces 'Close Big Oil Tax Loopholes Act' - ProgressOhio: "Legislation Would End $4 Billion in Tax Giveaways to Big Oil, Use Savings to Reduce Federal Deficit

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown outlined a bill Monday aimed at ending the more than $4 billion in tax deductions, subsidies, and royalty relief to big oil companies each year."

Rail, bus projects face lower chance of state funds | The Columbus Dispatch

2011-05-14T01:47:00.000-05:00

Rail, bus projects face lower chance of state funds | The Columbus Dispatch: "ODOT also has rescinded a Strickland pledge to share $50 million annually with public-transit agencies."

Kasich is a shameless oil-troll

2011-05-05T19:07:00.000-05:00

Innovation Ohio’s “Taxpayer Rip-Off of the Week” Award: Big Oil Giveaway | FU Corporate Media .com: "Innovation Ohio, a progressive think tank headquartered in Columbus, today presented its coveted “Tax Payer Rip-Off of the Week Award” to Gov. John Kasich for giving oil companies a tax break worth between $5 million and $10 million per year – a giveaway that was opposed by the Ohio business community and even Kasich’s own Tax Commissioner."

ALEC - they meet in secret -- they write our laws

2011-04-30T07:45:00.002-05:00

Get smart about ALEC - Koch tool

2011-04-16T23:40:00.000-05:00

Protest ALEC – APRIL 29th, 2011 | See you in Cincinnati: "They meet in secret. They write our laws. And they want us silent.

On March 15th, University of Wisconsin Professor Bill Cronon posted a study guide on his blog on the history and actions of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). He asked: What is behind the “sudden and impressively well-organized” wave of right-wing legislation targeting workers, students, women, immigrants, and the environment in state legislatures? He found that all roads led to ALEC."

The World at a Crossroads

2011-04-06T03:31:00.000-05:00

The World at a Crossroads: "Generally, we should desire higher gasoline prices in the United States (around $3 to $4 per gallon), because higher prices should moderate our consumption of this valuable natural resource, which we have been wasting for many years now, by making us switch to energy-efficient or alternative energy-powered cars, trucks, other transportation and appliances."

Cincinnati City Councilman advocates free public transit

2011-03-31T20:39:00.000-05:00

Streetcar Foe Proposes Alternative Transit Plan - Cincinnati News Story - WLWT Cincinnati: "Winburn said his proposal would not require public money and would allow free public transit for all riders.
'It would be free, and it would be sponsored by the business community that would underwrite this free ride all over our city,' Winburn said."