<![CDATA[Grist - Comment Feed for Bills for highways, no change for transit]]> Grist Comment Feed en Comment #1 by Gar Lipow http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:42:02 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/1 23%?

According to that link nominal prices for the year are up a fraction of a percent - essentially flat. Even if you look just at the latest month a .7% drop does not translate in a 23% drop in prices. I'm tired and could be missing something, but if I am you need to update in the post, not just comments, because I'll bet I'm not the only one not following.

]]> 23%?

According to that link nominal prices for the year are up a fraction of a percent - essentially flat. Even if you look just at the latest month a .7% drop does not translate in a 23% drop in prices. I'm tired and could be missing something, but if I am you need to update in the post, not just comments, because I'll bet I'm not the only one not following.

]]> Comment #2 by Gar Lipow http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:44:22 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/2 Read further - OK last three months

Still question that level of deflation. Have not seen it at the supermarket.

]]> Read further - OK last three months

Still question that level of deflation. Have not seen it at the supermarket.

]]> Comment #3 by Pompey Road http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 08:09:21 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/3 Surprise Surprise:

You did not really think the legislative body bought and paid for by the corporations that tore up trolley and destroyed mass transit where ever and when ever they could would push for mass transit did you.

More new roads to run oil consuming, smoke snorting behemoths on. Mass transit, we can't save GM with mass transit:

LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM,
LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM.

Pay Attention boys and girls..Lobby Reform First or nothing green gets done.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.


]]> Surprise Surprise:

You did not really think the legislative body bought and paid for by the corporations that tore up trolley and destroyed mass transit where ever and when ever they could would push for mass transit did you.

More new roads to run oil consuming, smoke snorting behemoths on. Mass transit, we can't save GM with mass transit:

LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM,
LOBBY REFORM, LOBBY REFORM.

Pay Attention boys and girls..Lobby Reform First or nothing green gets done.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.


]]> Comment #4 by racc http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:27:31 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/4 Electric Vehicle Myth is the Problem Here

Great post.

This is not the change we need, this is just more of the same. The basic problem is many people are under the misconception that the electric vehicle will save us. This myth is being used as the reason to continue to waste money on highways in spite of the fact that mass use electric vehicles may never be practical or affordable replacement for gas powered vehicles.

The continued construction of highways that is fuelled by promise, fulfilled or other wise will actually increase the usage of gas powered vehicles before, if ever, electric vehicles come into wide spread use. This would be caused by both induced traffic and sprawl caused by road construction and the lack of investment in transit and rail caused by the continued funding of these highways.

More in my blog:
http://everyoneforever.org/blogger/

It is not about us, it is about everyone. http://www.everyoneforever.org/



]]> Electric Vehicle Myth is the Problem Here

Great post.

This is not the change we need, this is just more of the same. The basic problem is many people are under the misconception that the electric vehicle will save us. This myth is being used as the reason to continue to waste money on highways in spite of the fact that mass use electric vehicles may never be practical or affordable replacement for gas powered vehicles.

The continued construction of highways that is fuelled by promise, fulfilled or other wise will actually increase the usage of gas powered vehicles before, if ever, electric vehicles come into wide spread use. This would be caused by both induced traffic and sprawl caused by road construction and the lack of investment in transit and rail caused by the continued funding of these highways.

More in my blog:
http://everyoneforever.org/blogger/

It is not about us, it is about everyone. http://www.everyoneforever.org/



]]> Comment #5 by Tom Laskawy http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 13:15:08 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/5 Senate to the rescue

The administration's stimulus plan may be light on mass transit.  But Chris Bowers reports that a number of Senators, including Chuck Schumer, are already saying they intend to add a pile of money to transit spending in the stimulus bill.  I'd be loath to pre-judge the plan in advance of congressional haggling...

]]> Senate to the rescue

The administration's stimulus plan may be light on mass transit.  But Chris Bowers reports that a number of Senators, including Chuck Schumer, are already saying they intend to add a pile of money to transit spending in the stimulus bill.  I'd be loath to pre-judge the plan in advance of congressional haggling...

]]> Comment #6 by Pangolin http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 14:03:00 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/6 Reality challenged congress

Face it; this congress isn't that different than the last congress and reality seems to be a bit of a challenge for congressional delegates.

Climate change is real, very dangerous and accelerating. Congressional proposals at best will merely slow the rate of acceleration and do absolutely nothing to mitigate. There are no viable bills proposed to get GHG emissions to zero and then sequester atmospheric CO2 on a massive scale. None.

Oil imports have grown as a percentage of use every year but possibly 2008 in the US and technologically viable standards that would make every single car, van, SUV and light truck produced plug-in hybrid vehicles aren't anywhere to be seen. We're still trying to manage with the completely discredited ethanol industry.

The fastest way to reduce petroleum costs would be to convert homes and businesses and the entire state of Hawaii from heating oil and propane use to ground-loop heating and solar power. Congress is totally crickets on the issue even though it's a proven money producing investment.

State, local and federal government agencies can't afford asphalt and can't find it if prices stray into the affordable range. Interurban and rural rail connections, a standard feature of life in 1910 rural america, are completely off the boards as a viable solution.

A Congress that gives our clown college bankers free cash in fire-hose quantities and nickels and dimes food stamp recipients isn't going to suddenly bring a third neuron to the party. We're pretty much stuck with sitting back and watching the beatings continuing till morale improves.

Put the Carbon Back

]]> Reality challenged congress

Face it; this congress isn't that different than the last congress and reality seems to be a bit of a challenge for congressional delegates.

Climate change is real, very dangerous and accelerating. Congressional proposals at best will merely slow the rate of acceleration and do absolutely nothing to mitigate. There are no viable bills proposed to get GHG emissions to zero and then sequester atmospheric CO2 on a massive scale. None.

Oil imports have grown as a percentage of use every year but possibly 2008 in the US and technologically viable standards that would make every single car, van, SUV and light truck produced plug-in hybrid vehicles aren't anywhere to be seen. We're still trying to manage with the completely discredited ethanol industry.

The fastest way to reduce petroleum costs would be to convert homes and businesses and the entire state of Hawaii from heating oil and propane use to ground-loop heating and solar power. Congress is totally crickets on the issue even though it's a proven money producing investment.

State, local and federal government agencies can't afford asphalt and can't find it if prices stray into the affordable range. Interurban and rural rail connections, a standard feature of life in 1910 rural america, are completely off the boards as a viable solution.

A Congress that gives our clown college bankers free cash in fire-hose quantities and nickels and dimes food stamp recipients isn't going to suddenly bring a third neuron to the party. We're pretty much stuck with sitting back and watching the beatings continuing till morale improves.

Put the Carbon Back

]]> Comment #7 by monkeyrotica http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Wed, 21 Jan 2009 21:56:18 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/7 easy?

Easy -- cut commuting times, reduce driving, reduce congestion, green intercity travel and green freight shipping (so that rising oil prices don't feed through to prices for other goods, including food).

I think you're idea of "easy" and mine differ slightly.

The development mix should certainly skew more mass transit, but however that hashes out, I sincerely hope there's some decent contract oversight. Big Dig-level cost overruns are something nobody needs right now. My biggest problem with spending on roads is that much of it doesn't make any sense. I drove through this huge honking multilane freeway they're building through the middle of Knoxville. WTF is up with that thing? The level of traffic just didn't seem to merit all that asphault. I can easily imagine that sort of multilane hellscape getting planted in every major metropolis with more than 300k residents.

]]> easy?

Easy -- cut commuting times, reduce driving, reduce congestion, green intercity travel and green freight shipping (so that rising oil prices don't feed through to prices for other goods, including food).

I think you're idea of "easy" and mine differ slightly.

The development mix should certainly skew more mass transit, but however that hashes out, I sincerely hope there's some decent contract oversight. Big Dig-level cost overruns are something nobody needs right now. My biggest problem with spending on roads is that much of it doesn't make any sense. I drove through this huge honking multilane freeway they're building through the middle of Knoxville. WTF is up with that thing? The level of traffic just didn't seem to merit all that asphault. I can easily imagine that sort of multilane hellscape getting planted in every major metropolis with more than 300k residents.

]]> Comment #8 by Pompey Road http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:06:11 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/8 Viva Chavez:

Why anyone is still heating with heating oil is beyond me. The rest of the country and Chavez from Venezuela has to subsidize the heating oil homes now in the north east. I remember these units being pulled out and laying all over the place over 20 years ago in the rest of the country.

Yes unfortunately they have been replaced with electric heat derived from coal in some places but that situation can now be addressed.

The north east needs to be weaned off heating oil, they drive our consumption of oil in the winter to unacceptable rates. Our dependence on oil has to be cut by identifying every small portion of the oil usage. This just happens to be a large one and would save us millions of barrels of oil in the winter time.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.


]]> Viva Chavez:

Why anyone is still heating with heating oil is beyond me. The rest of the country and Chavez from Venezuela has to subsidize the heating oil homes now in the north east. I remember these units being pulled out and laying all over the place over 20 years ago in the rest of the country.

Yes unfortunately they have been replaced with electric heat derived from coal in some places but that situation can now be addressed.

The north east needs to be weaned off heating oil, they drive our consumption of oil in the winter to unacceptable rates. Our dependence on oil has to be cut by identifying every small portion of the oil usage. This just happens to be a large one and would save us millions of barrels of oil in the winter time.

The eons of time and nature was good to us down here. It was not until we become civilized that destroying our habitat become fathomable or fashionable.


]]> Comment #9 by Jay Alt http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Thu, 22 Jan 2009 05:22:46 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/9 The problem- no one anticipated having so much

money available.  The long-term plans haven't been laid for some of the good ideas they still want.  

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-oba ...  

]]> The problem- no one anticipated having so much

money available.  The long-term plans haven't been laid for some of the good ideas they still want.  

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/environment/la-na-oba ...  

]]> Comment #10 by Jon Rynn http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/ Thu, 22 Jan 2009 09:36:29 -0800 http://www.grist.org/article/The-Transit-Authority-Stimulus-miss/10 stimulus over ten years?

wha?  this is a 30 billion dollar a year stimulus package?  are they crazy?

]]> stimulus over ten years?

wha?  this is a 30 billion dollar a year stimulus package?  are they crazy?

]]>