Public transportation can save you over $9,000 per year

February Transit Savings Report: "The annual savings is $9,052 for a person who switches their daily commute by car to taking public transportation, according to the American Public Transportation Association’s (APTA) February Transit Savings Report. Individuals who ride public transportation instead of driving can save, on average, more than $754 per month. "

Cars spend 95% of their time parked

The Washington Post: "Parking is a major component of our driving experience. A large amount of our driving time is spent looking for a free spot, and our cars are parked on average for a staggering 95 percent of their lifespans. Parking infrastructure is so pervasive that for every car in the United States, there are approximately three non-residential spots — amounting to 5,000 square miles, an area larger than Puerto Rico."

Beer company pays for #freetransit, claims it “keep our streets safe and prevent drunk driving on major holidays and throughout the year”

economist: " MillerCoors, a brewer, is paying for rides on the city’s Metro trains and buses, covering all fares between midnight and 3am on Thursday night. It is part of the company’s Miller Lite Free Rides programme, which will extend to transit systems in nine American metropolitan areas on New Year’s Eve, and has previously paid for nearly 5m holiday and special-event rides over 28 years. Travellers on the “L” in Chicago, DART in Dallas and the Metro Transit in the Minnesota Twin Cities will also be among those receiving free rides on Thursday."

#Publictransit is for people not planners

panampost : "Mass transit should have few, if any frills. Rail lines may make urban planners jump for joy, but when building a single light-rail line costs over 21 times the cost of a totally rebuilt bus system, they need to reassess their priorities. The key is for planners not to design systems that they want to ride, but systems that people who have no other option actually will ride.+

This is where the Baltimore plan excels. It is not transit designed for planners. It’s designed for the minimum-wage worker with a job across the city, or for people trekking to jobs in distant suburbs. And that’s where this plan succeeds, especially when compared to the alternative."

Buses should come before rail

Gov. Larry Hogan unveils $135M mass transit investment for Baltimore | Maryland News - WBAL Home: "The Maryland Public Policy Institute issued a statement, saying the plan is a win for commuters and taxpayers: "The Hogan Administration's plan is Baltimore's ticket to a more flexible, efficient and commuter-friendly transit plan for commuters and taxpayers alike. Nonpartisan research from our institute and others consistently shows that high-frequency bus systems better serve both commuters and taxpayers than fixed rail projects, which bust budgets and commutes. We are heartened to see this plan enjoys bipartisan support at the local and state level, including City Council President Bernard C. 'Jack' Young.""

DC Metro service going downhill, while US spends $9 million a day bombing for oil

"WAMU 88.5 has received scores of emails and tweets from Metrorail riders who are quitting the system after the lousy summer that ended on a regrettably fitting note: on Sept. 21 a transformer fire at Metro’s power substation near Stadium-Armory will cause service disruptions for at least six months on the Blue, Orange, and Silver Lines."

Baltimore free circulator service to expand to more areas

Best (And Only) Public Transportation Expansion: The Circulator's Purple Route - Baltimore City Paper: "After years of being on the table, the Circulator’s Purple Route is finally going to be extended north to 33rd Street, bringing the free bus service to Charles Village, Old Goucher, and the surrounding neighborhoods. "