Two cheers for speed cameras, but not three
There has been a well publicized backlash against Providence speed cameras placed in school zones ticketing those going at least 11 mph over the speed limit. But the anger is not because there is so much speeding in school zones, it is because their were so many tickets! The apparent sense of entitlement that some motorists feel to speed […]
Rhode Island needs better commuter rail to Boston
We all know Rhode Island benefits from its proximity to Boston which provides our residents and businesses access to markets, jobs, entertainment, medical services, schools and more. But we are held back by problems related to getting there and back. The roads are increasingly congested, that slows the buses too. There are many accidents, parking can be […]
Free RIPTA rides for everyone would help the economy and the environment
In the past decade RIPTA’s ridership has dropped by almost 5 million passengers, from over 21 million down to about 16.2 million. It’s not due to service cuts. Both hours and miles of service have increased a bit. Perhaps worse, it seems few are aware of the drop in transit riders. Businesses, state government, and […]
ACLU notes lack of promised privacy protections in RIDOT’s toll gantry regulations
The hearing is scheduled for 2 PM tomorrow in conference room 2B of the state Department of Administration Building, 1 Capitol Hill, Providence, RI 02908.
Bicycling in RI pedals forward, slowly but surely
We all could use some good news, and here is an example: prospects for more, better and safer bicycling in Rhode Island are looking up. This is good news for several reasons. One is better health, the drive-everywhere culture is one of the factors in increasing obesity and ill-health. And biking, close to true “fossil free” travel […]
Bicycling: The best of times, the worst of times?
“Bike Week,” just celebrated here and throughout the country, has come and gone, so now is a good time for an assessment. In short, the outlook for biking is decidedly mixed. Most are aware that biking is a healthy, non-polluting (almost fossil-free!) and usually enjoyable way to travel. The speed of a bicycle is often best to appreciate […]
When was the last time you took a train?
Most folks know that rail travel is a relatively efficient way to travel. Indeed, Federal energy statistics indicate per passenger mile, airplanes use about 21 percent more energy and cars about 27 percent more. Rail’s advantage is even higher for our Amtrak service on the Northeast Corridor which is already fully electrified. Less well known is how much […]
RIPTA fares, the most hated tax in Rhode Island
I’ve been re-reading The Stuff of Thought by the MIT linguist Steven Pinker. It’s a book I’ve read many times, but each time I re-read it, it helps to explain something new to me about the way human minds work. Pinker has a chapter about content-locative and container-locative verbs. Please don’t snooze about the grammar– I […]
No, lowering the car tax is what’s regressive.
Sam Bell and I have been debating the role of the car tax in producing economic equality. I wrote a bit about this on my own blog, which Sam generously linked to, but I also wanted to post to RI Future with some new information not in the original post. Getting a political message across […]
RIPTA has ridership and funding issues, what can we do?
RIPTA is far, far, from living up to its potential to help restore our core cities, keep our energy dollars within the state, and improve our environment and economy, as transit is helping do in other locations.
Yes, the car tax is very regressive
For the past year or so, I’ve been involved in a debate with well-respected transit policy expert James Kennedy, who curates the Transport Providence blog. The question is whether the car tax is regressive or progressive. I say it’s very regressive, and Kennedy says it isn’t. Kennedy’s core argument is that many poor people don’t have […]
Legislature looks at reinstating free RIPTA fare
There are now three separate bills before the legislature that would reinstate free bus fare for elderly and disabled Rhode Islanders, a longstanding social program that was cut from the state budget last year. Two of the bills come from the House of Representatives and one from the Senate. One House bill was introduced on […]
No free bus passes means going hungry for some in Pawtucket
It took about a month to start seeing the consequences of raising bus fare on Rhode Island’s most vulnerable commuters. According to a Valley Breeze report, “those people are frequently going hungry.”
Raimondo response to no-fare bus pass crisis ‘grossly inadequate’
“We promise to work in the General Assembly to restore the legislative mandate for no-fare passes that worked very well for forty years.”
No fare bus pass advocates press their case at the State House
I would argue that at a certain point the no-fare bus pass evolved from mere program to cherished value as uniquely Rhode Island as our historic separation of church and state and our long standing policy of saying no to the death penalty.
Governor Raimondo’s car tax plan unjust
Raimondo deserves a modest nod for choosing not to completely eliminate car taxes, a regressive plan that for some reason many progressives think would help economic justice.
Car tax rally in Pawtucket highlights need for reform
We chose City Hall to highlight the fact that Pawtucket pays one of the highest vehicle excise taxes in the state at 5.3 percent. Pawtucket residents have been paying this very high tax for many years without relief.
Creating opportunity regarding the car tax
I don’t agree with eliminating the car tax, but if it’s going to be done, are there ways for progressive legislators to use the process to better advantage? I’ve come up with some bargaining chips that I think should be in the progressive line-up while dealing with the car tax. Just briefly. . . Some […]
Low income RIPTA riders win 30 day reprieve before fare hike
With only 12 days left before the state was set to stop giving elderly, disabled, and low income Rhode Islanders free bus passes, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority Board of Directors voted to extend that social service for one more month. But for those who have been battling since summer to reinstate the program […]
RIDOT complicates viaduct when it should simplify
The Spaghetti Monster is real my friends, and it demands tribute. RIDOT cites the safety problem of driver weaving on “the Viaduct” in a proposal to increase the girth of I-95 between the 6/10 Connector and the Statehouse. The FASTLANE application also calls for a reconfiguration of the Dean Street ramps to the 6/10 Connector. […]
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