About the Museum > Museum History
Museum History
Since 2008, the Transportation Museum has been a unique, one-day event for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. Each year, visitors are treated to interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from the Transcontinental Railroad and projects to solve Bay Area traffic to programming miniature robots and solving an Amtrak-themed escape room.
Museum History
As a young child, museum director Andrew Mancini loved transportation of all kinds, especially trains. In fact, at the age of five, he had memorized all of the stations on the CalTrain line and knew all of the train engine numbers.
As a way to share his love for, and knowledge of, transportation with friends, family, and neighbors, Andrew created The Transportation Museum at the age of five. The museum, like those in subsequent years, occurred on a single day during the summer at Andrew's house. Early exhibits included displays of the schedules of every Bay Area transit route, organized on the family sofa; learning about the R.M.S. Titanic by allowing guests to send their own Morse code messages; and slot car racing at the "Grapefruit 500," a track set up on the cover of the hot tub in Andrew's backyard.
In 2013, Andrew wrote hand-written, personalized letters to transit agencies in the 40 largest cities in the U.S. and each transit agency in California and Nevada. Over 75 percent of these organizations wrote back, sending in not just the schedules and maps that were requested, but also fun items — chapstick, Yo-Yo toys, and rain ponchos — branded with their logo, forming the foundation of what is today the museum collection.
About the Museum > Museum History
About the Museum > Frequently Asked Questions
Museum History
Frequently Asked Questions
We'll admit that The Transportation Museum isn't your typical museum! It's a one-day event held annually featuring interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from historical displays (like the Pony Express or the Transcontinental Railroad) to those looking toward the future (solving Bay Area traffic and traveling to Mars). If it's your first time visiting the museum or you're interested in a refresher on what to expect, read answers to common guest questions.
What are the exhibits like?
Each of the museum exhibits are different, but each year's museum brings between 10 to 12 brand-new exhibits to the public. Each exhibit combines both educational components and interactive activities, so every display can be enjoyed by both kids and adults. For example, in the Float Your Boat exhibit at the museum in 2016, guests learned the science behind how boats float and discovered what buoyancy and water displacement is. Then, guests worked to build a boat out of LEGOs that could carry cargo containers while remaining afloat. In an exhibit at the museum in 2019, visitors programmed miniature robots through a San Francisco-themed obstacle course to learn, hands-on, how self-driving cars function. These two exhibits are just a couple of examples of the educational and interactive combination present at each of the museum's displays.
Since 2008, the Transportation Museum has been a unique, one-day event for toddlers, adults, and everyone in between. Each year, visitors are treated to interactive and educational exhibits related to all kinds of transportation, from the Transcontinental Railroad and projects to solve Bay Area traffic to programming miniature robots and solving an Amtrak-themed escape room.
Museum History
As a young child, museum director Andrew Mancini loved transportation of all kinds, especially trains. In fact, at the age of five, he had memorized all of the stations on the CalTrain line and knew all of the train engine numbers.
As a way to share his love for, and knowledge of, transportation with friends, family, and neighbors, Andrew created The Transportation Museum at the age of five. The museum, like those in subsequent years, occurred on a single day during the summer at Andrew's house. Early exhibits included displays of the schedules of every Bay Area transit route, organized on the family sofa; learning about the R.M.S. Titanic by allowing guests to send their own Morse code messages; and slot car racing at the "Grapefruit 500," a track set up on the cover of the hot tub in Andrew's backyard.
In 2013, Andrew wrote hand-written, personalized letters to transit agencies in the 40 largest cities in the U.S. and each transit agency in California and Nevada. Over 75 percent of these organizations wrote back, sending in not just the schedules and maps that were requested, but also fun items — chapstick, Yo-Yo toys, and rain ponchos — branded with their logo, forming the foundation of what is today the museum collection.
Current Events > Transit News
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Transit News: January 2018-June 2018
Stay updated on the California High-Speed Rail, travel, local transit, strange transit happenings, and more with the Transportation Museum's collection of unique news articles and stories.
After a successful two-month trial in Citrus Heights, Sacramento Regional Transit plans to expand their microtransit service, which currently seems like a viable competitor to ride hailing services like Uber and Lyft. Riders can call or book a service on an app to request a ride that will cost only $2.75, on the service that the transit agency calls SmaRT Ride.
CURRENT EVENTS • APRIL 20, 2018
TRAVEL • APRIL 19, 2018
Amtrak ends dining car service on 2 of its long distance routes
Effective immediately, Amtrak is ending its dining car service on 2 long-distance routes, switching to "fresh dining choices," which writer William Vantuono correctly calls "airline food." In his article, Vantuono describes how he believes this move, and countless others Amtrak has already made, was made in an attempt to ultimately create a good reason for ending long-distance trains. Read on in Railway Age >
The cost of relocating gas lines, sewer pipes, water mains, and communications wires underneath a 29-mile stretch of planned High-Speed Rail track in Fresno has risen drastically from $69 million to $396 million. The High-Speed Rail authority said they underestimated the number of linear feet of utilities, as well as the cost for relocating those lines. Read more in the Los Angeles Times >
HIGH-SPEED RAIL • APRIL 18, 2018
Wheely, a Russian ride-hailing service that began in 2013, is launching in London, England, with the hope of attracting drivers and passengers away from Uber, who was turned down the request to continue their service by Transport for London. Wheely is focusing on the "premium" sector in both Moscow, where it is successful, and now London. Read more in Financial Times >
CURRENT EVENTS • APRIL 6, 2018
Russian ride-hailing service comes to take on Uber in London
HIGH-SPEED RAIL • APRIL 5, 2018
California Legislature discusses options for High-Speed Rail
Prompted by increased project costs and a longer timeline, the California Legislature held two hearings this week in which they discussed options for the California High-Speed Rail, including abandoning the project entirely, giving the Central Valley tracks to Amtrak, continue plans for updated segments in the Central Valley, Bay Area, and Los Angeles (but not have a connecting system), or recommit to building an entire system from San Francisco to Los Angeles.
TRAVEL • APRIL 5, 2018
Alaska Airlines will begin daily nonstop service from SJC to JFK
Starting on July 6, 2018, Alaska Airlines will begin flying passengers on a daily nonstop route between San Jose and New York (John F. Kennedy International). This is the first daytime nonstop flight connecting the two cities, and San Jose airport officials say that the route is the most requested domestic route from the airport. Read more from NBC Bay Area >
18-year-old Miles Taylor of Cambridge, Massachusetts, has reviewed every single MBTA subway station and bus route in the region. He's reviewed each of his "Transit Adventures" on his blog, Miles on the MBTA. Each subway station and bus line is reviewed carefully, with details on everything from ridership to the state of the bathrooms. Read more about Miles in an NECN article >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • MARCH 30, 2018
CURRENT EVENTS • MARCH 29, 2018
How Trump's infrastructure plan hurts America's public transit
Under Trump's plan, the federal contribution to American infrastructure would be about $200 billion. This would be split among roads, bridges, airports, and public transit. 80% of the funding for transit projects would have to come from states and cities, many of which are already strapped for cash, leaving mass transit to increasingly deteriorate. See a CNBC article >
In a move that has surprised private railroad car owners, Amtrak has ended its customizes private-train journeys for events ranging from sports teams to rail-fan excursions. Amtrak says that these operations caused delays and only resulted in a small profit for the national rail service. Learn more about the change in The Wall Street Journal >
TRAVEL • MARCH 29, 2018
Amtrak ends charter services and special trains it operates
The 10% AAA and student discounts were quietly ended by Amtrak, America's national passenger rail service, and the age for senior discounts has been increased to 65. At the same time, Amtrak is expanding its week-long fare sales and "flash" sales. Amtrak hopes to increase revenue with this new system. Read more from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution >
TRAVEL • MARCH 22, 2018
LOCAL TRANSIT • MARCH 22, 2018
Cameras installed at Palo Alto Caltrain and road intersections
CalTrain is installing cameras in Palo Alto that can pan, tilt, and zoom to view suicidal people who are at risk of jumping over gates at railroad crossings. The cameras will replace 24/7 security guards located at the intersections, who are costlier and sometimes are tired, distracted, or unable to see well at night. Read more in The Mercury News >
Bus riders in the Pittsburgh area are faced with costlier cash fares on public transit, as the local transit agency encourages riders to use ConnectCards. Rides are 25 cents more expensive, and transfers are $2..75 instead of $1, for those paying in cash. Those who pay cash often are low-income riders, who now are penalized for paying on a ride-to-ride service.
Explore this change and its impacts in a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story >
Northern Virginia commuters have driven to Springfield for 50 years. At a park-and-ride lot, they are picked up by fellow commuters headed to Washington, D.C., in a system called "slugging" that allows them to use HOV lanes and bypass traffic congestion. But a proposed transit center on the site is threatening the future of this slug line. Read the story by The Washington Post >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • MARCH 10, 2018
On Friday, March 9, the California High-Speed Rail Authority published its biennial business plan. Among the details, the cost has risen to $77.3 million (double the original plan), the system has been delayed 3 years, and the travel time between San Francisco, the Central Valley, and Los Angeles has increased. Learn more about the updates in our Online Exhibit >
HIGH-SPEED RAIL • MARCH 9, 2018
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX announced on March 9 that his urban loop system, named the Boring Company, will prioritize public transit before private cars. His idea for the Loop includes 8- to 16-passenger pods that descend underneath city streets. Learn More at Wired >
In early February, the President and CEO of Amtrak, Richard Anderson, threatened to end Amtrak service in areas that did not have Positive Train Control (PTC) in place by the end of 2018. Now, after Vermont, who is exempt from the Congress' PTC requirement because it has such little-used trackage, responded with anxiety and displeasure toward Anderson's threat, Amtrak is backing away and saying that it currently has no plans to suspend or terminate any routes. Read more at Vermont Business Magazine >
TRAVEL • MARCH 6, 2018
Amtrak backs off from suspension of service in Vermont threat
The opening of BART's newest stations, Berryessa and Milpitas, have been delayed an additional 6-9 months due to communication errors, delays in testing, and a lack of qualified staff. The most recent opening date is January to March of 2019. (One day, BART hopes to expand its system all the way to downtown San Jose's Diridon station.) Learn more at The Mercury News >
Airline workers who manage airport gates, passenger baggage, and customer service for Envoy Air, a carrier of American Airlines, at Dallas/Fort Worth airport are arguing for what they call a "livable wage." As many as 25% of these workers rely on public assistance, including food stamps, for their day-to-day purchases. Workers at Envoy generally make only half the amounts that similar employees at American would make. Read the Dallas News article >
Greyhound has been given permission to end service in many rural communities in the northern part of British Columbia. Greyhound has said that it loses nearly $35,000 a day to due to declining ridership, but it remains one of the only methods of transportation for people without cars in the area. While shorter shuttle routes are being opened along the route, this will not replace the nearly 200-mile intercity stretch once served by Greyhound. Read more at CBC News >
TRAVEL • FEBRUARY 21, 2018
TRAVEL • FEBRUARY 20, 2018
Are airline flights taking longer? A look at 160 million flights...
Three professors at Tufts University analyzed 160 million flights between 1960 and 2016 and found that on average, flights are taking longer (more time is spent in the air and during taxiing). At the same time, airlines are "padding" their schedules so that they arrive earlier, compared to their schedules, more often. Want to learn more about the professors' research and findings? Or how this affects passengers? Listen or read about this at the National Public Radio >
Under a newly-proposed regional transit bill in the Georgia legislature, taxi and ride-hailing companies may have an added $0.50 tax per trip to help fund a regional transit system. All transportation services are subject to sales tax, but currently many taxi and limousine companies pay a 9% sales tax whereas Uber and Lyft do not. This new fee would replace the 9% fee, if passed. Learn More at Public Broadcasting Atlanta >
Construction on the California High-Speed Rail project has been going on for months in the Central Valley, but work has recently begun in San Jose. Crews are drilling for ground samples along the tracks to obtain geotechnical samples, or to find out the properties of the soil in a certain location. (The picture above is the plan for the new San Jose Diridon station.) Learn more about HSR work in San Jose from ABC 7 News >
HIGH-SPEED RAIL • FEBRUARY 19, 2018
CURRENT EVENTS • FEBRUARY 15, 2018
Amtrak, the national passenger rail service that serves over 500 communities in 46 states, may be significantly reducing service by the end of 2018. If federal spending on the service is sliced in half, as proposed in Trump's most recent 2019 budget plan, there will not be enough money to support Amtrak's long-distance routes. What is the future of Amtrak? What is likely to happen? Explore this issue in our Online Exhibit >
After Germany and 8 other European Union countries missed the January 30 deadline to meet limits on nitrogen dioxide and fine particles, Germany is considering making public transit free to encourage citizens to stop driving. The nation plans to test the idea in five cities by the end of 2018. Transit is currently cheap and popular in Germany, but the move may not work: other tests of free transit, like in Japan and Seattle, have failed. Read The Local de for more information >
Last Wednesday, February 7, 2018, the Queen of England was spotted riding the National Rail, the passenger rail service in England. She rode the train from Norfolk (in the northeastern part of England) to London. Other passengers noticed and took pictures of the Queen's surprising appearance onboard. Read about the story in Travel+Leisure >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • FEBRUARY 8, 2018
CURRENT EVENTS • FEBRUARY 7, 2018
The number of transit workers, including everybody from bus drivers to commercial pilots, who failed drug tests has jumped up 77% since 2006. Bus and truck drivers specifically failed drug tests in 0.8% of cases. These numbers coincide with findings that certain recent transportation-related accidents have been caused by a drug impairment on the part of the operator. See more in an article by The Washington Post >
Beginning Saturday, February 10, Caltrain riders will be able to purcahse one-way, day pass, and zone upgrade digital tickets on Caltrain's new app, Caltrain Mobile. The app may expand to include parking pass sales and real-time schedule updates.
John Walker of Greensboro, North Carolina, found an unused flight refund voucher under his bed, dated December 31, 1998, that was valid "forever" toward a future ticket. When United went bankrupt in 2002, all of its debts, including airline ticket vouchers, were eliminated, but the airline made an exception for this unique case. Discover more in a New York Post story >
LOCAL TRANSIT • JANUARY 31, 2018
Muni changes fareboxes on all of its buses, and transfer rules
On Tuesday, January 30, MUNI, San Francisco's transit authority, announced that it had finished swapping out its 25-year-old fareboxes on buses for newer, digital fareboxes. With this change comes a new rule about transfers on the system: passengers can now ride another MUNI bus within 90 minutes for free.
In the June 5 election, citizens who make up the 9 Bay Area counties will decide if they want to raise bridge tolls by $1 in 2019, 2022, and 2025, making the cost to cross bridges $8 (and $9 on the Bay Bridge). Be sure to check out this Transportation Museum-published document listing the funded projects! View the report >
Just four days after border agents hauled off a Jamaican-born grandmother in Fort Lauderdale, border agents were found to have hauled a man in handcuffs off another bus. The Trinidad-born man has lived in Miami for more than 12 years and has no criminal record. Greyhound is required by law to allow border agents to step aboard. Read more >
The San Francisco Chronicle recently explored the Bay Area's only abandoned-but-still-passed-through "Ghost Station." The Eureka Valley Station is just west of the Castro District in San Francisco, and lies in a MUNI Metro tunnel that is still used today. Explore with a San Francisco Chronicle article >
After just 5 days in service, 2 of the 10 new BART cards have already landed in the maintenance yard. One car braked unexpectedly while a train was running, causing all the cars to stop. BART announced, however, that they do not think that these maintenance issues will turn into a larger problem for their new fleet.
Because train service is currently "one of the only viable modes of transportation for commuters between Ventura and Santa Barbara counties," Amtrak is adding additional Pacific Surfliner service starting Saturday, January 20. 15 train cars will be added to the route, providing passengers with 2,000 extra seats.
TransFare, Vancouver's mass transit system, has begun selling transit-branded items ranging from shower curtains to phone cases. (Visit translinkstore.ca to see all the items.) Note: the Transportation Museum has a large collection of similar transit-branded items from other transit agencies. See a Lonely Planet story >
Learn about funding, scheduling, and construction updates for the California High-Speed Rail project. The 2018 business plan will come out in May, but this Fresno Bee article provides readers with a consolidated update on the project, as well as what would happen if funding was shut off for the large project. Read the Fresno Bee article >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • JANUARY 17, 2018
Adidas produces shoes with sewn-in Berlin annual transit passes
Sneaker company Overkill teamed up with Adidas and the Berlin transit authority, BVG, to produce 500 shoes that have an annual transit pass on BVG sewn into the shoe's tongue. The shoes, originally sold for $220, are now being sold on eBay. What a cool idea! Get more information from an NPR update >
On his first day as the new President of the NYC Transit system, Andy Byford rode the subway into work. Byford, who previously worked for the Toronto transit agency, is known for asking transit workers their opinions on transit-related matters. Read more in a New York Times article >
On Friday, December 22, 2018, UTA (the transit agency serving Salt Lake City, Provo, and the communities in between) gave all passengers free travel on all of its service. Ridership increased on the train, light rail, and bus by 66%, 32%, and 1%, respectively. Why was there such a low bus passenger increase? Read The Salt Lake Tribune story >
On January 11, 2018, Amtrak announced that they reopened the Pacific Surfliner and Coast Starlight train tracks between Santa Barbara and Oxnard, after the tracks were closed due to mudslide and flooding concerns. Read The San Luis Obispo Tribune update >
As a result of the East Coast and New York City's immensely-cold temperatures and a record-breaking city homeless population, many of New York City's homeless are using the subway for shelter in the past few weeks. See NY 1 video and article >
California architect firm Brooks + Scarpa designed the new Angel Lake Transit Station and Plaza based on William Forsythe's "Dance Geometry" piece. In the dance, the dancers "connect their bodies by matching lines in space that could be bent, tossed or otherwise distorted," said the firm. View pictures at the Dezeen architecture and design magazine >
On January 1, 2018, Amtrak ended its Southwest Chief service to Williams Junction, AZ, which formerly was a transfer point for passengers boarding the Grand Canyon Railroad to the South Rim of the national park. Read The Daily Courier article >
Get updates on BART, VTA, MUNI, Caltrain, AC Transit, and Tri-Delta Transit, including fare increases, the addition of a new route, a change in transfer rules, and more. Get The Mercury News guide >
In late 2018, Yosemite will begin using 2 new, zero-emission, battery-electric buses for its shuttle services throughout the Valley. These will replace 2 of the park's diesel-electric, hybrid buses. Learn More about the change at Mass Transit Magazine >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • JUNE 28, 2018
Google Maps' prediction of 4th of July traffic in 25 cities nationwide
Google Maps has analyzed traffic data and patterns to predict traffic levels between July 3 and 6 in 25 cities across the country. In general, traffic increases on the night of July 3. Some cities, like Miami and Houston, had far heavier traffic than normal on July 4, 2017. Now, by selecting the city you plan to travel to, Google Maps will tell you the best and worst time to travel.
With a goal of increasing Light Rail speed in downtown San Jose, VTA is launching a 6-month pilot program aimed to enhance safety along the tracks. The current "transit mall" design, such as that on 1st and 2nd Street in San Jose, lacks a clear boundary between pedestrian and transit space, often causing unpredictable intrusions on the track.
LOCAL TRANSIT • JUNE 27, 2018
VTA to pilot safety program in an attempt to speed up Light Rail
TRAVEL • JUNE 22, 2018
At a cost of roughly $2 billion, Transport for London plans to add 250 new subway trains to its service. These trains, which will include better air conditioning and plan to be in service by 2023, will be added to the current trains to increase the subway's capacity by 10 trains every hour. London is growing quickly and the transit agency is preparing for the future with this new addition. Read a CityLab article on this topic >
In partnership with the American Cancer Society, the ride-sharing service Lyft is offering free rides for cancer patients needing transportation to medical appointments. The service, which has already been operating in Las Vegas and Miami, will soon be available in 10 more cities across the nation. Patients can visit Road to Recovery to arrange a ride. See a Good News Network story on this topic >
CURRENT EVENTS • JUNE 22, 2018
Lyft to offer free rides for cancer patients headed to appointments
TRAVEL • JUNE 20, 2018
Oceanside working to reduce train horn noise in neighborhoods
The Southern California coastal city of Oceanside has been installing technology since 2007 in an attempt to eliminate the need for train horn blasts at crossings, with the goal of making the town and residential neighborhoods quieter. Oceanside is served by the Coaster and Sprinter trains, Metrolink commuter train, and Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner train, along with freight traffic. Read more in Railway Age >
Beginning Sunday, June 24, SamTrans will launch two new routes. ECR Rapid will serve 12 major stops between Daly City BART and Redwood City Transit Center, following the same route as ECR (similar to VTA Rapid 522 and 22). Additionally, Route SFO (which will be free through July 7) will provide direct service between the Millbrae Transit Center and all 4 terminals at SFO.
Learn more in a SamTrans news release >
LOCAL TRANSIT • JUNE 19, 2018
TRAVEL • JUNE 15, 2018
A recent report by the University of Southern Mississippi revealed that restoring Amtrak service between New Orleans and Jacksonville would provide a major economic boost to local Gulf Coast communities by increasing tourism and jobs. Amtrak suspended service in this area after the tracks were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and they have not run their since. See the study at Progressive Railroading >
Beginning Monday, June 18, veterans can ride free by showing a valid ID on Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) services. A test during the month of May found 8,450 veterans ride transit, proving that the new fare-free program would greatly benefit veterans in helping them to find employment, secure housing, and get around to places. Learn about this topic on WeAreIowa.com >
TRANSIT ODDITIES • JUNE 14, 2018
Des Moines veterans can begin to ride free on public transit
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced that Elon Musk's Boring Company could begin to build and operate an underground transit links between the O'Hare International Airport and downtown Chicago. The project will be funded by the company, with no taxpayer subsidy, and plans to transport passengers within the two locations in 12 minutes (compared to about 40, now). Read more in The Verge >
CURRENT EVENTS • JUNE 13, 2018
CURRENT EVENTS • JUNE 7, 2018
Seattle may offer free transit to high school and college students
The transportation committee of the Seattle City Council recently approved a plan to give free transit passes to students at public high schools within the city, as well as students attending Seattle colleges on city-funded scholarships. The idea comes evidence suggesting free fares for high schoolers will increase ridership and lead to riding transit later in life.
On Wednesday, June 6, lawmakers in Honolulu approved a measure, known as Bill 35, that limits how much ride hailing companies like Uber and Lyft can charge during high demand. Many cities have considered the idea of regulating fares, but Honolulu is the first city to actually limit surge pricing. Now the bill goes to the Mayor of Honolulu, Kirk Caldwell. Read more in The Los Angeles Times >
CURRENT EVENTS • JUNE 7, 2018
Honolulu lawmakers agree to limit ride hailing surge pricing
In May, the board of the Bay Area Rapid Transit voted to allow construction of a BART "Valley Link" extension that connects passengers from Oakland to Tracy, which allows for an easy connection to ACE. This will make the commute between Tracy and Stockton and the Bay Area a lot easier and shorter, taking more cars off the already-congested road. See more in CBS Sacramento >
LOCAL TRANSIT • JUNE 4, 2018
CURRENT EVENTS • MAY 18, 2018
University of Pennsylvania assistant professor Erick Guerra shares eight tips on how Philadelphia can reduce the number of bike fatalities, and it's mainly about changing the culture, he says. These suggestions can also be used in cities around the Bay Area, like San Francisco, where the cyclist fatality rate is slightly larger than in Philadelphia, as shown above.
After 3 1/2 years of planning, San Francisco has announced their plan for how to extend rail lines, including the California High-Speed Rail, to the Transbay Terminal: keep Interstate 280, bypass the new development in Mission Bay, and build a new 1-mile-long tunnel beneath Pennsylvania Avenue. An earlier plan called for bulldozing 280. Discover more in Mass Transit Magazine >
LOCAL TRANSIT • APRIL 24, 2018
New plan for SF High Speed Rail extension keeps 280, rail yard
The Metropolitan Transit Authority is getting 10 electric buses and new double-decker buses for commuter service on Staten Island. Additionally,
the MTA is also taking an entire look at its 325-route system to see if by fixing routes, it can ease congestion, give better options for riders, and improve ridership. Read more in Wired >
CURRENT EVENTS • APRIL 24, 2018
New York City to get new buses, and perhaps even a new system
Starting Monday, April 16, 2018, Caltrain bicyclists will board first at the Moutnain View, Palo Alto, and Redwood City stations. 66% of train delays result from issues with passengers, many of which are related to bike boarding, which causes 1,352 minutes of delays in December 2017. The test of this five-week pilot program hopes to find that the new boarding method improves efficiency. Read more in The Almanac >
LOCAL TRANSIT • APRIL 13, 2018
Caltrain to board bicyclists first in an attempt to improve efficiency
TRANSIT ODDITIES • APRIL 13, 2018
San Diego residents envy Los Angeles' airport transit connector
The Los Angeles City Council's decision to spend $4.9 billion to extend the Los Angeles Metro to the Los Angeles International Airport has spurred jealousy in San Diego, where their trolley line does not connect to the airport. Additionally, local assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher has been pushing to put the airport back under the Port of San Diego's control. Listen to this topic from the Voice of San Diego >
LOCAL TRANSIT • APRIL 12, 2018
Two San Francisco Chronicle writers, Peter Hartlaub and Heather Knight, are attempting to ride every MUNI line in one day. Inspired by Heather's 4-year-old son, also someone obsessed with transit, and two UC Berkeley graduates (one of them Giants CEO Larry Baer), who pulled off the stunt in 1980, the two will attempt the adventure on Monday, April 30.
CURRENT EVENTS • APRIL 10, 2018
Actor TJ Miller, who appeared in Silicon Valley, Deadpool, Unstoppable, and other movies and television shows, was arrested in New York City for allegedly calling in a false bomb threat while riding Amtrak. Authorities did not find any bombs or explosives, and noted that Miller was on a different train than he reported. Learn more in The Independent >
On Friday, April 6, residents and community leaders met to discuss the next 10 years of transit in Portland, Oregon. A main theme was focusing on helping the working class, who often move farther away from city centers (due to rising rents) and who experience less-safe streets and harder-to-access transportation services. Explore this issue in The Portland Tribune >
CURRENT EVENTS • APRIL 8, 2018
Working class most affected by weak transit in Portland, Oregon
Flights between London's Heathrow airport and the Amsterdam Schiphol airport make up Europe's second-busiest international air route, so Eurostar (the European High-Speed Rail system) has begun twice-daily service between the two cities. The trip takes just less than 4 hours and a standard seat costs about US $50.
TRAVEL • APRIL 6, 2018