Chicago Unveils Plan to Punish Driving While Encouraging Riding

Sarah Lozanova — Thu, 01 May 2008 14:15:36 +0000

The average Chicagoan spends an hour and a half commuting to and from work each day. With the second largest public transportation system in the country, one million people ride city buses each day. Mayor Daley considered both facts when he devised a plan aimed at easing congestion, commuting times, and air pollution in the central business district. A $153 million federal grant can help make this plan a reality.

Priority Given to Buses Over Cars

The first part of the plan entails creating a 100 mile bus corridor with dedicated bus lanes during peak hours. Kiosks selling bus tickets allow passengers to quickly board buses and many routes will run express, resulting in fewer stops. Traffic lights will be programmed to turn green for buses, helping to keep them in motion. Hybrid buses will be used, reducing pollution in these heavily populated areas.

Trouble on the Streets of San Francisco

Shirley Siluk Gregory — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 20:29:05 +0000

A San Francisco TV station reports that the city has had to stop the hybrid buses running through the Bayview-Hunters Point District because vandals keep switching off the buses’ power. Municipal Transportation Agency officials say they’re considering adding locks to the panel doors that access the buses’ power switches.

Photo courtesy of Nicolas Vigier via Wikimedia Commons.

Green Options » hybrid buses

Chicago Unveils Plan to Punish Driving While Encouraging Riding

Priority Given to Buses Over Cars

Trouble on the Streets of San Francisco