Transportation: In the Bluff, Memphis Flyer

MATA Picks Consultant

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 09:00:00 -0600

MATA board members approved San Francisco's Nelson\Nygaard Consulting for a $350,000 short-range transit plan yesterday.

The five-year plan is expected to address visioning, routes, scheduling, capital assets, and finances.…

The Case of the Missing MATA Board Members

Mary Cashiola — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 11:19:00 -0500

Officially, MATA has a nine-member board.

But its most recent meeting, on October 25th, was the first time in four years — at least — that even seven commissioners were at the table.…

Intermodal Change

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:05:45 -0500

MATA's intermodal terminal, currently about 60 percent done and scheduled for completion next May, is already a million dollars over budget, and that figure is climbing.

MATA staff have already processed $959,997 in change orders for the original $9.62 million intermodal project, $750,000 of it stemming from a problem with the building's original design.…

More on the AirTran/Southwest Merger

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:45:00 -0500

When Southwest Airlines and AirTran Airways announced they would merge last week, local travelers — esp. those somewhat frugal ones — rejoiced.

For years, some of us have been driving to Little Rock to fly Southwest, the nation's largest domestic passenger carrier and often one of the most inexpensive.…

Bike/Ped All

Mary Cashiola — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 08:45:00 -0500

This week I did a Q&A with Kyle Wagenschutz, the new bike/ped coordinator for the city of Memphis and the Memphis area Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

It's a notable step for the city, hiring its first bike/ped coordinator.…

Zipped Up

Mary Cashiola — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 15:52:00 -0500

Car-sharing is going to college.

Rhodes College just announced car-sharing service Zipcar will be on campus this fall.…

The Road to Foreclosures

Mary Cashiola — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:05:36 -0500

Or "How Transportation Costs Affect Foreclosure Rates."

I've referenced Chicago's Center for Neighborhood Technology (CNT) here before. I think I may have even posted some maps of their Housing + Transportation Affordability Index.…

Tunica Transit

Mary Cashiola — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:39:02 -0500

Planners for the Mississippi Department of Transportation are exploring whether a high speed bus from Tunica to Downtown Memphis is feasible.

"This is something that's been talked about as early as 1996," said John Houghton, senior planner with Gresham Smith and Partners.…

Bike Action at City Hall Tomorrow/City Pledges 55 Miles of Bike Lanes and Facilities

Mary Cashiola — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 14:55:20 -0500

After all the uncertainty over the city's bikes lanes — they were going to create more when they repaved; then they weren't; now they are again — and the controversy that created, local bicycle advocates are asking Memphis mayor A C Wharton and the City Council to ensure that all future paving projects using federal dollars include bicycle facilities.

Last month, more than 30 miles of federally funded bicycles lanes were excluded from the city's repaving plans.…

Location, Location, Location

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 14:09:44 -0500

The Wall Street Journal has a story today on how walkability is an amenity that more homebuyers are looking for.

(It even namechecks a CEOs for Cities study of 90,000 homes in which amenities within walking distance of neighborhoods were shown to boost home values.)

"For a lot of Americans, the whole problem of traffic congestion and having to drive everywhere to do almost anything has made other choices more attractive," says Kaid Benfield, director of the Washington-based Natural Resources Defense Council's Smart Growth Program.…
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Road Share: Tips for Drivers and Cyclists

Mary Cashiola — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 10:29:29 -0500

Sometimes I hear complaints that Memphis drivers don't know how to share the road with cyclists.

Or maybe it's more of a don't want to share the road with cyclists.…

Fast Tracked

Mary Cashiola — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 16:09:00 -0500

When Leadership Memphis began its first season of FastTrack, a two-month program aimed at emerging leaders in 2008 — the same year the organization turned 30 — I wrote about it.

"It is targeted to a younger and more up-and-coming leadership group," Leadership Memphis president David Williams said of FastTrack.…
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Tough Luck Transit

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 13:41:00 -0500

A few days ago, I wrote about MATA and its Dump the Pump day initiatives.

Obviously, service that is affordable and efficient would be a great boon to the city and its citizens ... and something that would be even more helpful in getting people to "dump the pump."…

MATA's Dump the Pump Discount

Mary Cashiola — Tue, 25 May 2010 08:30:00 -0500

As part of this year's Dump the Pump day, MATA will be offering 7-day passes for $10 from June 14th to 18th. The new unlimited-ride weekly FastPass, started as part of MATA's elimination of its problematic transfer system, usually costs $15.…

Bike Path

Mary Cashiola — Fri, 21 May 2010 11:21:00 -0500

Marvin Stockwell started riding his bike to work about six weeks ago.

"That was after a year of thinking about it," he said.…

MPO's Business As Usual?

Mary Cashiola — Fri, 21 May 2010 09:00:00 -0500

(Blatant plug: This week, I wrote about the University of Memphis Livable Mid-South conference on transportation for our print issue. You should pick it up while you're out and about, OR you can click here.)

The Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) has moved into the next phase of its Imagine 2035 process.…

Tomorrow is Bike to Work Day!

Mary Cashiola — Thu, 20 May 2010 08:45:00 -0500

Like Aaron Woolf says, I know transportation isn't the sexiest topics, but in terms of economic development and people's quality of life, it's really important to think about.

Do I really have to list the reasons why?…

Short Auto Trips the Norm

Mary Cashiola — Wed, 19 May 2010 08:30:00 -0500

For our print edition this week, I wrote about the recent Livable Mid-South conference on transportation at the University of Memphis.

One of the speakers, Marianne Fowler, works with the national Rails-To-Trails Conservancy.…

Transportation Imagination?

Mary Cashiola — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 09:00:00 -0500

Attn: Cyclists, Public Transportation Users, Pedestrians, Motorists, and Light-Rail enthusiasts:

The MPO, the Memphis Metropolitan Planning Organization, begins its new long-term transportation planning initiative this month. I know, I know, it sounds like a snooze-fest, but it's really important, especially if you want to give input into how people in the region will get around for the next 25 years.…