SAVE Transit

Transportation Policies and Your Health

2012-03-01T09:51:00.003-08:00

This article out of San Diego makes a case for urban cycling development and makes use of some sad-but-true statistics to back up the need in such a heavily developed area:

http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/feb/17/transportation-laws-can-affect-health/

Missoula Powershift

2012-02-21T13:17:00.000-08:00

This weekend a delegation of SAVE's Americorps workers and Carroll students traveled west to Missoula to attend the Rocky Mountain Powershift conference at the University of Montana campus. There, we attended presentations and workshops designed to produce effective youth advocates for the environment through grassroots campaigning and alternative consumption and organization. Highlights included a Skyped keynote address from BIll McKibben, a small group discussion with student transit coordinators running the campus's fleet of nine buses, a one-on-one discussion with business cooperative specialists, and community buy-in strategizing with Adventure Cycling Association representatives. In all, we came away with new friends and opportunities to expand on our current work. Keep your eyes on SAVE for future announcements!

Save Radio Episode 2 - Interview with Steve Larson, HATS Supervisor

2012-02-17T09:17:00.000-08:00

Another successful broadcast has come and gone, and I'm proud to announce that the program had its first interview! I spoke to Steve Larson, the new director of the Helena Area Transit Service (HATS), about how the program serves the city, his vision for its future, and what needs to happen for us to get there. As it stands right now, the service is broken down into a fixed route and a curbside pickup service. The pickup service reaches the all of Helena, but the fixed route serves a relatively limited area of the city, leaving out some neighborhoods on the east and west sides of the city. These areas are important to getting new riders for future operations, but how to get them is the big question. There is a proposed creation of a transit district, which would levy a tax on homes above a certain value threshold to provide funding for new equipment and routes, which could be on a ballot as early as this summer. Other ideas include creating new fixed routes that have been known to be successful in the past, such as a government complex pilot program that saw over 10,000 rides given over its one year operation. In either case, there is a need to know where the new riding constituency is coming from to better accommodate future expansions and this is one of the goals that Larson has set. There will also need to be a change in the proportion of fixed route services to curbside pickups, as pickups are the least efficient use of the shuttle vehicles. Moving forward, HATS will need to find the right balance of services to make sure that it is operating as efficiently as possible!

Also don't forget about the music! Here is last night's playlist:
The Flaming Lips - Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (4:51)
Yeasayer - Ambling Alp (3:57)
Animal Collective - Bluish (5:14)
Beach House - Zebra (4:49)
Vampire Weekend - Horchata (3:27)
The Morning Benders - Excuses (5:17)
TV On The Radio - Killer Crane (6:15)
Arcade Fire - Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains) (5:26
Band of Horses - The Funeral (5:22)
Sleigh Bells - Rill Rill (3:50)
The Virgins - One Week of Danger (2:45)
The Black Keys - Next Girl (3:18)

Linx Meeting in West Yellowstone

2012-02-10T11:44:00.000-08:00

This past Wednesday Linx held its annual board meeting in West Yellowstone, Montana. Many shareholders, providers and staff converged to help decide what the next moves are for the cooperative, and to further define its vision. We have several important announcements:

1) This summer in Yellowstone, look to Linx service providers for your transportation needs throughout the park. Last year's pilot program provided the insight and experience needed to re-calibrate our service plans and better serve those who want to get the Yellowstone experience without the responsibility or liability of private transport.

2) As our membership grows, so too does the capability of our web store. We are working to streamline the booking abilities already available and integrate new carriers into the schedule to make transfers as efficient as possible!

3) Linx will be experimenting with new technologies to make your ride simple and intuitive. These include on board GPS and wifi services so that you can surf the web and track your progress (or that of a bus you're about to take), and are testing the viability of smart cards that you can pre-load and swipe whenever you want to be on the move.

Linx is the first organization of its kind to address the needs of rural transit and connectivity. While still growing and developing, the lessons learned and the drive to succeed that our providers and staff have shown has been nothing short of inspiring. With your support and feedback, we'll become the standard for travel around the Greater Yellowstone Region. Book a trip or drop us a line at linx.coop!

SAVE Radio Takes to the Air!

2012-02-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

I am proud to announce that SAVE now has a weekly broadcast! Tune in to 88.5 KROL every Thursday from 5-6 p.m. to hear the latest news and interviews concerning transit progress here in Helena and throughout the state! The program will be loosely structured to be around 25-30 minutes of news and the rest music. Playlists will be posted after each show so you can go and support the artists you like. This week's is as follows:

Atmosphere - Yesterday (3:24)
Jurassic 5 - Concrete Playground (4:08)
Common - The People (3:25)
Aesop Rock - None Shall Pass (4:04)
Talib Kweli - I Try (4:25)
Mos Def - Auditorium (4:35)
Lupe Fiasco - Daydreamin’ (3:55)
Illecism & Trade Voorhees - Greener Grass (3:55)
The Fugees - Killing Me Softly with His Song (4:59) (cut out about 10 sec early)
De La Soul - The Magic Number (3:16)
Jay-Z - Roc Boys (4:12)
Nappy Roots - Down N’ Out (4:28)
Brother Ali - Forest Whitaker (3:00)

Ride Linx and Explore More!

2012-02-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

S.A.V.E. is proud to announce that it has, in partnership with the Helena Area Transit Service, secured a board seat with Linx, the up and coming regional transit cooperative that brings together travel providers from all across the Greater Yellowstone region! This position gives Helena-based cooperative members a great presence among the provider community and will prepare the way for greater integration along the northern reaches of Linx's current area of operation.

I would like to thank HATS Manager Steve Larson, Yellowstone Business Partnership Executive Director Jan Brown, and SAVE Director Matt Elsaesser for their encouragement to seek this position and the support that has brought S.A.V.E. to this moment.

Check out the site, learn more and design your own adventure!

Alliance for Biking and Walking 2012 Benchmark Report

2012-01-30T14:16:00.000-08:00

Bicycling and Walking in the United States: 2012 Benchmarking Report can be downloaded for free or purchased as a hard copy edition. This is a great report to consult for statistics of walking and cycling recreation in the US. For more links and general info, also visit Adventure Cycling's blog.

Suburbs and the Roots of America's Health Crisis

2012-01-24T12:48:00.000-08:00

America's built environment has centered around the growth of the suburb for the past 60 or so years. At the time of it's conception, the idea was to get out of the city, to separate from work, and to own a place that you could call your own. This dream relied on private transportation, a remodeled infrastructure based on the automobile and the separation of the home from daily amenities such as grocers and entertainment. This paradigm shift has been incredibly lucrative for the construction, oil, and auto industries and has fueled much economic growth, but as time has shown the costs have proven to be steep, as America's people have grown increasingly heavier and been exposed to far more health problems centered around exposure to noxious emissions from factories, cars, construction and food production/consumption.
A paradigm shift has begun, lead in part by researchers like Dr. Richard Jackson, a professor and chair of environmental health sciences at UCLA's School of Public Health. The focus of the shift is back onto walkable, urbanized, mixed-use environments. Admittedly, this kind of renovation is a hard sell in the face of entrenched business interests that profit from the suburban, individual-oriented environment. Perhaps one of our saving graces is that we have failed to properly maintain this infrastructure, and the costs of repaving highways, reconstructing bridges, and modernizing our traffic grids in both intra/interstate settings may not be worth the cost and continued degradation of public health.
Check out this article for more details: http://chronicle.com/article/A-Scientist-Pushes-Urban/130404/

Regional Travel Made Easy!

2012-01-23T15:42:00.000-08:00

Great news, folks! The Linx Cooperative has officially begun online ticket sales. This means that if you want to travel in the greater Yellowstone region around Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming you are just a few clicks away. Basically, this booking service brings together travel providers in the region, whether it be bussing, airlines or rails and provides you an easy portal to reserve your seats and travel as you please. Take some time to explore their site and see for yourself how Linx is helping to improve travel and tourism in the region!

Cycling is Actually Cool!

2012-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

Popular misconceptions about cycling culture and practice alienates many potential enthusiasts before they even spin the pedals. Grist takes a look at some of these issues and provides apt counterpoints to put the curious at ease. You'll have to look for yourself, as there are 10 articles linked and I can't explain them all!

Cyclists and the Role of the Red Light

2012-01-06T09:44:00.000-08:00

In Illinois there is a push right now to allow both motorcyclists and bicyclists to move through a red light if it is deemed safe enough and they have waited for an appropriate amount of time to consider their surroundings. This new bill would only affect municipalities under two million people, which is considerable but leaves out Chicago. The issue of contention for this bill lies in the amount of time that a cyclist should wait until proceeding through the intersection, and since it has yet to be clearly defined it has been vetoed by the governor although that was subsequently overturned. Unfortunately the article does not address where the initiative comes from or what sort of theory or evidence based approach backs law. We will keep an eye out to see if or when this comes into effect what changes in accident or traffic efficiency rates there are.

Health Report Released for Lewis and Clark County

2011-12-21T09:43:00.000-08:00

http://www.co.lewis-clark.mt.us/fileadmin/user_upload/Health/Documents/2011-health-assessment-insides.pdf

Herein lies this year's figures for residents of Lewis and Clark County. There is quite an extensive range of public health concerns addressed, which provide for some great insight into our health relative to the rest of Montana and the country. It is sobering that we score worse than many national averages on chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease. Furthermore, it is shocking to see just how many youth are lost each year in motor vehicle accidents (with or without the presence of alcohol) and other avoidable fatalities. This suggests a need for some introspection on the part of our communities to address root causes of these problems. It won't be easy to change ingrained norms (such as tacit acceptance of drinking while driving), but people do know the consequences of their lifestyle choices and for those wanting to improve their health, we should provide them with as many means to do so cheaply and conveniently.

Troubling News for Cyclists Across America

2011-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

A new bill being pushed through Congress entitled "MAP-21," or Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century, has given cycling associations cause for concern. A Clause in the bill would disallow bicycles from roads with posted speed limits of 30 mph or greater on federal lands and relegate them to side paths. Furthermore, programs that encourage cycling such as Safe Routes to School would have their support cut. Read more about it here.

Bozeman Survey Reveals Surprising Level of Cycling

2011-12-09T09:46:00.000-08:00

This article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle brings to light some encouraging news on the state of cycling in Bozeman. This September, the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board (BABAB) hit the trails with surveys and returned with better figures than anticipated: 4,700 cyclists were counted! The surveys were conducted at 12 intersections for two-hour periods over three evening rush hours. When extrapolated, this data suggests that as many as 8,000 cyclists pass through the intersections on any given day. Numbers like these are a strong argument for constructing and maintaining bicycle lanes, shared roads and developing further non-motorized infrastructure. Consider this: the manufacture and transportation of a bicycle leaves a carbon footprint a fraction of the size of a car's. Bicycles don't run on fossil fuels, don't require insurance payments, cost less to maintain, provide excellent exercise, are easy to store, and present a far smaller safety liability than cars do.

Making a Game of Public Transit

2011-12-08T14:56:00.000-08:00

A new app is making the rounds in London as a way for public transit commuters to liven up their daily journeys. People can play as individuals or join teams, collecting points each time they use their transit cards to move through the turnstiles. Perhaps the most interesting feature is that the app stores your data so that you can track your movement around the city, encouraging you to discover new places or rethink your established transit routines. Check it out here.

Gas Mileage of the Future

2011-12-08T09:16:00.000-08:00

The race is on to reach the gas mileage standard of 55 mpg by the year 2025. In this NPR article, we are taken to the labs at the Automotive Research Center at the University of Michigan to learn just how this will be accomplished, and the results are surprising. Much is being learned from rapidly developing new technologies such as electric battery power and computer regulated engines, but it turns out that fuel efficient cars have been around for years, and while there are still innovations being made to the traditional internal combustion engine, much of our mileage is reduced by the extra features of our cars, such as power windows, air conditioning, and power outlets for G.P.S. and music players. The question is, until the tinkering on engines is done, are people willing to give up their extra amenities to save money?

Transitioning Away from Suburbs

2011-11-30T10:46:00.000-08:00

This recent article in the New York Times offers an interesting glimpse into the changing landscape of the real estate market. It appears that the US is on course to swing back toward an urban-focused metropolitan area instead of suburbs, as has been the norm for the past 60 years. Today's most expensive housing is located in city centers and inner suburbs where there is easy transit/pedestrian mobility and access to mixed use construction. This trend has no doubt been accelerated by the housing collapse earlier in the decade, and hopefully this rediscovered style of living stays, as it offers less dependence on vehicle ownership and a greater and closer sense of community for residents not hidden behind picket fences.

Helena Public Transit

2011-11-29T11:44:00.000-08:00

The public bus service in Helena is known as the Helena Area Transit Service (HATS). It is comprised of fixed routes in Helena and East Helena and also includes curb to curb service for the disabled. I encourage you to support the bus system when possible and use it as a means of exploring the town! Fare is cheap, about a dollar a ride, and the service reaches most areas of town. More information, including bus routes and schedules can be found at the HATS website.

Carbon Nation Film Screening Sunday, December 4

2011-11-28T15:23:00.000-08:00

The Carroll College Green Team will be co-sponsoring a screening of the film at 7 p.m. in Simperman Hall 101. The film will be followed by a moderated discussion. A preview can be found here: http://www.carbonnationmovie.com/

Support the Centennial Trail!

2011-11-21T15:22:00.000-08:00

Friends of Centennial Trail has released order forms for paver bricks. For a donation, you can leave a message to future trail enthusiasts! A donation of $100 will earn you a 4"x8" brick with up to three lines of text. A donation of $200 will net you a 8"x8" brick with up to six lines of text. All proceeds are tax deductible and directly support the upkeep of Centennial Trail. Further details can be found on the forms, which can be downloaded here.

Transportation for America Conference in Helena

2011-11-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

Transportation for America hosted a statewide conference in Helena this past Tuesday, the 15th of November, addressing the logistics, application, and conceptual design of new transit initiatives. The emphasis was primarily on local and state level campaigns, with special detail given to rural efforts such as the North Central Montana Transit. These programs have several benefits, including the improved health and wealth of communities, as well as a safety net for those in need. Here's an interesting fact: there are over 50 groups working with Transportation for America in Montana alone, and our efforts are being watched by other states to set examples for self-sustaining rural transit. For more information on how you can be involved, and a helpful tool kit with talking points and advocacy tips, visit the American Public Health Association.

Hello and Welcome!

2011-11-21T13:05:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the S.A.V.E. Foundation's transit issues blog! There are multiple initiatives that are gaining momentum here in Helena and across the state, and they will be open for discussion and sharing here. If you have news that has not been posted, please feel free to email S.A.V.E. at savepolicy@gmail.com.