Toellner Tells it

Ideas I Love For Kansas City: Neighborhood Bus Shelters

In Kansas City, like in many urban communities, a significant percentage of the population relies on public transportation to move around the city. Because they are economically poor, or simply because they prefer to not have the expense of an automobile, transit is their primary form of communication.

Unfortunately, using public transit isn't always easy or inviting.

This is the bus stop that is closest to my house (ok, it could be questioned whether this is "closest" as I'm close to several stops, but this is indicative of almost all of the stops). This is a bus stop -- which really amounts to a sign, on a pole, next to a trash can. The vast majority of stops in this city resemble this.

Unfortunately, for the 25% of the time when the weather isn't good in Kansas City (or more this week), these stops are far from inviting. While many of the more popular routes (like the Max lines) have covered bus shelters, most urban bus stops don't. If it rains, you're going to be wet when you get to your destination. Bummer.

However, in some areas of the country, cities are partnering with neighborhoods and businesses to help create bus SHELTERS for the city. The shelters are designed to capture the essence of a neighborhood, and are paid for by those in the neighborhood (who are also likely to be using or benefiting from that particular stop). 

How would this makes stops more inviting if stops in the finanical district had a money-themed shelter? Or how about fresh-produce themed spots at the city market?  What if the shelter design borrowed from the shirtwaist style houses in certain neighborhoods?  What if the bus stops provided SHELTER while people waited for the buses? Would riders be more likely to stop off at a local business if they would be protected from the elements on the re-ride to their final destination?

It seems like a simple approach that the city/neighborhoods/business could work together to help make using transit more inviting and customizable for their neighborhood. It might be fun. It would be interesting. And it would certainly make transit ridership more inviting. 

H/T: Good

Americans Driving Less -- being driven by younger Americans

According to a recent article by the Wall Street Journal, the number of miles driven has dropped continually for the last 92 months.

This is the longest drop in miles driven since 1971.

While there have been other drops due to high gas prices, driving has generally rebounded fairly quickly. But so far, not this time. Since June 2005, the number of miles driven has dropped 8.75%

On top of higher gas prices, there are two other primary factors. 

    #1) Aging baby boomers are drivign less -- Americans tend to start driving less after they turn 55

    #2) More surprisingly, between 2001 and 2009, the average number of miles driven tby 16-34 year olds has dropped 23%.  Meanwhile, Public transit use for this age group is up 40% since 2001 and Bicycling is up 24% of this time.

The article highlights a lot of hypothesis about why this might be happening, but the bottom line is that the trend lines are becoming pretty clear. The two largest demographic segments in the US are both driving less, one because they're getting older, and the other for other cultural reasons.

Given this, I think it's been great that Kansas City has been investing more into Bike Routes in the city (and published a snazzy new Bike Map) and has approved the building of a new, modern trolley system that will improve public transit for decades to come (with the city working on more routes). It's important that as the population changes, that KC stay up with the trends and remain relevant to the needs and wants of younger, and older, populations.