Public Transit – Page 6 – Reconnect Rochester

February 26, 2012 by No Comments

Getting It Done

On Monday, February 27, two mayors of two very different cities will share their experiences in leading their communities forward to meet 21st century challenges.

Rochester Regional Community Design Center presents “Getting It Done,” a presentation and discussion with William Fulton, Fmr. Mayor of Ventura CA., and Mark Mallory, Mayor of Cincinnati, OH.

Facing issues similar to Rochester including public safety, economic development, the environment, educationand youth employment in an era of reduced funding and resources, both leaders have been effective and instrumental in making positive changes and spurring collaborative efforts in their cities, succeeding in producing nationally recognized results.

William Fulton specializes in urban planning, metropolitan growth trends, economic development, TDR and policy projects with a focus on government agencies, land conservation organizations and developers as clients. He quite literally wrote the “Guide to California Planning.” external link

And just last week, Mayor Mark Mallory and city officials broke ground on Cincinnati’s new streetcar external link .

Details:
7pm, Monday, 2/27/2012, at Gleason Works external link
Buy tickets here ($10)

November 10, 2011 by No Comments

Using Passenger Rail to Create a New Economic Zone

Posted by: Carlos Mercado

Rochester, NY has about 1,035,000 population in its metro area; Buffalo is slightly larger with 1,124,000; and Syracuse has about 646,000. The combined metro population for the three major cities along the old New York Central Water Level Route is 2,804,000.

In terms of rank, Buffalo is 50th, Rochester is 51st, and Syracuse is 81st. As a combined area, we would become 19th largest, edging out Tampa, St. Petersburg, Clearwater, FL and just behind St. Louis. Nice, eh?

October 19, 2011 by 2 Comments

Critical Mass Transit Day THURSDAY! Post Your Pics to RGRTA Facebook Page…

Reconnect Rochester volunteers will be at Main and Clinton from 6-7:30am and 5-5:30pm Thursday to assist new transit riders and to help make transfers. Look us near the Main St. bus shelters wearing this logo…

Riders with a “UFO” pin will be able to ride local buses for free all day on October 20, the first Critical Mass Transit Day. The UFO promotion is part of an ongoing campaign external link to raise awareness of the $1.5 million in gasoline money that is ‘abducted’ from our local economy every day.

Critical Mass Transit Day is a joint effort by Regional Transit Service (RTS) and Reconnect Rochester, a transit advocacy group that suggests by using public transit as an alternative to driving a car, Rochesterians have the power to reinvest those dollars back into Rochester’s economy.

RGRTA even announced a fun photo contest today on their Facebook page external link in honor of the big day. So post a photo of yourself on Critical Mass Transit Day!

Even if you just go for a joy-ride down the street, the idea is to learn about our transit system and show your support for the future of public transit in Rochester. And as you’re riding along on Thursday, remember that by making smart transportation choices we can all save money, and help grow our region’s economy over the long run.

Need Assistance Using RTS?

Download this Commuter Resources sheet [PDF] for handy RTS transit tips. You can also call RTS at 585-288-1700 for help planning a trip or contact the volunteers at Reconnect Rochester—they can help you decipher the routes and schedules.

October 2, 2011 by 1 Comment

Ride RTS FREE On ‘Critical Mass Transit Day’ — October 20

Reconnect Rochester, RTS Partner to Stop the Exodus of $1.5 Million Vanishing from the Local Economy Daily

Reconnect Rochester will be handing out UFO pins
at local farmer’s markets throughout October:

Brighton Farmer’s Market, Sunday Oct 9 & 16, 9am-1pm
Monroe Village Farmer’s Market, Wednesday Oct 5 & 12, 4-7pm
South Wedge Farmer’s Market, Thursday Oct 6 & 13, 4-7pm
Rochester Public Market, Saturday Oct 15, 9am-1pm

Critical Mass Transit is a joint effort by Regional Transit Service (RTS) and Reconnect Rochester, a transit advocacy group that suggests by using public transit as an alternative to driving a car, Rochesterians have the power to reinvest those dollars back into Rochester’s economy.

THE SAVINGS ARE VERY REAL! According to CommuteSolutions.org, those who drive to work everyday alone can incur costs that exceed $1 per mile. That includes fuel, maintenance, parking and depreciation, and depends on vehicle type and driving habits. By comparison, a ride on an RTS bus costs one dollar.

In addition to the personal savings, every one-dollar invested in public transportation can generate $4 in economic returns for our area. Conversely, nearly every dollar we burn on gasoline leaves Rochester.

Making smarter choices when it comes to transportation is an easy way for households to save money, and grow our region’s economy over the long run.

On October 20, proudly display your pin. Even if you just go for a joy-ride down the street, the idea is to learn about our transit system and show your support for the future of public transit in Rochester.

Need Assistance Using RTS?

August 20, 2011 by No Comments

Governor Cuomo Signs “Complete Streets”

Earlier this year, Reconnect Rochester teamed up with Tri-State Transportation Campaign external link and other transportation advocacy groups from around New York state in an effort to mobilize support for, and urge Governor Cuomo to sign New York’s first Complete Streets law. Thousands of you and other New Yorkers signed petitions and wrote and called your representatives. It made all the difference, helping to get this issue onto the agendas of elected officials and making sure it passed during a busy legislative session.

Earlier this week Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the bill external link that will make streets safer for everyone. The law will ensure that major road projects take into account the needs of pedestrians, cyclists, and people of all ages and abilities.

Whether young or old; on foot, in a wheelchair, on a bike, or in a car, everyone is safer when roads are designed so everyone can use them. Roads designed according to complete streets principles external link are safer and encourage walking and cycling, leading to healthier neighborhoods and better quality of life. This is an extremely important reform that will save lives.

Thank YOU for helping to win positive change!

August 19, 2011 by No Comments

Mapnificent, Meet Rochester.

Posted by: John Lam

Scoop one for Reconnect Rochester! Several days ago we noticed Mapnificent.net (a new site for visualizing transit reachability) hadn’t included Rochester among its cities. Clicking into its support forum led me to a post also seeking support for Rochester. A quick search told us our bus company had just announced the public availability of their General Transit Feed Specification, so in response we posted the location of this feed and within an hour Rochester debuted in Mapnificent external link .

July 21, 2011 by No Comments

Updated Walk Scores

New Walk Scores external link are just out. How did Rochester rank? Below is a list of cities equal or greater in population and Rochester’s Walk Score puts us in the #18 slot. Not too shabby – on the surface. But…

July 8, 2011 by No Comments

Help Stop Devastating Transportation Cuts

Yesterday morning House Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman John Mica unveiled his proposal [PDF, 3.6mb] for t-bill authorization, which amounts to a 33-35% cut to federal transportation spending. Below is a quick thumbnail sketch of his proposal, responses/reactions from other lawmakers & advocacy groups, and three things YOU can do to help stop this train wreck…

June 11, 2011 by 9 Comments

‘Dump the Pump’ This Thursday

On Thursday, June 16 Reconnect Rochester and the people of Rochester NY, will join the rest of the country for National Dump the Pump Day. We will leave our cars in the driveway and instead use public transit. Share this on Facebook and let your family, friends, co-workers, and employers know.

Useful Information:

Use Google Transit external link to plan your trip.

Find RTS schedules & route maps external link .

RTS Fares:
Adults : $1.00
All-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $3.00
Adult 5–Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $14.00
Adult 31-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $56
Children age 6-11 : $0.50
Children age 5 and under : FREE
Senior/Disabled : $0.50
Senior/Disabled 1-Day Unlimited Pass : $1.50
Senior/Disabled 5–Day Unlimited Pass : $7.00
Senior/Disabled 31-Day Unlimited Pass : $28

For more information: www.rgrta.org/CommuterResources external link

or leave a comment below with any question you might have about riding RTS. We will get you an answer.

Let’s ride!

May 16, 2011 by 43 Comments

A New Intermodal Station for Rochester, New York.

Larger View | Order a Print

If you haven’t heard, the City of Rochester is requesting proposals for a new combined Amtrak/Greyhound/Trailways station. We don’t know about you, but we’re giddy with excitement. Rochester has had more than its share of great transit stations – sadly, many have been lost to history. Now, finally we have an opportunity to build a respectable gateway to Rochester that will serve our region well and become a landmark for many many generations.

Reconnect Rochester is not standing idly by. You know what they say about idle hands. Well these hands have been busy drawing up our own vision for the most perfect intermodal transit station Rochester is certainly deserving of.

We hope you feel this design is cool enough to share. Share it on Facebook. Email it to a friend or your local officials and representatives. Help us make this concept a reality.

More details about our concept after the jump…

May 12, 2011 by 2 Comments

Rochester Takes Big Step Toward New Intermodal Station…

The City of Rochester is requesting proposals for a scoping project external link . The project will inventory and analyze the site and corresponding buildings used by Amtrak, Trailways and Greyhound. The end product will be a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) and New York State Department of Transportation (NYSDOT) compliant scoping document that lays the foundation for final design, build-out, and occupancy of a new Intermodal Transportation Center.

Reconnect Rochester is proud to be a stakeholder of this project. And BOY OH BOY do we have ideas we want to share.

Here’s a summary of what the City is asking from bidders:

February 17, 2011 by No Comments

How Transit Options Make for a Cool Place to Live… Even Jersey

By now you’ve probably have heard of this thing called transit-oriented development (T.O.D.) external link . If you haven’t you might be living in a cave. Or you might live in Rochester. Sorry—cheap shot.

No worries, let’s get you up to speed with this quick video from the Streetfilms crew. It shows how investment in public transit, along with some zoning changes, has made the New Jersey Hudson River waterfront a new boomtown. The area has attracted some $5 billion in residential development since light rail came in.

According to Robert Cotter, director of city planning for Jersey City, “That’s a testament to transit-rich development… The communities that have access to fixed rail are going to be the richest in the coming century.”

February 12, 2011 by 4 Comments

Transportation Equity Town Hall – February 17th

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITE TO ATTEND… A Transportation Equity Town Hall with the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance, Reconnect Rochester, and Empire State Future on February 17th from 6 to 8 PM in the Kate Gleason Auditorium at the Rochester Central Library.

New Yorkers’ transportation needs are changing, but our transportation policies are stuck in the past. Come join New York State Transportation Equity Alliance for a forum on how federal and state transportation policy impacts New York. Learn how we can shape these federal and state policies to create faster, cleaner, safer, healthier and more equitable transportation choices for all New Yorkers.

Rep. John Mica, Chairman of the U.S. House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee will hold a Field Hearing in Rochester on February 18, 2011 regarding reauthorization of The Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient ransportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (SAFETEA-LU), enacted August 10, 2005. SAFETEA-LU authorized $286.4 billion for Federal surface transportation programs for highways, transit, and bicycles and pedestrians for the 5-year period, 2005-2009. The latest continuing resolution for extending funding will expire on March 3, 2011.

Don’t miss these TWO huge events…

Transportation Equity Town Hall

Presentation and Roundtable with members of:
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
UPROSE
Empire State Future
WE ACT for Environmental Justice

February 17th, 2011
Rochester Central Library external link
Kate Gleason Auditorium
115 South Avenue
6-8 PM

(RSVP to the Facebook Event external link and tell a friend!)

AND…

POSTPONED: U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure
Field Hearing in Rochester

Chairman Rep. John Mica (R-FL) & members:
Tom Reed (R-NY)
Richard Hanna (R-NY)

February 18th, 2011
Greater Rochester International Airport external link
3-5pm

Check updates at:
http://NYSTEA.net external link
and
http://ReconnectRochester.org/take_action.php

For Information & RSVP:
Ya-Ting Liu
Tri-State Transportation Campaign
(212) 268-7474
yating@tstc.org

February 4, 2011 by 12 Comments

A New Future for Transit in Rochester: Our Mayoral Policy Statement

Reconnect Rochester is a group of transportation advocates calling for the creation of a fully integrated multi-modal transportation network for our region. We believe the next Mayor has the opportunity to champion a dramatic shift in our transportation infrastructure. The transit system this city and region needs will require dedication of time, staff and resources.

We urge all candidates to pledge their commitment to this vision as part of their platform for candidacy.

Read what each candidate had to say about this document and the future of Rochester’s transit system below.

What follows is our reasoning and recommendations for the future Mayor to incorporate into his or her platform.

February 2, 2011 by No Comments

RTS Transit Center Design Checklist… TAKE ONE!

On Thursday, February 10, 2011, RGRTA will be hosting its Second Public Design Review Workshop inviting members of the community to review and react to design options for the RTS Transit Center external link . This public review will take place at the Radisson Inn Riverside and the doors will be open to everyone from 6:00-7:30 pm.

Ideas and comments on the initial designs were taken by RGRTA at the RTS Transit Center Public Design Review Workshop external link (September 15, 2010) and the Rochester City Council Public Forums (April 27, and May 5th, 2010).

The volunteers at Reconnect Rochester have compiled this handy checklist for YOU (the public) to use as a guide to assess how well public comments were received and integrated into the newly proposed designs. Print it, share it, and use as a starting point to form your own opinions and ask the important questions…

Follow Reconnect Rochester on Facebook external link for updates on the RTS Transit Center and other local transportation projects and public meetings.

October 27, 2010 by 1 Comment

Redesigning the R.T.S. Terminal from the Inside Out

Last month RGRTA hosted a pubic workshop to invite ideas and comments from the public on our new RTS Transit Center external link . Reconnect Rochester was there and we offered our best critique. After all, the success or failure of this project will impact us all for decades to come.

The following is the result of a collaborative effort by Reconnect Rochester members to contribute to, or try to improve upon RGRTA’s preliminary proposal (PDF, 5.7mb). The ideas and visuals outlined below are by no means a finished product; but just enough to convey our ideas. As always, we welcome your feedback in the comments.

Essentially, we are looking for a scheme that is:

As compact as possible
As safe as possible
Has least impact on adjacent assets
Provides for pedestrian scale on Mortimer
Can be recylced for other uses if/when bus operations are altered

July 9, 2010 by No Comments

U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood Announces $293 Million for New Transit Solutions, Economic Development Nationwide

Project Selections Will Expand Obama Administration’s Livability Initiative Agenda, Fuel Economic Recovery for Local Communities

A $293 million investment announced today by U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood means that residents in dozens of communities nationwide will soon enjoy major transit improvements, including new streetcars, buses, and transit facilities.

The nearly $300 million investment is part of the Obama Administration’s livability initiative to better coordinate transportation, housing and commercial development investments to serve the people living in those communities. It is being made through two competitive grant programs, the Urban Circulator Grant Program and the Bus and Bus Livability Grant Program.

May 12, 2010 by No Comments

John Robert Smith in Rochester

*Cross Posted by the Moderate Urban Champion

Members of Reconnect Rochester had a unique opportunity Monday afternoon. We were invited to sit in and participate in a roundtable discussion featuring representation of the Genesee Transportation Council, the Empire State Passengers Association, the Rochester Rail Transit Committee, and the keynote speaker of that evening’s lecture, John Robert Smith.

Not all of the biggest statements came from Smith himself, but his insight into federal agencies and funding acquisition from said agencies was very valuable to our coalition. Also heartening was the recognition by all parties of potential energy realities. This acceptance set the imperative tone regarding the necessity for improved transit in the region.

Smith’s greatest criticism, one that was repeated during the public lecture, was a lack of obvious attraction marketing, and the associated transportation options, to downtown hotel guests and travelers who arrive by train. The implication is that we aren’t successfully steering travelers with money to spend to restaurants and other cultural amenities. A set of newer signage as part of an enhanced wayfinder system was installed recently, but it is proving to be geared toward motorized tourist travel.

April 5, 2010 by 1 Comment

Reconnecting America: What Rochester Can Learn from John Robert Smith

Rochester’s dazzling urbanites, development gurus, transit afficionados, preservation honchos, political luminaries, and architectural stewards are all very pleased that the Rochester Regional Community Design Center’s final lecture of the 2009-2010 season brings John Robert Smith to the Memorial Art Gallery on May 10th at 7PM. This enthuasism will surely spread like wildfire once the community at large understands what a tremendous impact this man has had in the realms of community revitalization and improving housing and mobility choices for citizens in communities with situations similar to Rochester.

The future of this or any community hinges on the following concepts, all of which are likely to be discussed at the speech and reception:
Read more

March 19, 2010 by 2 Comments

Monday 3/22 4-6pm… Let’s Show Up Rochester!

The City has partnered with C&S Companies to analyze and make recommendations to enhance commuting, circulation, and parking in Downtown Rochester. Among the potential enhancements under consideration is a circulator transit service—a.k.a shuttle buses or streetcars. Listen carefully Rochester…

Reconnect Rochester volunteers will be at Main and Clinton from 6-7:30am and 5-5:30pm Thursday to assist new transit riders and to help make transfers. Look us near the Main St. bus shelters wearing this logo…

Need Assistance Using RTS?

Reconnect Rochester, RTS Partner to Stop the Exodus of $1.5 Million Vanishing from the Local Economy Daily

Need Assistance Using RTS?

Useful Information:

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITE TO ATTEND… A Transportation Equity Town Hall with the New York State Transportation Equity Alliance, Reconnect Rochester, and Empire State Future on February 17th from 6 to 8 PM in the Kate Gleason Auditorium at the Rochester Central Library.

Don’t miss these TWO huge events…

POSTPONED: U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Field Hearing in Rochester

We urge all candidates to pledge their commitment to this vision as part of their platform for candidacy.

Read what each candidate had to say about this document and the future of Rochester’s transit system below.

What follows is our reasoning and recommendations for the future Mayor to incorporate into his or her platform.

Project Selections Will Expand Obama Administration’s Livability Initiative Agenda, Fuel Economic Recovery for Local Communities

POSTPONED: U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure
Field Hearing in Rochester