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Public Forum on RBA (2/13/09)

 
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Q65A



Age: 66
Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 1764
Location: Central NJ

PostPosted: Mon Feb 02, 2009 8:12 pm    Post subject: Public Forum on RBA (2/13/09) Reply with quote

From the Regional Planning Association:

On behalf of Regional Plan Association and the Tri-State Transportation Campaign I write to invite you to a forum on how regional bus would affect Westchester County, on February 13 at 9 am, at the Radisson Hotel in New Rochelle.



Speakers and panelists include State Senator Suzi Oppenheimer, Senators Andrea Stewart-Cousins and Jeffrey Klein (invited), Assemblymembers Amy Paulin and George Latimer (invited), Westchester DOT Commissioner Larry Salley, and bus rapid transit expert Walter Hook of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. Breakfast will be served.



Regional bus is one of the recommendations in the "Ravitch Commission" report on funding and reforming the MTA. While some of the Ravitch funding recommendations, such as a payroll tax, have received significant public attention, regional bus has not.



As proposed in the Ravitch report, Westchester's Bee-Line and Nassau's Long Island Bus would be consolidated into a new MTA Regional Bus Authority and the MTA would assume financial responsibility for running both systems. The new structure has the potential to streamline operations and end annual feuds between the counties, state and MTA over funding the systems, allowing Bee-Line to more quickly expand, upgrade, and maintain its system. The forum will address this potential, along with the management, labor and funding issues that would need to be overcome to make it a reality.



A regional bus authority could also accelerate the creation of a modern, efficient, 21st-century bus system that includes innovative technologies like bus rapid transit (BRT). BRT uses a combination of technology, infrastructure, and procedure to get buses moving faster; a pilot BRT route in New York City has increased speeds by 20% and has a 98% approval rating from riders. Westchester planners will discuss the county's plan to create its own BRT line and Walter Hook will describe BRT systems from around the world.



The program agenda is below. The event is free, but space is limited, so please RSVP by February 6. To RSVP, contact steven@tstc.org. I hope you can join!



Sincerely,

Robert D. Yaro

President, Regional Plan association





WHAT DOES REGIONAL BUS MEAN FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY?



February 13th, Radisson Hotel in New Rochelle, 9am



9:00-9:30am: Breakfast



9:30-9:45am: Welcome to Westchester. Larry Salley, Westchester DOT



9:45-10:45am: Bee-Line Bus: Current Challenges. Larry Salley, Westchester DOT; Ed Watt, Transport Workers Union Local 100; Chris Jones, Regional Plan Association; Kate Slevin, Tri-State Transportation Campaign



10:45-11:00am: Break



11:00-11:45am: What Does 21st-Century Bus Service Look Like? An Overview of Bus Rapid Transit. Walter Hook, Institute for Transportation and Development Policy; Naomi Klein, Westchester DOT



11:45am-12:45pm: Elected official response panel

Hon. Jeffrey Klein (invited)

Hon. George Latimer (invited)

Hon. Suzi Oppenheimer

Hon. Amy Paulin (invited)

Hon. Andrea Stewart-Cousins (invited)
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RailBus63
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Joined: 16 Apr 2007
Posts: 1063

PostPosted: Tue Feb 03, 2009 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

It would be great if someone could attend and report back on what is discussed and the viewpoints of the various panelists.
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The Don of All Buses



Age: 36
Joined: 30 Aug 2007
Posts: 113
Location: Yonkers, NY

PostPosted: Wed Feb 04, 2009 7:00 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Ok, I'm a little scared... will Beeline still have beeline colors and the name? or will I see an MTA Bus all the way up in Peekskill? I want to drive for Beeline and planning to real soon, I dont like the MTA very much anymore.
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