British Columbia to benifit from $14 Billion Transit Plan

On the heels of recent cutbacks in transit service in the Silicon Valley I came upon this news item that was published January 14, 2008 in the Times Colonist. In what was billed as the largest provincial infrastructure spending plan in history; the plan would double the number of buses in the area by 2020 and create two new rapid transit lines.

Some of the money will go to:

• $1.2 billion for high capacity rapid bus service along nine routes in Kelowna, Victoria, and Vancouver.
• $1.4 billion to be earmarked for four new rapid transit lines in Vancouver.
• $1.6 billion will be spent on 1,500 clean energy buses provide improved bus service around the province.

According to the article, "Greater Victoria's transit system is already in its biggest expansion in a decade with the purchase of 16 new double-decker buses. A record 22.2 million passengers used transit in the region in 2006-07, an increase of four per cent over the previous year."

In comparing this with the VTA; Vitoria BC had ridership last year of 22.2 million passengers in a city of 79,000 in 2006 verses VTA's passenger count of 31.0 million passengers in the valley. San Jose alone has a population 930 million. Santa Clara County's population topped 1.6 million residents in 2006. A ridership rate of 282 trips per person verses Santa Clara County's 19 trips per person! Let me repeat that 282 vs. 19.

see also Miss 604's transit blog.

Photo by Dennis Sylvester Hurd at http://www.flickr.com/photos/dennissylvesterhurd/

Caltrans Forced to reduce Oil and Toxic Waste from California's Highways

Another cost of the primacy of the automobile, toxic sludge draining into Southern California's waterways was highlighted yesterday in federal district when Caltrans and the National Resources Defense Council and Santa Monica Baykeeper reached an agreement to limit pollution to the southland's watershed. The agreement calls for a reduction of pollution to 20% below 1994's levels. According to David S. Beckman a Defense Council attorney, This represents a major step forward in the control of storm water runoff -- the largest source of water pollution in the state."
LA Times "State to Curb Toxic Runoff" Dan Weikle January 19, 2008.

The state's Environmental Protection Agency reports that runoff oil alone accounts for 6 million gallons of oil from roads and sidewalks. Compare this with the recent headlines of an oil tanker spill in the San Francisco by which spilled 58,000 gallons of oil from a point source. Most of the oil combines with rubber, metal bits, human waste, solvents, pesticides, fertilizers, and brake dust. All of this combines to form a toxic sludge that effects birds, fish, shrimp, and other marine life.

A Sad, Sad Start to the New Year

Traffic Fatalities continue to plague San Jose City and Santa Clara County. With the sad death of Hsien Tsun Wan, 77, only ten days have passed into the new year with a road fatality victim each represented by a pedestrian, cyclist, auto passenger and driver. There has also been a fatality during the first 10 days which died after being struck by a VTA light rail train.

Now with six road fatalities by the first half of the first month; at this rate the county could possibly reach 150 fatalities by the end of the year far eclipsing 97 road fatalities in 2007. Somehow when we state that We are America's safest big city, we never seem to mention traffic deaths or injuries.

San Jose Mercury News Article on Pedestrian Fatalities

Today's Mercury News featured in the local "Valley" section this morning an article about the recent and dramatic rise in pedestrian deaths last year and more specifically in the last 3 and one-half months. Pedestrian deaths almost doubled from 2006 to 2007 in San Jose. No specific figures were given on pedestrian deaths for Santa Clara County as a whole, only that there were 14 other pedestrian fatalities in the South Bay area. San Francisco also exhibit a similar rise in pedestrian deaths last year.

Lt. George Graham was quoted as saying, "This startles me, I don't understand it."
The article stated that they are reviewing traffic reports looking for a common thread. In discussing other pedestrian casualties - including the young girl walking her bike in a crosswalk towards a popular park in Willow Glen - the police have either stated it was the pedestrians fault or it was due to some environmental factor such as sun glare.

"He especially wants officers to target wide, six- or eight-lane expressways where pedestrians can be surprised at how much pavement a car going 45 mph or faster can cover in mere seconds.", the article states.

Common Threads

Common threads that I can see after removing somewhat obvious reasons such as alcohol, hearing disability, and age (84). Outside of these factors, it appears as though some common threads would be the area, the useability of the roadway for pedestrians and the fact that some pedestrians were born in other countries with different rules, traffic flows and speeds.

But first a comment on the new enforcement target of six or eight lane expressways. By their very design the only roadway more deadly is an interstate freeway. Take for example speed on an average Silicon Valley expressway. The posted speed limit is 45; the real speed is 55, and in the case of a recent teenagers death the speed on San Tomas Expressway was 75. In addition to speed, a pedestrian has to cross six to eight lanes of traffic with no protected island in the middle. Let's perform some basic math here. An average pedestrian covers 3 miles an hour when out for a stroll. Advancing age or the burden of carrying children or shopping this pace can slow to 2 miles an hour. Doing the math that works out to 3 to 4.5 feet per second. Now, where Estella Bacong was crossing E. Capitol Expressway near Quimby is about Rd. is about 130 feet across. It is actually even wider at the intersection approaching 160 feet (or as close as I can get with my Google Maps Distance Measuring Tool). Dividing 130 feet by a conservative 4.5 feet per second it would take her just under 30 seconds to cross the street. If she was not so quick or carrying shopping bags it might have take her up to 40 seconds to cross the street. So while she is traversing the expressway at 4.5 feet a second, a Toyota 4Runner with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 5,000 is traveling at about 74 feet per second; worse odds than even the stingiest Las Vegas casino.

As long as you have people who are dependent on walking to get around town in a city that was designed for cars; and each year those cars get heavier, travel faster, with drivers who are more hurried and distracted, you are going to be assured of more and deadlier accidents.

Without climbing on too high of a soapbox here, a daily example is in order. In my neighborhood is a school with a radar detector and sign unit that displays a drivers speed. On any given school day with children present (and even in the crosswalk) vehicles approach doing upwards of 40 miles an hour in a 25 MPH zone. Not once have I seen any speed enforcement present in front of this school.

I wish the city of San Jose luck but it will take more than just finding fault with pedestrians in having to deal with a system that was not designed by or for them.

www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

New VTA!

Well, my first experience with the new VTA was great. After leaving the San Francisco Caltrain Station at 7:44AM, I arrived at DeAnza College at 9:09AM a total of 1 hour, 25 minutes. After fetting off Caltrain 30 seconds later and I was on the new route 54 bus to Deanza at 8:53AM. Not bad. Total Cost $5.75 for the Caltrain Ticket.

San Jose - America's Safest Big City?

San Jose sells itself and its image as the County's safest large city; or at least it did. But in annual statistics published this morning proves otherwise. 37% of all traffic fatalities in San Jose were pedestrians.

Santa Clara County Roadway Deaths
Year	SC County	San Jose Total	San Jose Pedestrians*
2007	97	42	15
2006	91	24	9

* On San Jose city streets and expressways
Statistics: San Jose Mercury News
Photo:www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

2008 RIP

January
1. January 2 - Jennifer Ann Drummond, 35, of Campbell , E. Dunne & Highway 101, Morgan Hill.
2. January 4, Randy Walke, 50
3. January 9 Estella Bacong, 50 Pedestrian, Capitol Expressway and Quimby Rd.
4. January 10 - Jessica Stephens, 16, Auto Passanger, Hamilton Ave. and San Thomas.
5. January 10 - Hsien Tsun Wan, 77, Bicyclist Saratoga Sunnyvale Road near Prospect Ave., San Jose
6. January 11 - Harold Curler, 42, Auto Driver, Shannon Rd. near Kennedy, San Jose



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Major Services changes at VTA scheduled for 1/14/2008

As noted in the San Jose Mercury News column "Roadshow" this morning there will be major changes to Santa Clara County's VTA system starting Monday. The good news is there will be no fare increases. The bad news is some bus lines will be cut. Some lines will have more scheduled buses which mean greater frequency, but some lines will be cut altogether or their routes changed.

Although Gary Richards in writing for "Roadshow"; an extremely car centric column, made an attempt to write about alternative transportation; the attempt was fairly weak. He made no attempt to describe about the VTA's monthly passes or eco-passes or that many Silicon Valley companies help pay the cost of employees passes. The column only refferred readers to the VTA website which is a no brainer at VTA.org. Although the columnist is extremely fascinated with the current selection of hybrid cars they still do not make major changes to the way we use oil and gas, have to deal with gridlock, or improve ones health like walking or riding a bike.

An easy way to find out new schedules (if you know the route number) on Monday is to call VTA at (408) 321-2300 and use your keypad to get time information.

photo:www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

Bike Parking at San Francisco Caltrain Station

Although its has been in quiet operation for the last month or so, secure bike parking is finally here at the San Fransisco Caltrain Station. Let's hope other Peninsula and South Bay stations follow suit.

Here is the San Fransisco Chronicle article in todays paper.
photo:www.pedbikeimages.org / Dan Burden

Transportation Costs per Mile - December 2007

This is the first month that I have decided to track all transportation costs and publish those costs based on $ cost per mile. Given that vehicle costs in the US average between 48 and 70 cents per mile, I came up substantially under that amount at 4 cents per mile. As expected walking is completely free. On average during my first month of keeping track of how I get around town I was surprised to find out that I had been averaging about 4 miles of walking a day. The most I walked during the month is the 6.5 trip to work. Although I have decided to track any costs associated with cycling such as tubes, tires, lube, and service I didn't spend anything on the bike this month. The highest cost was Caltrain, which is understandable since dont ride it enough to buy a monthly pass.

Of course walking will always be the most cost effective; costing me nothing. Cycling this month cost nothing but that is only because I didn't purchase anything this month. Any costs associated with the bike will be included such as tires, tubes, lube, service, etc.

After tallying up all the numbers for the month I was amazed that I had walkded 121 miles for the month. This was mostly from walks to the coffee shop, to the bus stop, the library. It all adds up. Most commuting was done buy bus though, which added up to 340 miles for the month. The only out of town trips were to Loon Lake (before you get to South Lake Tahoe, by car), a dinner in Berkeley (BART), and a 3 day trip to San Francisco (Caltrain and Muni).


The only expenses for the month which totaled $55.27 were mainly from Caltrain $21, shared car expenses to Tahoe $22, and Bus expenses in San Francisco $4 and BART $4. So for basically the cost to fill up my car I was able to travel for a month.

The Year of Driving (and Walking) Dangerously!

It was a sad year given the amount of pedestrian fatalities in both San Jose and San Francisco. Both cities experienced high levels of pedestrian fatalities. Stories tell more than numbers alone. The single mother of four hit by a "hit and run" drunk driver, or the hit and run driver who was turned in by her own passengers. In San Jose over one third of the traffic fatalities were attributed to vehicles striking pedestrians.

Of the 42 people killed by a vehicle in San Jose in 2007, 15 were pedestrians (36 percent), according to police. Typically, about 10 percent to 12 percent of an agency's vehicle-related fatalities are pedestrians.

2007 Traffic Fatalities in the South Bay Area
(Includes Bicycle and Pedestrian Casualties)


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A well respected author that I love to read David Halberstam was killed in an accident while in the area for an interview for an upcoming book. Colin Fletcher died due to complications from an accident suffered six years earlier while walking in CarmelValley, CA.