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ALBION DISTRICT LIBRARY BY PERKINS + WILL IS A 2018 COTE TOP TEN RECIPIENT. IMAGE: DOUBLESPACE PHOTOGRAPHY

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The Committee on the Environment (COTE®) is an AIA Knowledge Community working for architects, allied professionals, and the public to achieve climate action and climate justice through design. We believe that design excellence is the foundation of a healthy, sustainable, and equitable future. Our work promotes design strategies that empower all AIA members to realize the best social and environmental outcomes with the clients and the communities they serve.

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How to fix the downward spiral of American Transit

  • 1.  How to fix the downward spiral of American Transit

    Posted 10-24-2018 11:55 AM

    How to fix the downward spiral of American Transit 

    Transit ridership fell in 31 of 35 major metropolitan areas in the United States last year, including the seven cities that serve the majority of riders, with losses largely stemming from buses but punctuated by reliability issues on systems such as Metro, according to an annual overview of public transit usage. (WP, 3/24/18)
    US Transit Ridership decline 2014-17 (APTA)
    When Lyndon B. Johnson was President, America still dreamed big: Civil rights, ending poverty and subways for American cities. Washington got its beautifully designed "Great Society Subway"system, San Francisco got BART, two of the at the time most advanced, comfortable and spacious metro systems in the world. The Washington Metro opened in 1976 with a network that expanded to six lines, 91 stations, and 117 miles.of route.  In spite of Washington's much smaller size, its Metro is now #3 right behind New York and Chicago. back then, as crumbs off the table, Baltimore and Atlanta each got a subway, too, and the Baltimore subway sure isn't shabby either. Huge stations, big trains and fast service, however just one line and barely 50,000 riders a day. Atlanta has two lines with 213,000 daily riders.
     Boy, have times changed since 1976! The Great Society" largess wasn't sustained when Nixon, Ford and eventually Reagan recasted government as a necessary evil that has to be shrunk not as something that should strive for excellence. The dominance of cars has continued and transit ridership of the fabled DC Metro system has fallen....

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    [Klaus] Philipsen FAIA
    Archplan Inc. Philipsen Architects
    Baltimore MD
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  • 2.  RE: How to fix the downward spiral of American Transit

    Posted 11-01-2018 01:11 PM

    Maybe people don't want to ride transit!

     

    image003.jpg@01D45FD7.5A8BDD70

    William M. Ruecker AIA, Principal

    billr@baysinger.partners *

    (P) 503.546.1614 (C) 503.349.2633

    1006 SE Grand Ave #300, Portland, OR 97214

    www.baysinger.partners

    * New email address, please update your contact info

     

     






  • 3.  RE: How to fix the downward spiral of American Transit

    Posted 11-14-2018 09:17 AM
    Maybe people don't want to ride transit and rather spend hours stuck in traffic and produce and breath polluted air because they have not experienced a good, frequent, reliable, safe and clean system. They exist. See for example Swiss transportation system where it is so much more enjoyable and relaxing to take public transportation than to sit in traffic.
    See what is possible.

    Franziska Amacher FAIA LEED NCARB WBE

    AMACHER & ASSOCIATES Architects
    237 Mount Auburn Street
    Cambridge, MA 02138
    617 354 8707

    www.amacher-associates.net