Human Transit: the bbc discovers me

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02/27/2012

the bbc discovers me

Just a few paragraphs at the end of an excellent article by Brian Wheeler.

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Nice article except it is wrong about how much intercity buses are subsidized.

They're extremely subsidized -- they do not pay anything close to the right amount to maintain the highways they use. That burden is laid onto the general highway fund, which has been going broke for quite some time, and is being supported by direct infusions of cash from other revenues. The taxpayer pays for the infrastructure that the "$1 ticket" buses use.

Posted by: Matthew | 02/27/2012 at 07:41

Interesting comment by Matthew. In the UK trunk roads and motorways are funded from general taxation. In addition, every vehicle owner must purchase an annual Vehicle Excise Duty (VED) disk which must be displayed in the windscreen. The amount payable depends on the amount of co2 and particulate emissions, thus small fuel efficient engines attract a lower charge.

http://www.direct.gov.uk/en/Motoring/OwningAVehicle/HowToTaxYourVehicle/DG_10012524

This raises huge amounts of money for the UK Treasury. Unfortunately the money goes into government coffers and only a fraction is spent on road maintenance.

Local roads are funded by residents who pay 'Council tax' to local councils based on notional property values.

All local bus services receive Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG)which is a rebate on fuel duty paid. 80% of mileage operated is on a commercial basis where BSOG is the only subsidy received. Tendered services receive additional payment from local authorities to cover operators' losses.

The UK has a comprehensive express coach network. In England and Wales the largest operator is National Express, with Stagecoach's Megabus competing on some routes.

http://www.nationalexpress.com/coach/ourservice/about.aspx

We also have one of the most frequent coach services in the world betwen Oxford and London. Two companies compete here - Oxford Bus Company, and Stagecoach.

http://www.oxfordbus.co.uk/main.php?page_id=28

http://www.oxfordtube.com/

Scotland has its own coach network called Citylink.

http://www.citylink.co.uk/index.php

Posted by: Pete | 03/02/2012 at 11:13

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Stuff You Need to Know

Walking distance to transit
Why it's hard (but essential) to think about.
Branching: transit is like a river
Branching a line looks easy. Know what's being sacrificed.
Transit's great triangle
(1) Urban form. (2) Transit service. (3) Ridership. Why it's pointless to discuss two of them without the third.
The case for frequency mapping
Some transit is useful for a free and empowered life, but only if we can find it.
Benefits of transit
Transit by itself doesn't reduce congestion, but it does give us alternatives to it. Here are the other great things it does.
Network redesign: Why and how
It's like pruning a tree by committee. Tips on why, how, and process.
Illusions of travel time
The fastest service may not get you there soonest.
Want freedom? Love grids.
For transit that's both efficient and empowering, learn about transit grids (not just street grids).
Want to be a transit planner?
Paths into the profession.
"Be on the Way!"
How land use plans, and your own location choices, determine whether transit can work, for you and your city.
"Transferring" can be good!
Why networks that rely on connections or "transfers" can get you there faster than those that try to avoid them.