Blog

Take a look at the original artwork by Phoenix artist, Tato Caraveo

The first Mpact Transit + Community Conference* is headed to Phoenix this fall! There’s a lot to know about Phoenix and the Valley of the Sun. Here’s a round up of some key facts about the region – a snapshot to pique your interest. Come to the conference in November to get the full picture of the region (and learn from peers around the country, of course). We know there’s a lot more to learn!

It’s hard to keep up with the number and variety of challenges coming at us these days. Rising prices. Housing affordability. Impacts of extreme weather caused by climate change. Safety. Individual rights. A lot of these intersect with mobility and development, with the work of cities and regions, transit and mobility providers, everyone involved with community and economic development.

There’s no doubt that we are at a time of changing mobility, with an urgent need to respond to systemic inequities and ever more frequent extreme weather events. In addition, the roll out of the US infrastructure bill puts a billion-dollar opportunity before us: can we marshal our efforts to ensure that this transformation results not only in infrastructure improvements but also greater opportunity for residents and resiliency for their communities?

At a time of changing ridership patterns, transit agencies are working in innovative ways to reach and learn from transit riders in order to shape better, more effective transit service. A recent Rail~Volution webinar, now available as a video, presented some of this work. The webinar speakers described efforts to build ridership on southern California’s MetroLink commuter rail system, to redesign the SamTrans system in northern California, and to establish a branding hierarchy and wayfinding for the Philadelphia region’s intermodal system.

Rail~Volution’s staff and National Steering Committee met in early May to start crafting sessions for the 2022 transit and community development conference, coming October 30 to November 2 in Miami, Florida. (Thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal!) We heard from the Miami Local Host Committee and local leaders about changes underway in the region and saw some examples first hand.

It’s an historic moment for the metro area of Omaha-Council Bluffs. The Nebraska legislature recently passed legislation allowing the formation of a regional transit authority (RTA) and opening the door for increased funding for transit. Omaha Metro transit agency has fresh leadership with a new CEO. Multiple long range plans and collaborative efforts are setting the path for Greater Omaha’s future, including Heartland 2050,  ConnectGO,  MetroNEXT, North Omaha 2025 and UNMC NExT.

During the pandemic, in the spring and summer of 2021, Dee Powell helped transform a vacant lot in south Dallas into the MLK Food Park, while in Pittsburgh, Janel Young transformed a transit stop to highlight safety and lift community spirits. For both, being involved with placemaking projects offered the opportunity not only to reshape a location but also to interact with community members and consider who really has access. We asked them to share their views about placemaking, equity and partnering with cities or agencies. Hear what they say on our Voices from the Field videos.

The ACT2 program at Rail~Volution is intended to bring some of the magic of the conference to local communities, connecting key stakeholders with one another to work collaboratively at the intersection of transit and land use. As with everything, the program has evolved with COVID.

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2021 Rail~Volution virtual conference and to our speakers and sponsors. We know it was not the same as being together in-person, but we heard from attendees that the conference proved to be a powerful opportunity for people to connect and get a sense of how work is going forward at this time of change.

Is it finally infrastructure week? Or year or decade? We’ve been tracking many recent stories about the new US infrastructure bill and have compiled some key perspectives for you below. We share many of these viewpoints — from concern about the vast increase in funding going to roads without adequate provision to prioritize repair, to relief over the increased funding for transit, which will provide welcome stability for transit agencies as they work to build service levels and meet riders’ needs. The bill also includes big investments in high-speed rail and electric charging stations.

This fall, ACT2 capsule learning continues in Omaha and kicks off in eastern Pennsylvania.