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Category Archives: Public Transportation
Commentary: One Corporate Transaction = Sustainable Alternative Transportation?
Tweet “We’re not going to be bullied by the cars over at The U. They are going to have to try harder…” Photo by Randy Stern “Hello carsharing subscribers! Welcome to the world of corporate Pac-Man!” That was my first … Continue reading
Commentary: The Old Depot Comes Alive Again
Tweet All photos by Randy Stern The Twin Cities now has a new transportation hub. It is actually the same as an old one. The pubic arrived on December 8 to check out the newly renovated Union Depot in St. … Continue reading
A Transportation Guide to the Gay Softball World Series
Tweet Victory & Reseda proudly supports the Twin Cities Goodtime Softball League and the Twin Cities Bears – one of 153 teams competing in the 2012 Gay Softball World Series. Welcome to the Twin Cities, softballers! All photos by Randy … Continue reading
The Class of 1982: The Coming of Better Transit in L.A.
Automobiles weren’t the only ones affecting the universe in 1982.
In the years after World War II, the way Americans viewed transportation shifted to reflect an overall lifestyle migration from an urban society to metropolitan sprawl. Places that were once agrarian and bucolic became paved with new family housing units and expanding businesses supporting the new suburbs.
To coincide with this move, it was deemed that the current public transport infrastructure would not be the optimal solution for linking these new homes with places of employment. Somehow, the equation came up with money for roads – limited-access ones designed for automobile use, specifically – instead of laying down new streetcar rolling stock beyond a city’s terminus. Instead, public transit sought to remove the old streetcar in favor of a bus in induce more flexibility in the transport system.
Buses supplanting streetcars was a drop in the bucket to what transpired during the postwar years. Automobile sales skyrocketed thanks to the suburban migration. To survive in the suburbs, you have to find a way to go from Point A to Point B. The automobile became the primary mode of transport in these new neighborhoods thanks to the G.I. Bill, affordable purchasing options, low insurance rates and very low fuel prices.
There were some consequences to the growth of the automobile. Continue reading
V&R in 2012 – A Look Ahead
The question remains: What would make this site completely awesome?
This year already yielded some huge advances for the site. Through new connections, a wider social media presence and some leaps and an expansion of outlets for my writing, the groundwork has been laid for an extraordinary 2012.
That is, of course, if the economy would be of help on my end.
If, perchance, that the economy is indeed improving and I am able to gain traction through this phase of economic recovery, there are a lot of plans for V&R. All it takes is some hard work, some opportunities and some miracles thrown in.
Sometimes, it’s good to make some plans for the upcoming year. What vehicles would be reviewed on this site (and Lavender Magazine)? What events should I attend for coverage in V&R and Lavender? What crazy ideas I might have to bring you closer to these two outlets (and more)? Continue reading
Transit Buses 101: Who Makes ‘Em?
We often take buses for granted.
When we commute, we don’t care what we get onto to get us to our destination. We hop on, find a seat, plug into some device and hope nothing crazy happens next to us. If we have to stand, we hope that we are equally safe and secure.
But, all this business of homeland security and economic insecurity creates a wedge in our own psyche. We take the bus so we can leave the car behind, so we can save money without feeding the petrol pump. Yet, we do not want to be presented with a class war inside of a conveyance we are paying for through our property and incomes taxes. We might not be vocal about these wedges, but they are indeed present deep inside our minds.
Yet, we have to live with the decisions we make to get us to work on time comfortably and safely. If we chose public transport based on a decision dictated by our pocketbook, we are doing our part to cut emissions and reinvesting in our transportation infrastructure. Our decision to ride transit has a positive adding to a trend towards growth in bus, rail and commuter ferry ridership.
Have you ever thought about the exact vehicle you are riding in? Continue reading
Coming Out Behind The Wheel
Tweet Waving a flag – 2010 Ford Fusion during 2009 Twin Cities Pride weekend. Photo by Randy Stern Today is National Coming Out Day. This is a day that even us who have been out for years can take the … Continue reading
The Heirloom‘s Dead End
“What’s happening with The Heirloom?“
It’s been a question that has popped up by non-readers of this site for a while. This is probably a chance to explain all of this contextually.
Since the early 2000s, one of my writing topics had been about sports. Baseball has been the primary sport of choice for most of my life, so I felt compelled to put my love for the game into words. Of those who read my work, they hoped it would be available on a larger stage for the world to see.
In 2008, Major League Baseball Advanced Media opened up their MLBlogs sites for no charge, as opposed to a per month rate. Not only did I migrate my earlier work onto the new site, I began writing volumes of new and relative material. The Heirloom was born. It became the bane of my existence while figuring out what to do with the rest of my written work.
This year alone saw a turn towards a different focus. Regular readers of V&R have witnessed this turn as I put more emphasis on the automotive work above my baseball writing. The growing readership along with the inroads made in this industry superseded what I was hoping to do with The Heirloom. Continue reading
How I Got Home From My Road Trip To Chicago…Seriously
Sure, getting there was half the fun. Going home is a different story.
This last road trip was, at best, interesting. I saw a friend in Madison and went around the place I once called home. Then, took in Chicago a day early to add a new experience on my way to close the baseball blog, The Heirloom.
The GMC Terrain paved the way for this trip to happen. However, I did not drive home. The vehicle was based in Chicago, so I dropped it off there. I ended up coming home a completely different way.
Normally, I would fly out of O’Hare. On a short notice, airfares were not in the offing for my budget…even out Midway. Amtrak was an alternative, but I had to be back on a contract site early the next morning. The late arrival of Amtrak into St. Paul would not work there, either.
Continue reading
Posted in Public Transportation, Road Trips, Travel Writing
Tagged Chicago, Intercity bus
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Commentary: Lessons from Carsharing
Tweet Photo by Randy Stern One could learn a lot from a car. A car might not be able to talk – despite some experiments by Nissan and Chrysler in the 1980s. If it did, it would divulge some secrets … Continue reading →