In an exciting announcement, New York’s MTA is working on new, streamlined developments for its bus line.

Blind people in Barcelona now have a safer way to get on the city’s buses.

LCD screens have been set up on the L subway line in New York City which display the exact location of trains on the line, so travelers can better understand how long the wait will be.

The city of Chicago is reportedly in talks with Apple to sponsor the renovation and improvement of its North and Clybourn Station. If successful, the city would net four million dollars from the deal, while Apple would maintain primary advertising rights to the station.

Citizen’s group Vision 42 is proposing a plan that would completely shut down 42nd street to traffic, and build a light rail system that would span the width of Manhattan.

Wellington, New Zealand is using urban spaces as canvases to provoke public opinions or promote young artists.

The Arabian Gulf’s first metro system was launched in Dubai this past Thursday to much fanfare.

At first sight, it looks like an ordinary bus. The difference is only noticed when it comes nearer and one hears no sound, and doesn´t see the usual black smoke coming from the exhaust pipe. Latin America´s first hydrogen powered public transport bus took the streets of São Paulo on July 1st. The project has been under development since 2004 and is the result of different partnerships, including with the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and UNDP Brazil.
The hydrogen bus will be tested during two months before being incorporated into the regular fleet. The goal is to have 4 hydrogen buses [...]

The Acne Advertising Agency in Stockholm was approached by Swedish airport bus company Flygbussarna for an idea of how to promote bus ridership to the airport as a greener alternative to driving. Acne wanted to visually represent how many cars would be taken off the congested airport road if people chose to ride the bus. So they created a sculpture of a Flygbussarna out of 50 crushed cars (the number a single bus would replace) adjacent to the highway. The creation of the sculpture took place during the day and was staged to attract motorist’s attention.
[via cr blog]

Considering how vital public transportation is to life in NYC, the MTA’s recently proposed fare hikes and service cuts have many cash-strapped New Yorkers wondering how they’re going to stretch their budgets to compensate if and when these changes go into effect. Still, for residents of some under-served parts of Brooklyn, their commute just got a little cheaper and a whole lot more entertaining thanks to Dollar Van Demos – an alternative transportation system with a twist. For one dollar, passengers can utilize the van service throughout various routes in the borough while local musicians, rappers and comedians give live [...]

The MTA is the nation’s largest public transportation agency, serving an estimated 8.5 million people daily, making it an integral part of life for a diverse group of riders from every imaginable socio-economic background. This reality creates an interesting dynamic between commuters who share proximity while waiting at the same bus stop or standing at the same spot on the subway platform at the same time every day. They may not know one another exactly, but a connection exists beyond the level of stranger, regardless of whether smiles, waves or head nods are exchanged.
Miranda Purves began to realize these unique relationships [...]

In December 2008, Phoenix, Arizona opened the first 20 miles of its new light rail system, a first for the largely car-dependent city. Stretching from Central Phoenix through the neighboring cities of Tempe and Mesa, the rail provides alternate transportation while encouraging the development of the cities’ downtowns. Over 30,000 riders took to the rails the first month, exceeding expectations.
Though the system was mainly built to serve commuters, people have also used it to get to sporting events, gallery openings and Arizona State University. After learning the ropes of navigating the new system, the next logical question for many riders [...]

One part of the new economic stimulus plan environmentally conscious americans are excited about is the $8 billion investment in a new railroad system. The investment, the largest in US history, is set to enliven and modernize the form of transport through the development of a high-speed rail system that will link cities across the nation. Treehugger explains:
…The only sector in which Amtrak makes an actual operating profit on running trains is in the Northeast, where larger cities are closer together than in other parts of the nation, and the primary infrastructure has been in place for decades. Obama hopes [...]

Google has added an easy to use public transportation layer called Google Transit to its map application. Over 50 world city maps now include a handy way to plan car-free trips. Although Google maps will already list the locations and schedules of public transportation options where available, this new tool allows users to get a holistic picture of an area’s transportation map and figure out routes when they don’t come up in a search.
[Google Lat Long Blog via Treehugger]