Feature Articles
•
Gov. Hogan Gives Go Ahead for Purple
Line & ACT’s Response (p. 1)
•
Commuting in America — Brief 13.
Transit Commuting (p. 3)
•
Is Getting an Uber Lyft from a Sidecar
Different from Hailing a Taxi? The
Current Controversy (p. 4)
ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the
ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the
ACT’s monthly meetings are held at the Silver Spring
Silver Spring Silver Spring
Silver Spring
Civic Building,
Civic Building,Civic Building,
Civic Building, One Veterans Place 20910, in the
One Veterans Place 20910, in the One Veterans Place 20910, in the
One Veterans Place 20910, in the
Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of
Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of
Ellsworth Room at 7:30 PM, the second Tuesday of
each month.
each month.each month.
each month.
The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the
The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the
The Silver Spring Civic Building is located at the
corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.
corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.
corner of Fenton St & Ellsworth Dr.
It is an eight
It is an eight It is an eight
It is an eight
minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro
minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro
minute walk north from the Silver Spring Metro
Station.
Station.Station.
Station.
The nearest bus routes are: Ride
The nearest bus routes are: Ride The nearest bus routes are: Ride
The nearest bus routes are: Ride-
--
-On routes
On routes On routes
On routes
#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus
#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus #9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus
#9, #12, #15, #16, #17, #19 and #20; and, Metrobus
routes Z6 and Z8.
routes Z6 and Z8.routes Z6 and Z8.
routes Z6 and Z8.
Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just
Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just
Parking is available at the Town Square Garage just
across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free
across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free
across Ellsworth Dr from the Civic Building; it is free
after 6:00pm.
after 6:00pm.after 6:00pm.
after 6:00pm.
For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.
For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.
For meeting updates check our website listed on pg 2.
Aug 11: Speaker:
Aug 11: Speaker: Aug 11: Speaker:
Aug 11: Speaker: Del. Eric Ebersole, Howard County
Del. Eric Ebersole, Howard County Del. Eric Ebersole, Howard County
Del. Eric Ebersole, Howard County
-
--
- “A Transit Future for the US 29 Corridor
“A Transit Future for the US 29 Corridor “A Transit Future for the US 29 Corridor
“A Transit Future for the US 29 Corridor
”
””
”
Sept 8: Speaker:
Sept 8: Speaker: Sept 8: Speaker:
Sept 8: Speaker: Danielle Meitiv
Danielle Meitiv Danielle Meitiv
Danielle Meitiv -
--
- “Making Our
“Making Our “Making Our
“Making Our
Streets Safe for Children to Walk
Streets Safe for Children to WalkStreets Safe for Children to Walk
Streets Safe for Children to Walk
”
””
”
Sept 27: ACT Gala Fundraiser: 4
Sept 27: ACT Gala Fundraiser: 4 Sept 27: ACT Gala Fundraiser: 4
Sept 27: ACT Gala Fundraiser: 4 -
--
- 6 pm
6 pm 6 pm
6 pm
9702 Hill St, Kensington MD 20895
9702 Hill St, Kensington MD 208959702 Hill St, Kensington MD 20895
9702 Hill St, Kensington MD 20895
Oct 13: Speaker TBD
Oct 13: Speaker TBDOct 13: Speaker TBD
Oct 13: Speaker TBD
Transit Times
The Newsletter of the Action Committee for Transit of Montgomery County, Maryland
Volume 29, Number 3, July 2015
Gov. Hogan Gives Go Ahead for
Purple Line & ACT’s Response
The Purple Line will go ahead, Maryland
Governor Hogan declared at a June 25 news
conference. At the same time, he canceled the
Baltimore Red Line Light Rail project and
announced $845 million in highway-building
projects.
The Maryland Transit Administration will
cut Purple Line costs by buying only enough rail
cars to run trains every 7 1/2 minutes, instead of
the previously planned 6 minutes during rush
hour. There will be no change in the route or
station locations. However, bidders will be
asked to come up with other additional cost cuts.
The Governor also said that Montgomery and
Prince George's Counties will be asked to pay a
somewhat bigger share of the project. At press
time, details of the local funding issue were
unclear.
•
ACT Treasurer’s 2014 Report (p. 5)
•
In Memory of Tom Fuchs (p. 6)
•
The New and Improved Trolley Museum
(p. 6)
•
Transit-Oriented Publicity (p. 7)
•
You are Invited to the ACT Gala
Fundraiser! (p. 8)
Join ACT Now
You can join ACT by remitting
membership dues. Your membership
dues are based on the category of
membership that you choose:
$10 [rider
(code R on mail label)
]
$25 [activist
(code A on mail label)
]
$50 [conductor
(code C on mail label)
]
$100 [engineer
(code E on mail label)
]
[the two digits after your category of
membership code indicates year paid]
You can join/renew online at our
website, or send your check for the
chosen category of membership to:
Action Committee for Transit
P.O. Box 7074
Silver Spring, MD 20907
www.actfortransit.org
www.twitter.com/actfortransit
www.facebook.com/actfortransit
You may also give your membership
dues to Treasurer Dave Anderson at
the next ACT meeting. The address
on your check will be used as the
mailing address unless otherwise
indicated.
Your dues support ACT Activities and
this newsletter.
While the final hurdles have not yet been
overcome, this announcement likely signals
success after 29 years of ACT's struggle for the
Purple Line. Nonetheless, more remains to be
done to change Maryland transportation policy.
Cancellation of the Red Line is an enormous loss
for Baltimore, and the state conspicuously fails to
compare the costs and benefits of highway
projects as it does for transit.
Governor Hogan's decision to build the
Purple Line is good news for Marylanders who
want more jobs, more travel options, and better
communities. However, ACT is disappointed that
the Governor chose to reduce the train frequency
and passenger-carrying capacity. In all
likelihood, future administrations will have to buy
more cars. We ask the Maryland National
Capital Park and Planning Commission planners
to preserve the land needed for expanded
storage and maintenance facilities. Meanwhile,
we look forward to working with the Maryland
Transit Administration to ensure that this light rail
line is built quickly and offers the best possible
service within these limitations.
Prior to the Governor’s announcement,
members of the Montgomery-based Action
Committee for Transit and the Prince George's
Advocates for Community-based Transit stood in
front of the State House on June 11
th
at 11:00
AM with a giant blow-up of their engraved
invitation for the Governor to tour the Purple Line
route. The Governor had returned June 7
th
from
a trip to Japan, where he rode a magnetic
levitation (maglev) high-speed train, but he had
not yet looked at the route of the Purple Line in
his home state. Reporters from the Washington
Post, Baltimore Sun, and WTOP radio attended
the event. Additional reporters from Bethesda
Beat and other publications requested photos
and quotes from the event. In addition,
legislators Mike Miller and Nicholaus Kipke
passed by and we were able to get the facts in
their hands as well. All-in-all, it was a very
successful and high-profile press event.
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
2
ACT President Nick Brand and Dominic Lyon from Prince George’s
Advocates for Community-based Transit in Annapolis to present an invitation
for Governor Hogan to tour the Purple Line route.
Photo: Kathy Jentz
Commuting in America — Brief 13.
Transit Commuting
Quon Kwan
In January 2015, the American Association
of State Highway and Transportation Officials
(AASHTO) published the thirteenth brief, Transit
Commuting, in the series, Commuting in America.
Commuting in America was published as a single
volume in 1990, 2000, and 2006, but this is the first
year, the publication appears as a series of briefs.
The authors include Steven Polzin (Center for
Urban Transportation Research at the University of
South Florida), Bruce Spear (Cambridge
Systematics), Liang Long (Cambridge Systematics),
Nancy McGuckin (consultant) and Alan Pisarski
(consultant).
Brief 12. Auto Commuting notes that auto
commuting (including carpooling) is decreasing and
transit commuting is increasing. Brief 13 describes
transit commuting trends and relationships. Transit
commuting, which hovers around 5% of all
commuting modes, is more challenging to analyze
because of its modest share and the constraints of
sample size in both the American Community
Survey and the National Household Travel Survey
data sources. From 1980 to 2010, transit
commuting first declined from more than 6 million
daily commuters and 6.22% of the workforce to 5.87
million and 4.58% of the workforce in 2000. It then
began increasing to 6.77 million daily commuters
and 5% of the workforce in 2010. Data from transit
agencies gathered by both the American Public
Transportation Association and the National Transit
Database show that the downward trend in transit
ridership for work commuting actually reversed in
1996. While the data from these two sources are
annual, the data gathered by the American
Community Survey and National Household Travel
Survey are on an irregular basis.
Mode loyalty as measured over the three
prior National Household Travel Surveys indicates
that the regular transit commuter actually takes
transit about 70% of the time for their commuting.
The geographic variation in transit
commuting shares is very large, reflecting
differences in transit availability and
competitiveness from region to region. In particular,
approximately half of the total transit commuting for
work occurs in the Northeast, and the Northeast has
the vast majority of heavy rail commuters and
commuter rail commuters. The West, South, and
Midwest regions, each has less than 37% of the
commuters that the Northeast has. According to the
2010 American Community Survey, the New York
metropolitan area accounts for 39% of the nation’s
reported transit commuters, and transit serves more
than 30% of commuters in the New York
metropolitan area. The next highest number of
transit commuters is in the Chicago metropolitan
area, but that number is less than 20% as many as
in New York. Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston,
and Washington, DC round out the top six
metropolitan areas for transit commuting,
comprising more than 65% of the nation’s transit
commuters,
Over the past 20 years, the share of transit
mode in commuting changed very little (i.e.,
between +2.75% and -1.4%). Part of the reason
that these changes are not more strongly positive is
that this 20-year period bridged the low point in
transit use in 1996. The cities with increases in
transit mode shares were New York, Washington,
DC, San Francisco, Boston, Portland, Los Angeles,
and Las Vegas. The cities with decreases in transit
mode shares were Chicago, Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh, New Orleans, and Milwaukee. Larger
increases tend to occur in larger cities because
such areas have the quality and quantity of transit
service to enhance transit’s competitiveness.
American Public Transportation Association data
indicate that the supply of transit service (i.e.,
revenue vehicle miles or hours) rose about 60%
between 1990 and 2010. However, the growth in
ridership did not keep up with growth in transit
service.
The analysis of transit commuters by annual
household (not individual) income found that use of
streetcar or trolley is pretty much constant
regardless of income. Use of heavy rail, bus, and
trolley bus is level until $50,000/household, rises to
a peak at $100,000/household, and then lowers
(only s lightly f or heavy r ail) un til
$150,000/household where it levels out. Use of
commuter rail is level until $50,000/household and
rises without peaking. The transit mode share for
annual household incomes below $50,000 and
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
3
above $150,000 is higher than the overall average
of 4.9%. This means there is relatively strong
transit penetration in high-income households,
especially rail.
Auto availability is closely related to
income. A total of 36% of transit commuters come
from homes with no cars, 29% come from homes
with one or more workers than cars in the home,
and 35% come from homes with at least as many
cars as workers in the home. Thus, high auto
availability is a factor for 64% of transit
commuters. In some of the strongest transit
markets, anecdotal evidence indicates that homes
are zero-car by choice. Trip duration also is a
factor in choosing transit. When trips take less
than 30 minutes, commuters prefer driving. When
trips take 30 minutes to 45 minutes, transit and
auto compete. When trips take more than 45
minutes, commuters prefer transit over driving
alone.
According to the National Household
Travel Survey, work trip travel constitutes 30% of
all transit trips; the American Community Survey
shows that about 34% of transit trips are for work.
While work commuting is an important market for
transit, it no longer comprises most of the transit
market, but complements growing transit markets
for school, special events, healthcare, personal
business, shopping, social recreation, and other
activities.
Is Getting an Uber Lyft from a
Sidecar Different from Hailing a
Taxi? The Current Controversy
Quon Kwan
There was an electrifying paper presented
on public transportation at the 94
th
Annual Meeting
of the Transportation Research Board in
Washington, DC -- paper No. 15-3919 (title of the
paper is same as title of this article given above)
delivered on January 14
th
by author, Dr. Carlos
Sun, a law professor at the University of Missouri,
Columbia.
First of all, why should taxis be considered
as a form of public transportation? There are
three reasons: (i) The Federal Transit
Administration officially recognizes taxis as public
transportation. (ii) Taxis are often used as the first
or last mile of travel to/from a train station or bus
depot. (iii) Taxis are part of guaranteed–ride-
home programs, which are put in place to
motivate use of public transit.
Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar are known as
transportation network companies (TNCs), which
have risen in the marketplace to compete with
taxis. TNCs are popular with young adults who
use smartphones to order a ride. The controversy
over TNCs is not whether TNCs should be
allowed to operate at all, rather, whether they
should be subject to the same regulations as
taxis. The controversy is extremely heated
because of the issue of fairness, the loss of jobs
and the profits at stake. Uber alone is said to be
valued at $41 billion. There are numerous law
suits pending at the state and local levels
throughout the country.
The author of this paper asserts that the
answer is “Yes, TNCs are NOT the same as taxis,
and hence, they should not be subject to taxi
regulations.” After his presentation, vociferous
arguments erupted from many regulators in the
audience passionately refuting the author. Let us
begin by looking at the author’s contentions: he
claims TNCs are NOT the same as taxis on the
basis of the dynamics of ridesharing, the form of
ownership, vehicle maintenance, physical
facilities, known supply, travel patterns, branding,
and safety.
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
4
This May in anticipation of Governor Hogan’s Purple Line
announcement - ACT members demonstrating in support of the
Purple Line in front of the soon to be opened Silver Spring Library.
Photo: Kathy Jentz
First, the author claims dynamics of
ridesharing in TNCs differ from that in taxis:
ridesharing in TNCs is two-sided matching done
on a one-time basis with no advance notice. There
are many TNC drivers, and the passenger picks a
TNC driver using a smartphone app. The TNC
drivers also may accept or reject a TNC
passenger. The satisfaction rating for TNCs is
also two-sided: the driver can rate the passenger
just as the passenger can rate the driver. With
taxis, there is one-sided matching with either (i) a
dispatcher picking a driver for a passenger, who
calls the company with advance notice or (ii) a
passenger hailing the first available cab at curb
side. The satisfaction rating for taxis is one-sided:
only the passenger rates the taxi company. TNC
vehicles are not subject to the Federal regulations
under the Americans with Disabilities Act while
taxis are.
Second, the author claims vehicle
ownership in TNCs is that of each driver, a private
individual. Vehicle ownership of a fleet of taxis is
usually a single company, which rents the vehicles
to drivers. Third, the author claims vehicle
maintenance in TNCs is the responsibility of the
driver. Vehicle maintenance with a fleet of taxis is
the responsibility of the company.
Fourth, the author claims physical facilities
for TNCs are not obvious. There are no TNC
stands, zones, a depot, or a base of operations.
The physical facilities for taxis are obvious: taxi
stands, taxi zones, a depot or a base of
operations. Fifth, the author claims supply of
active TNC vehicles is unknown. On the other
hand, the supply of vehicles for a taxi company is
a matter of public record. Sixth, the author claims
travel patterns for TNCs differ from those of taxis.
TNC vehicles are not hailed by a passenger in
contrast to taxis. Also, TNCs can minimize
deadheading before making a pick-up.
Deadheading is inevitable for taxis.
The author claims TNCs and taxis differ in
the branding of the deployed vehicles: TNC
vehicles have no branding, that is, no distinct
signs to identify them as TNCs, no specified
colors or markings, and no meters to indicate the
fare. He claims TNC drivers and passengers
mutually agree on or bargain over a fare, and that
taxis are identifiable by roof-mounted illuminated-
signs, vehicle colors, company marking, and
certified, sealed meters to indicate the fare.
Lastly, the author claims safety
characteristics of TNCs differ from those of taxis.
He claims TNC driver homicide rate has been
virtually nil while the taxi driver homicide rate is
two to three times that of the average population.
He claims TNC vehicles lack a partition between
the driver and the passenger to prevent a robbery
or assault. In taxis, there can be a partition. TNCs
do not provide Insurance coverage for drivers
while taxi companies do.
In essence, the author concluded that
when TNCs are compared to taxis, the totality of
circumstances and modal characteristics of TNCs
differ so much from taxis that TNCs should not be
subject to taxi regulations. The author sounded
convincing until question-and-answer time when
the audience, in particular, regulators from public
utility commissions and airport authorities begged
to differ. The regulators pointed out that TNC
vehicles have been (i) raiding taxi stands and taxi
zones to make clandestine pick-ups, (ii) creating
their own unofficial, impromptu TNC vehicle
stands and TNC vehicle zones, and (iii)
responding to passengers hailing for a taxi. The
author was unaware that TNCs or TNC drivers
have started to operate like taxi companies.
Nevertheless, whether TNCs will be subject to taxi
regulations will be decided in court – not in a
Transportation Research Board meeting.
Even if TNCs are not regulated as taxis,
they should be regulated to protect the public. On
March 31st, the National Association of Insurance
Commissioners (NAIC) adopted a white paper on
insurance coverage issues for TNCs.
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
5
ACT Treasurer’s 2014 Report
Dave Anderson
ACT began 2014 with a bank balance of
$17,662.68. Income for 2014 of $19,041.34
came from Dues -- $9,330.00 and Donations --
$9,711.34. After expenses of $26,765.44 ACT
ended 2014 with a balance of $9,938.58 at Eagle
Bank.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
In Memory of Tom Fuchs
Quon Kwan
Long-time ACTivist Thomas Allen
Fuchs passed away at the age of 62 of
natural causes on April 28, 2015 at his home
in Greenbelt, MD. Tom was one of the
earliest members of Action Committee for
Transit, served as a co-chair of ACT in 1988,
and was succeeded by Nick Brand in 1990.
He served also as Chair of ACT’s Transit
Operations Committee (for those who
remember the 1980’s and 1990’s when ACT
had such a committee). He also served as
one of the early editors of this newsletter.
Tom recruited me over the telephone to join
ACT in the late 1980’s after he discovered my
name repeatedly on the speaker’s list at
public hearings of the Washington
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority. In 2001
he won Transit Rider of the Year in
Montgomery County. Tom was also a
passionate railroad train buff.
Tom was born in Washington, DC and
lived in the area all his life, graduated from
Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, and
attended the University of Maryland and
Montgomery College. He worked for the Food
and Drug Administration for 35 years, as a
laboratory technician, research assistant, and
librarian. He was a member of St. Columba's
Church at which he sang in the choir for
several years. He also sang Gilbert and
Sullivan and other songs with the Victorian
Lyric Opera Company for decades in the
Twinbrook-Rockville area, where he lived
before moving to Greenbelt. Our
condolences go out to Tom’s family.
The New and Improved Trolley
Museum
Cindy Snow
On Saturday, June 13, ACT participated
in Transit Progress Day at the National Capital
Trolley Museum. The event commemorated the
50
th
anniversary of the museum. It started with a
ribbon-cutting by Dr. Gridlock (Robert Thomson)
and throughout the day participants were able to
view the exhibits and take rides on various
trolleys owned by the museum. This year,
according to Larry Velte of the National Capital
Trolley Museum, for its 50th anniversary
celebration, the Trolley Museum is “linking the
streetcar-era of the past with today's environment
and with the future trajectory of public
transportation.”
Over its 50 year history, the Trolley
Museum has gone through two transformations -
the first one due to a fire; the second and fairly
recent one due to the building of the Intercounty
Connector (ICC). The original Trolley Museum
was in the path of the ICC and was required to
relocate. According to Transit Progress Day
participant and ACT member, Ross Capon, "One
silver lining to the controversial ICC tollway is the
beautiful facility that the Trolley Museum received
due to the museum's forced relocation.”
The new facility really is nice. Anyone
familiar with the original museum will remember
how the trolley ride was just on a big circular
track. Now the track goes through fields and into
the woods and out a ways. It’s a much more
interesting ride, like riding the miniature train at
Wheaton Regional Park, but on a real old-time
trolley.
In addition, the displays provide
fascinating history of streetcars in the DC
metropolitan and Maryland area. There is a
small theater and a small model railroad set up to
replicate a system in the area. This is worth a
visit - fun for young and old.
Where: National Capital Trolley Museum, 1313
Bonifant Road, Colesville, MD 20905
www.dctrolley.org
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
6
Photo taken
from Boat
Trolley,
used along
the coast of
England.
Photo:
Ross Capon
Transit-Oriented Publicity
Cindy Snow
As transit supporters, ACT and its
members are in good company. In the last issue
of the Transit Times (Celebrities Ride Public
Transit to Emmy Awards – Is There More Behind
It? April 2015), we learned how comedian, actor,
and late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel is an
avid supporter of public transportation. In 2014 he
and his wife, Molly McNearney, rode the subway
to the 2014 Emmy Awards and in 2007 Kimmel
filmed on of his late-night talk shows (“Jimmy
Kimmel Live”) entirely on a transit bus in Santa
Monica, CA.
I have been finding examples of transit-
oriented publicity in other unexpected places as
well. In early 2015, the National Association of
Railroad Passengers (NARP) teamed “up with the
band Rising Appalachia to rally young Americans
in support of a 21st Century passenger rail
system!”
[www.narprail.org/rising-appalachia.html].
A c c o r d i n g t o t h e i r w e b s i t e ,
www.risingappalachia.com, the “soulful sisters of
Rising Appalachia have announced the Wider
Circles Rail Tour in celebration of their album
release Wider Circles. The tour kicks off in New
Orleans and winds its way by Amtrak train
throughout the Southwest with stops in New
Mexico, Arizona, and Texas.
The album’s release also signifies a new
chapter in Rising Appalachia’s “Slow Music
Movement” approach to touring – an effort to
promote sustainable touring practices and to be
immersed in local communities... The ‘Slow Music
Movement’ encourages musicians to try out ‘non-
industry standard’ ways of bringing music into the
world by “linking to local communities and staying
with local friends; pursuing alternative venues for
performances and supporting local businesses
with farm-to-table hospitality; providing local non-
profits at each show a platform to display
information; exploring alternative methods of
travel including train, bike, low impact vehicles,
boat, horse, or simply focusing on regional
touring; and encouraging concert goers to take in
more than just the catharsis of the music.” ”
But wait, there’s more... Musicians Bela
Fleck and Abigail Washburn have encouraged
their support of transit and music as part of the
Music Moves Festival, a free music festival that
took place on buses with the goal to help music
education (unfortunately the program is no longer
active). To see their piece on this go to
www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MEp04tuBKU.
In January 2015, on National Public
Radio’s (NPR) “Wait Wait...Don’t Tell Me!”, Peter
Sagal questioned Senator Jon Tester on his
recent ride on the Chicago "L".
“PETER SAGAL: I want to confirm that something
is true - that you are a Senator of the United
States, that you are one of a hundred members of
the greatest deliberative body in the world, but
that when you came to Chicago, you got from
O'Hare to here on the Blue Line - you took CTA.
TESTER: That is correct.”
www.npr.org/2015/01/31/382646816/not-my-job-
sen-jon-tester-gets-quizzed-on-testers-of-johns
And now, after a hard day of work, you can
grab a cold bottle of Line 51 Beer, named after
the Line 51 bus route in Oakland, CA, to cool off
and relax.
“About Line 51: From the Basement to
Broadway. Each beer is born in a basement near
Broadway. Proudly mass-produced at Tied House
Brewery in Mountain View. Self-distributed out of
American Steel Studios in West Oakland. Line 51
beer is now pouring at select stops in Oakland,
Alameda, and Berkeley. Line 51 encourages the
use of public transportation as a safe alternative to
drinking and driving.”
www.line51beer.com
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
7
To become a sponsor,
contact ACT at
admin@actfortransit.org or 240-308-1209.
The event will be at the home of Board
member Emily Shetty, 9702 Hill St., Kensington
MD 20895. Detail and ticket prices will be
included in the invitation.
Fundraiser - cont. from pg 8
Editorial Remarks
Your Transit Times editor is Quon Kwan. Cutoff date
for receiving materials for the next publication is
September 11. Send your materials to Quon at:
qykwan@gmail.com or call him at:
(h) 301-460-7454.
ACT Officers/Staff for 2015:
President: Nick Brand
V. Pres
(campaigns)
: Ronit Dancis
V. Pres
(legislative)
: Jim Clarke
V. Pres
(land use)
: Dan Reed
Secretary: Tracey Johnstone
Treasurer: Dave Anderson
Board Member: Emily Shetty
Non-Voting ex officio board members:
Ralph Bennett: Purple Line Now!
Sareana Kimia: Student Rep
Wendy Leibowitz: Safe Walk to School
Ben Ross: Program Chair
Miriam Schoenbaum: Upcounty & MARC
Webmaster: Jeri Roth
Meeting Agenda: Neil Greene
Staff: Cindy Snow & Kathy Jentz
admin@actfortransit.org / 240-308-1209
Transit Times
Action Committee for Transit, Inc.
P.O. Box 7074
Silver Spring, MD 20907
ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Transit Times, vol. 29, no. 3, July 2015
8
PRSRT STD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
SILVER SPRING, MD
PERMIT # 1931
You are Invited to the ACT Gala
Fundraiser! – Sunday, September 27
ACT has scheduled a gala fundraiser for
Sunday, September 27, from 4:00 to 6:00. This is
only our third-ever event -- the previous events were
in 2003 (Taste of the Purple Line) and 2011 (25th
anniversary).
We rely on support from our members and
friends to enable us to continue our work. Even with
the Governor’s announcement that the Purple Line
will move forward there is much work ahead. Then
there’s the much needed MARC expansion and the
Governor’s emphasis on roads has made
advocating for transit more important than ever.
Please join as a sponsor of this event if you possibly
can. Sponsorships are at the following levels:
Engineer - $2000 (includes 10 guests)
Conductor - $1000 (includes 8 guests)
Stationmaster - $500 (includes 4 guests)
Sponsor - $250 (includes 2 guests)
All sponsorships received by August 20 will be
listed on the invitation.
cont. on pg 7
