Metro-North

In Europe it's common for regional rail systems to get ridership comparable to that of the subway in the central city. But in America, this is unheard of. One reason for the discrepancy is land use: American commuter rail stations are typically surrounded by parking, while in the Paris region you see a different pattern with ample development next to suburban train stations.

In the U.S., regional rail is mostly good for one type of trip: the commute. But in Paris, regional rail is oriented toward all types of trips, and people ride throughout the day, not just at rush hour. One key to success is running frequent, predictable service all day long.

The New York region's commuter rail network is failing to keep up with current travel patterns, said panelists at Friday's Regional Plan Association annual assembly. MTA chair Tom Prendergast agrees, but he doesn't expect that to change much anytime soon -- there are too many other priorities that need to be taken care of first, he said.

The East Bronx is on track to get new Metro-North service, but developers are building unwalkable, traffic-generating projects near the stations, fueled by state and city funding for highway ramps and expansions. Unless things change, the new rail service will be marooned in a sea of car-centric sprawl and traffic congestion.

The tri-state area's transportation and infrastructure leaders are gathered at the Waldorf Astoria today for the Regional Plan Association's annual gala. For a few years now, the proceedings at the Regional Assembly have been haunted by the death of congestion pricing and bridge tolls in Albany, and lately the complete gridlock in Washington over a national transportation bill has weighed heavily as well. With large-scale transportation projects like the ARC tunnel falling by the wayside and funding streams for infrastructure getting weaker every year, there's not much new stuff in the pipeline, at the regional scale, to get excited about (unless you get excited about boondoggles).

Metro-North service in and out of Manhattan is suspended due to a large fire under the 138th Street Bridge, on the Manhattan side. According to NY1, the sound of an explosion was heard before the fire started, but no train cars were involved in the fire. A photo on Gothamist shows that the huge plumes of smoke are easily visible from Midtown, four miles away. It is not yet clear when Metro-North service will be reinstated.

In honor of Bike Month, the MTA last week unveiled a new web site that promotes bike-and-ride commuting while providing a one-stop source for info on the numerous logistical hurdles faced by cycling customers. "MTA+Bike" was launched on Friday.

With Michael Bloomberg expressing doubts about an apparently favored proposal to move the congestion pricing boundary south to 60th Street, Newsday columnist Ellis Henican challenged the mayor yesterday to get behind the Kheel free transit plan.