CHALLENGES

* USA - Bigger buses vs. better service
Glenwood Springs,CO,USA -Glenwood Springs Post Independent, by Dennis Webb -Sept 27, 2006: -- Glenwood Springs' in-town bus service is becoming a victim of its own success, meaning some difficult decisions await city officials... Record ridership is requiring the city to look at buying bigger buses, which means it may not be able to afford fully implementing a long-term plan that is supposed to include restoring service to south Glenwood... That has led city engineer Mike McDill to suggest that City Council ask voters to approve an additional 0.1 percent sales tax to expand the service... City manager Jeff Hecksel said everyone on council would like to fully implement the city's long-term bus plan. The challenge is figuring out how to pay for it... (Photo: Glenwood Springs Mall View)

* USA - Major changes planned in county bus service -
Aim is to cut waiting times without raising costs
Baltimore,MAR,USA -The Baltimore Sun, by Larry Carson -Oct 1, 2006: -- State and Howard County transportation officials are planning major changes in the county's local bus system to cut the time between many stops in half without raising costs... The changes, which mainly would affect stops in central Columbia and Ellicott City during weekday peak hours, would begin in March, after a public comment period at meetings Oct. 24 and Nov. 28. They also would offer slightly earlier and later service on some routes and extend service to several places not now receiving it... The improvements would be achieved by dropping little-used service on several routes, reducing duplications in which buses from several routes use the same stops and by moving from a once-per-hour "pulse" system centered on The Mall in Columbia to half-hour departures...