Free Republic

DECEMBER 07, 22:18 ET NY Transit Union OKs Possible Strike NEW YORK (AP) — New York City transit workers have authorized union leaders to call a strike if contract talks with the city fail, union officials said Saturday. The union's executive board could make the decision Dec. 15, when the current contract expires, said union president Roger Toussaint. ``Our members moved a resolution to authorize the executive board of Local 100 to call a strike if all else fails,'' he said. Thousands of the 34,000 union members attended a meeting to vote on the resolution. Mayor Michael Bloomberg said a...

Tampa streetcars running again A restored streetcar line opened Saturday, October 19 in Tampa, Fla., 50 years after the city scrapped its streetcar system. The yellow TECO streetcars link downtown with the Ybor City entertainment district. The $53 million project includes a 2.3-mile route with 10 stations. The line’s seven cars run every 7 to 15 minutes between the Marriott Waterside Hotel in downtown Tampa and 8th Avenue/20th Street in Ybor City. The line is initially expected to carry 950 riders daily; a mile of track remains to be completed.

If, like Willie Green, you are interested in public transit, I recommend visiting two great exhibits on the history of said topic. One is at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC, a place I didn't know existed 6 months ago :-/ (natch, it's at a Metro stop), the other at the headquarters of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority in Center City Philadelphia. They are great exhibits and the book/gift stores aren't bad either. I bought books at both museums.