Month: September 2012

The Bus Doesn't Have to Suck

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The NFTA is known for being quite mediocre – not surprising from an authority traditionally run by wealthy campaign benefactors who have no need to actually use the NFTA’s core transportation services, except the airport. 

That’s likely why we have a rather nice, well-organized, well-executed airport. 

When it comes to trains and buses, I’m not the first to note the fact that our NFTA-Metro signage is not only the longest in the country, but uninspired, corporate, and boring. Most cities in the world have a simple logo, often denoted with an “M” or a “T”, or some similar abbreviated branding. Many cities have also cut deals for unified street furniture that’s paid for by the manufacturer through advertising (see Wall, Astral) and don’t treat customers like a nuisance. Even Rochester’s RGA now has bus stops that flash “next bus” information. 

I was reminded of this while driving through suburban Toronto this past weekend, and I spotted this bus. What a simple, neat way to make public transportation seem inviting, if not downright cutting edge. Maybe the NFTA can focus less on cutting deals for waterfront land it has no business owning in the first place, and more time making its ground transportation better for everyone. 

 

The Bus Doesn’t Have to Suck

One comment

The NFTA is known for being quite mediocre – not surprising from an authority traditionally run by wealthy campaign benefactors who have no need to actually use the NFTA’s core transportation services, except the airport. 

That’s likely why we have a rather nice, well-organized, well-executed airport. 

When it comes to trains and buses, I’m not the first to note the fact that our NFTA-Metro signage is not only the longest in the country, but uninspired, corporate, and boring. Most cities in the world have a simple logo, often denoted with an “M” or a “T”, or some similar abbreviated branding. Many cities have also cut deals for unified street furniture that’s paid for by the manufacturer through advertising (see Wall, Astral) and don’t treat customers like a nuisance. Even Rochester’s RGA now has bus stops that flash “next bus” information. 

I was reminded of this while driving through suburban Toronto this past weekend, and I spotted this bus. What a simple, neat way to make public transportation seem inviting, if not downright cutting edge. Maybe the NFTA can focus less on cutting deals for waterfront land it has no business owning in the first place, and more time making its ground transportation better for everyone. 

 

The Republican War on Facts

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Since the Republican establishment has spent the last 20 years building a media infrastructure that supports lying, making the mainstream press cower against calling lies what they are. But the press is sick of being relegated to a press release transcription service, and is getting tired of being pushed around. “Fact checking” – especially in light of the brazen lying of the Romney-Ryan campaign – has become quite a thing, and the conservatives and Republicans are getting upset about it. They’re trying to label “fact checking” as somehow partisan. As Oliver Willis writes, 

For the media to note without equivocation that “water is wet” is a clear violation of the conservative-generated rules. The press must couch such assertions as “many Democrats and liberals say that ‘water is wet’” is the preferred construction. That way, Republican and conservative news consumers can simply dismiss what used to be objective fact as “Democrat talking points,” then turn to Rush Limbaugh and Sean Hannity to fill their thinkholes with ignorance juice.

All this sets up a great video of CNN’s Fareed Zakaria taking on conservative hostage-taker Grover Norquist, one of the most detestable ideologues in the country. 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9RYRFoRit8]

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