Transit Systems

Demetrius McClain's late-morning commuter train sped smoothly past strip malls and palm trees, heading north to his job in Ft. Lauderdale, about 30 miles away. McClain, a Web designer, started riding the train in May. The choice between the train and his car was a no-brainer: Gas prices were more than $3.60 a gallon and climbing. His commute on the Tri-Rail -- which connects Miami to Ft. Lauderdale and points north -- cost him $4 per day.

One of the more intriguing mass transit projects that has been talked about for years -- they usually require decades of talk before actually getting built -- is the downtown connector, also known as the regional connector. It's a line that would connect present and future light-rail lines, the idea being to eliminate time-munching transfers.

Russia stepped up security in major cities, deploying thousands of extra police a day after officials warned of a possible terrorist threat against public transportation. In Moscow, officials ordered cellphone service shut off in the subway system. The measure appeared to be an effort to avert the possibility of explosives being detonated by the phones.

Grossly incompetent bookkeeping that plagued the failed OnTrac rail project is making it difficult for Placentia officials to determine the financial health of the city, the new finance director for the city said Wednesday. Although Terrence Beaman said he had found no indication of accounting fraud by former or current officials, his downbeat assessment only underscored the city's difficult situation. Placentia is about $30 million in debt and faces a $2.

The Chicago Transit Authority has fired five employees for failing to recognize poor track conditions before a subway train derailed in the summer, sending about 150 passengers to the hospital, the agency said. The fired employees include two track inspectors, their foreman, an engineer and a track-maintenance manager responsible for overseeing the section of track involved. Their actions put customers and other workers at risk, said Frank Kruesi, president of the transit authority.

Caltrans is auditing $36 million in state funds given to Placentia's controversial OnTrac project -- the troubled rail plan that has pushed the northern Orange County city to the brink of bankruptcy. Department officials said they were reviewing OnTrac's funding to determine if it was properly spent. They declined to comment in detail, saying it was Caltrans policy not to discuss ongoing audits. The inquiry began in 2005. "They are looking at the whole thing," said City Councilman Russell J.

Been stuck in traffic lately? Hoping for a way out? Want more mass transit? In case you missed the news, the board of the Metropolitan Transit Authority recently raised its fares to help balance its books. A day later, MTA chief Roger Snoble told The Times the agency hopes to have enough money to finish two light rail lines under construction and avoid service cutbacks. As for future mass transit projects, Snoble said, those may have to wait until the MTA can find the money. Sigh.

In November 2004, voters in the Denver metro region went to the polls and, much to the surprise of some political observers, decided to tax themselves to begin the nation's largest ongoing expansion of mass transit. If all goes as planned, the Denver region is expected to build 119 miles of light rail and commuter rail by 2016.

Shanghai In 1990, four years after Los Angeles broke ground on its Red Line subway, Shanghai began to build a subway system too. Los Angeles was one of the richest cities in the world, with an extensive freeway network, top-notch engineers and serious congestion problems. Shanghai was poor, a decaying post-colonial metropolis shaking off decades of economic stagnation. Its streets were congested too -- with bicycles.

For the map geeks among us comes a colorful new book with subway maps to 97 cities in the world. "Transit Maps of the World," the heavily visual book by Londoner Mark Ovenden, groups the cities' transit systems by zones and includes historical maps, logos and photos. It's fascinating just to see the evolution of mass transit in urban areas but also useful to orient yourself to a transit system before you arrive. The book is published by Penguin with a $25 list price, but is available at Amazon.