Inland Alarm Systems

Inland transit fares poorly connecting workers to jobs

If the fast track to economic success is linked to vibrant transit, the Inland-area is firmly planted in the slow lane, according to a new national report looking at how effectively transit linked residents with jobs.

The Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area, stretching from Barstow to Temecula and east to the Coachella Valley, ranked near the bottom, 96th out of the 100 largest metro areas in a report by the Brookings Institution, a Washington research group that studies metropolitan development and federal policy.

Bus agency officials acknowledged there is room for improvement, but point to investments on the horizon -- including a $191 million transit system in San Bernardino -- as steps in the right direction.

In the report, released today, researchers found 77 percent of Inland workers have adequate access to transit stops, but most wait six minutes longer at the stop or station for buses and trains.

Area riders also take longer to get where they are going, with the Riverside metro area ranking the worst for percentage of travelers who can get from their home to their workplace in 45 minutes or less. Only 1.3 percent of transit users can arrive at work within 45 minutes, the study found.

"I would call that stunningly low," said Alan Berube, one of the report's authors.

Among the other findings:

Less than 7 percent of low-income suburban jobs in retail and manufacturing are accessible conveniently by transit for workers, who often live in more affordable areas on the fringes of the cities.

8 percent of Inland jobs are reachable within 90 minutes, compared to the 30 percent average for other metro areas.

6.2 percent of middle-income suburban dwellers have job access, compared to 6.7 percent of high-income earners.

Serving Sprawl

The report does not include commuters who cross into Orange and Los Angeles counties, Berube said, because calculating those commutes for this study was impractical. He said further analysis might paint a clearer picture of the Inland commute.

The initial findings are cause for alarm, Berube said, and demonstrate a need to change both transit investment and land-use policy in the nation and the Inland Empire. The area's economy depends on it.

Deciding on a Commercial Burglar Alarm

Deciding on a Commercial Burglar Alarm

It is imperative that every business owner install some manner of commercial security system. These systems can prevent not only external threats of theft but also internal employee pilferage. Consider the following when shopping for the best burglar alarms:

* If you own your building, for which companies and systems does your insurance provider offer a premium discount?

* Which alarms have the fastest police response times locally? Police agencies have different policies on response to home security alarms.

* What are the crime statistics in your area? This will help you choose what features are most important.

* What systems are most touted by your friends and neighboring businesses as being reputable?

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