NACTO 2012: Leading City DOT Commissioners Talk Transportation Politics
"To me, the single most fascinating element of politics is the alchemy by which something becomes an issue," said Chris Hayes, MSNBC host and moderator of the commissioners' panel on the politics of transportation at the October NACTO Designing Cities conference.
December 18, 2012
Protecting NYC Transit From the Next Storm: Searching for Specifics
Today on the Streetsblog Network:
December 17, 2012
A Major Expansion for Charlotte Light Rail
Encouraging news today from North Carolina. Mary Newsom at Network blog Naked City reports that local, state and federal officials signed an agreement yesterday for a 9.3-mile extension of Charlotte's Lynx light rail system.
October 17, 2012
Study: Taxpayer-Backed NBA Arenas Don’t Help Local Economies
Over the last few decades, sports franchise owners have been hugely successful in convincing governments to give them money in the form of taxpayer-funded stadiums and arenas. A favored approach is to threaten to pull up stakes and move a team, and its attendant economic benefits, to another city.
August 10, 2012
Greeks Turn to Bikes to Weather Economic Storm
Today on the Network, Reno Rambler links to a Reuters story, via the Huffington Post, on how economic upheaval in Greece has led to a dramatic shift in how many get around.
August 9, 2012
Got an Urban Infrastructure Issue? Make the Bureaucrat Work!
The problem of inadequate infrastructure is not unique to the United States. Nor is the scourge of political dysfunction that leaves commuters stranded waiting for the next bus, pedestrians sprinting across eight lanes of traffic, and motorists stuck in gridlock.
August 7, 2012
When the Streets Belonged to All, and All Belonged on the Streets
It's been a little over a year since Raquel Nelson was convicted of vehicular homicide for attempting to cross a street with her kids in suburban Atlanta. Much of the public responded not with outrage, or demands that municipalities improve conditions for pedestrians, but with victim-blaming vitriol, passed along in news stories with headlines like "Jaywalkers Take Deadly Risks."
August 6, 2012
Rental Helmets, Coming Soon to a Bike-Share Station Near You
With the rising popularity of bike-share systems around the world, one inevitable issue is the availability of helmets. This is particularly true in the United States, where a bare-headed cyclist is considered a daredevil miscreant who's practically begging for trouble.
February 29, 2012