Needed: A Federal Program to Boost Transit Service
On March 13, 2020, at the onset of the pandemic, the Federal Transit Administration responded to the emergency by enabling transit agencies to spend federal funds to run buses and trains. It was a break with longstanding policy.
April 22, 2021
Op-Ed: Learning from Nashville’s Transit Failure
Ballot measures can expand and improve transit. But if Nashville is any example, it can backfire. Here are some lessons all cities can learn.
January 27, 2020
Uber and Lyft Are Overwhelming Urban Streets, and Cities Need to Act Fast
Contrary to the story Uber, Lyft, and their peers like to tell, ride-hailing services are not reducing traffic in American cities. Nor will they, even if they meet their goals for converting solo passenger trips to shared rides, according to new research from transportation analyst Bruce Schaller.
July 26, 2018
Today’s Headlines
Twin Cities Approve Deals With Freight Railroads Clearing the Way for Southwest Light Rail (Strib) Congestion Pricing Is Fairer for the Poor Than Free Roads (Michael Manville/Medium) Here’s What the Nashville Chamber Wants to See in the City’s Big Transit Plan (Tennessean) Chicago Metra Elevates Chief Mechanical Officer to CEO Post (Tribune) Trump White House … Continued
August 17, 2017
Looking to Quito’s BRT as a Model for Milwaukee
With Milwaukee looking to implement a BRT system connecting downtown to the suburb of Wauwatosa, Ken Smith of Urban Milwaukee was eager to get a look at how BRT works in Quito, when he was in the city for the recent UN Habitat III summit. The system impressed him, and Smith wonders if Milwaukee will be able to duplicate the factors that make Quito's BRT successful:
November 15, 2016
What Changed Yesterday, and What Didn’t
America just elected Donald Trump, who got a foothold in national politics by fanning a conspiracy about Barack Obama’s country of origin, who ran a campaign premised on a naked appeal to racist anger and resentment, who shredded every norm of conduct on his way to the presidency. He’s going to occupy the White House for at least the next four years, and for at least two years the Democratic opposition won’t control either house of Congress.
November 9, 2016
Before You Get Too Excited About Seattle’s Big Transit Expansion…
Read Doug Trumm's post at the Urbanist about Sound Transit's $50 billion, 25-year expansion plan, known as ST3, which the agency revealed yesterday. It's ambitious in scope, but will the new lines meet the region's most pressing transit needs?
March 25, 2016
Rescuing New Ideas From the Purgatory of Old Bureaucracy
Your city may have a complete streets policy. Your mayor may say all the right things about making streets work for walking, biking, and transit. But if the inner workings of government -- city budgets, agency protocols -- aren't set up to enable big street design breakthroughs, all you'll get are scattershot improvements.
March 4, 2016
It’s Happening: Construction of Maryland’s Purple Line Set to Start This Year
Yesterday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that a contractor has been selected to build the 14-mile Purple Line light rail in DC's Maryland suburbs. It's a milestone and a major relief following Hogan's long history of brinkmanship with the project.
March 3, 2016
A Car-Free Downtown and Other Ideas From Portland’s Mayoral Debate
It's always interesting to see what mayoral candidates say about streets and transportation in a public debate. Who's done their homework on transportation policy? Who understands in their gut why better streets for walking, biking, and transit are good for the city? Which candidates are willing to take a stand on these issues while making their case to voters?
March 2, 2016