Sarah Goodyear

Yesterday we heard about social conservatives who support a less autocentric transportation policy.

When Barack Obama was elected, urbanists were, in some cases literally, dancing in the streets. For once, America had elected a president who understood the importance of cities -- and who promised to create an "Office for Urban Policy" that would help those cities to take their rightful place in the federal policy debate.

Big thanks this morning to Streetsblog Network member Trains for America, which links to a fascinating essay from the Witherspoon Institute on why social conservatives should support public transit and walkable communities. Here's a taste of the Witherspoon piece:

Today's featured post from the Streetsblog Network comes from member blog Greater Greater Washington. David Alpert has identified an all-too-common strain of a problem familiar to our readers, Entitled Driver Syndrome. A particularly dangerous variant of this common affliction, writes Alpert, is Entitled Driving Journalist Syndrome, or EDJS:

OK, so we still really don't like the name of the DOT Secretary's blog, The Fast Lane. (Not to mention the design -- could someone do something about those graphics, please?) But more and more, we like what we're reading there. Like yesterday's post, titled "Bicycling Is an Important Factor in Less Carbon-Intensive Commuting," in which Secretary LaHood discusses funding opportunities for bicycling infrastructure in the stimulus bill and beyond:

If you're interested in transportation policy (and we know you are!) it can sometimes seem as if all the problems plaguing America have their root there. Today, we have a reminder from Streetsblog Network member Cap'n Transit that not even transportation can cure all ills. But we also have some very hopeful news from columnist Neal Peirce on the Oregonian's website about the blossoming connection between transportation and urban policy at the federal level (H/T to Portland Transport).

Today on the Streetsblog Network, we hear about the possible misuse of stimulus funds for the widening of the Garden State Parkway and New Jersey Turnpike in New Jersey. Network member blog Mobilizing the Region, the voice of the Tri-State Transportation Campaign, reports that the TSTC has sent a letter to Gov. John Corzine about the matter:

Today Streetsblog Network member blog Hub and Spokes picks up on an interesting story from the LA Times about how falling real estate values could mean an opportunity to develop more public spaces:

Remember congestion pricing? It's not much fun to think about what happened to that idea in New York last year. And considering the craziness that's been going on over bridge tolls in Albany, any kind of road pricing in our fair city certainly seems like a non-starter for the foreseeable future.