A High-Speed Rail Roundup
Today, The Transport Politic continues its excellent coverage of high-speed rail proposals around the country with a comprehensive roundup of the projects that will be vying for federal funds in the months to come. As Yonah Freemark writes,
February 26, 2009
The Case Against Home Ownership
This morning on the Streetsblog Network, we're featuring a thoughtful post from Greater Greater Washington in which David C dares to challenge the very foundation of the "American Dream" -- home ownership.
February 25, 2009
What Does Beauty Have to Do With Sustainability?
Today on the Streetsblog Network, we step back and take a look at a philosophical question, courtesy of Kaid Benfield at NRDC Switchboard. As we go forward into the 21st century, trying to create sustainable communities, how do we deal with the aging relics of the 20th century's development patterns?
February 24, 2009
The Mileage Tax Genie Is Out of the Bottle
Last week, Obama DOT Secretary Ray LaHood caused quite a buzz by discussing, in an interview with an AP reporter, the idea of taxing motorists on the number of miles they travel rather than the amount of gas they burn. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs quickly came out and publicly contradicted LaHood, saying a miles-driven tax "is not and will not be the policy of the Obama administration."
February 23, 2009
The Definition of Speeding Shouldn’t Be Relative
Streetsblog Network member blog Greater Greater Washington has been ramping up coverage of crashes that result in pedestrian and cyclist injuries and fatalities (they've got a new safety beat reporter, Stephen Miller), and in a recent post they highlighted the car-centric thinking of local law enforcement:
February 20, 2009
Use the Stimulus Bill to Complete Our Nation’s Streets
One of the most encouraging moments in last week's PBS NOW documentary about Charlotte, NC came when Mayor Pat McCrory pointed out the importance of "complete streets" to the success of the city's new light rail system. "Transit alone doesn't transform neighborhoods," said McCrory. "The key is how you connect those neighborhoods to the train stations, with well-planned sidewalks that create a walkable community."
February 19, 2009
Listening to the President on Transportation
Over the last few weeks, President Obama has made a few different statements that have gotten the attention of urbanists and sustainable transportation advocates. Could it be? Does this guy really get it? And if so, what is he going to do about it?
February 19, 2009
The Stimulus Bill: Time to Start Following the Money
Now that the president has signed the stimulus bill, members of the Streetsblog Network have thrown themselves into the task of trying to figure out where all that money is going.
February 18, 2009
Will Cities Get Some of the Stimulus Money?
So the wheeling and dealing over the stimulus bill is done, and the spending, presumably, is soon to begin. Members of the Streetsblog Network are looking at what it means for their communities.
February 17, 2009
The Challenges in Getting Transit Funded
One of the most unusual members of the Streetsblog Network is the Santa Rosa CityBus blog, written by staffers from the municipal bus system in that Northern California city and "intended to highlight for the public some of the activities, efforts and challenges of operating a bus system in a mid-size California city." It's a laudable -- and rare -- effort by a transit agency to create some accountability and transparency for riders.
February 13, 2009