Detroit’s Big Transit Success Story Isn’t Its New Streetcar — It’s the Buses
Today is the grand opening for the QLine, Detroit's 3.3-mile, mixed-traffic streetcar on Woodward Avenue. It's getting tons of local press attention, but TransitCenter reports that the Motor City's true transit renaissance is not due to the streetcar, but the city's successful, under-the-radar turnaround of its bus system.
May 12, 2017
Today’s Headlines
Mired in Scandal, Trump Again Promises Plan That Marries Tax Reform and Infrastructure (Economist via Hill) Detroit’s New Streetcar Opens Today, But the Real Success Story Is Its Bus Turnaround (TransitCenter) Instead of Repairing I-85, Atlanta Should Have Torn It Down Instead (Curbed) John Norquist: Cities Should Unshackle Themselves From Federal Money and Pursue Urban Policies (Urban … Continued
May 12, 2017
Edmonton Traffic Safety PSAs Blame Jaywalkers, But Stats Tell a Different Story
Chris Nelson used Edmonton's own motor vehicle collision data to make a chart showing who -- or, more often, what -- is on the receiving end when Edmonton motorists crash their cars. It quickly dispels any rationale for focusing on jaywalking.
May 11, 2017
Portland — And Soon, Detroit — Bring Bike-Share to People With Disabilities
Riding a bicycle is too often thought of as an activity that's off-limits for many disabled people. And that has continued to be the case with the bike-share systems getting off the ground in several American cities, which provide standard bicycles meant for the able-bodied. But that's starting to change, thanks to a yearlong effort in Portland that's the first of its kind in the United States.
May 11, 2017
Today’s Headlines
What Will It Take to Make America Walkable Again? (Politico) House T&I Member Capuano: Trump and Congress Unlikely to Find Funding for Infrastructure Plan (Hill) SC’s GOP Legislature Overrides Veto, Will Increase Gas Tax 12 Cents Over Six Years (Post and Courier) Pedestrians Bear Brunt of Boston’s Carnage (WBUR); Advocates Call on Mayor to Fund Vision Zero (Herald) Toyota … Continued
May 11, 2017
Oregon’s Transportation Funding Deal Might Make Bikes More Expensive
On Monday, the Oregon state legislature released a plan to raise about $8.1 billion over the next 10 years by increasing gas taxes, registration fees, and payroll taxes to spend on roads, transit, walking, and bicycling. It also includes a new excise tax on bicycle sales.
May 10, 2017
Charlotte Transit Has Problems That Expensive Fantasy Maps Won’t Fix
Kimley-Horn, a multinational consulting firm looking to plan the next phases of the Charlotte area's rail expansion, also has ideas for new rail lines above and beyond the region's long-term blueprint -- projects that would be designed and built, naturally, by multinational consulting firms like Kimley-Horn. Trouble is, the firm's fantasy exercise does nothing to address the real challenges facing Charlotte's transit network.
May 10, 2017
Today’s Headlines
LA Times Backs State Bill to Follow NYC’s Lead and Reform Outdated Pedestrian Signal Laws Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler: “Parking Adds Significantly to the Cost of Affordable Housing” (BikePortland) Parking Undermines “Transit-Oriented” Development Along Light Rail Line (Charlotte Observer) At-Large Atlanta City Councilman Andre Dickens Proposes Creating an Atlanta DOT (Saporta Report) Boston Globe Checks In on Chris … Continued
May 10, 2017
Two-Week Pilot Lets Columbus, Georgia, Test Road Diet as Part of Bigger Plan
A pilot project in Columbus, Georgia, is the latest chapter in an effort to improve walking, bicycling, and public space in this city along the Alabama border.
May 9, 2017
DC Traffic Circle Gets One-Week Makeover to Test Out Traffic Calming
A traffic circle free-for-all that's been a constant source of danger for bike riders and pedestrians in Washington, DC, is about to get a one-week makeover.
May 9, 2017
