Minneapolis-St. Paul: Ripe for a Highway Teardown?
When I was a college student in the Twin Cities, I moved between Minneapolis and St. Paul on the 21 bus or the 16 bus or by bike, traversing vibrant corridors like Lake Street and Washington Avenue. I rode past art cinemas and pancake houses and Mexican supermarkets and puppet theaters. Or I didn't ride past -- I stopped and sampled.
July 12, 2013
Study: Federal Funding Means More Bike Commuting
Bicycling is at a tipping point in many American cities. Bike-share systems are multiplying rapidly, infrastructure that used to be seen as novel is now commonplace, and commuting rates are growing. There are many explanations for this cultural shift, but here’s one not to be ignored: federal funding.
July 12, 2013
Amtrak Foe Mica Meets His Match in John Robert Smith
I just sat through a pretty boring hearing on rail financing. But I’m glad I stuck it out, because the fireworks came at the end, when Rep. John Mica picked a fight with the wrong man.
July 9, 2013
Today’s Headlines
LaHood Joins Axelrod’s Political Think Tank (The Hill) The World of the Self-Driving Car: Urban Parks or Suburban Sprawl? (NYT) How the Feds Used to Do Urban Revitalization: Tear Down Housing, Build a Parking Lot (WaPo) Meanwhile, in LA, They Tore Down a Parking Lot and Made a Park (Urban Times) Fortune Editor Foretells the … Continued
July 9, 2013
Another Swing (and a Miss) From Anderson Cooper’s Show on High-Speed Rail
My apologies, readers: Anderson Cooper did another segment slandering high-speed rail last month and it’s taken me this long to bring it to your attention.
July 8, 2013
Today’s Headlines
The Top of Foxx’s To-Do List: Figure Out a Revenue Source for Transportation (The Hill) Who Better to Unseat Car-Loving Wisc. Gov. Walker Than a Trek Bicycle Executive? (Journal-Sentinel) Keep This in Mind the Next Time You Hear Hysterical Estimates of the Costs of Congestion (WaPo) Lessons From the BART Strike (SPUR) The Limits of Density in … Continued
July 8, 2013
Car Ownership May Be Down in the U.S., But It’s Soaring Globally
Two weeks ago, transportation researcher Michael Sivak brought us the news that there are fewer cars per person in the U.S. now than there were a few years ago – and that the number isn’t expected to rise again.
July 5, 2013
Anthony Foxx Takes Office As U.S. Transportation Secretary
Anthony Foxx, who resigned yesterday as mayor of Charlotte, North Carolina, was sworn in today at 11 a.m. as the new U.S. secretary of transportation. The Department of Transportation sent the following information in a press release after the ceremony:
July 2, 2013
Will the Next Rail Bill Make Trains Competitive With Highways and Aviation?
It may have taken three years for Congress to get it together to pass a surface transportation reauthorization, but House Republicans say that won't happen this time.
July 2, 2013
Today’s Headlines
Anthony Foxx Will Be Sworn In as U.S. Transportation Secretary Today (WBTV) LaHood Doubles Down on “People Are Always Going to Have Cars” Line in Q&A with Atlantic Cities How the Koch Brothers Stifle Action on Climate Change (Salon) Infographic: NYC Bike-Share’s Stunning First Month (Transport Gooru) One-Quarter of Nebraska’s Sales Tax Goes to New Highway … Continued
July 2, 2013