Streetsblog.net
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
Why One Street Safety Advocate Will Never Go to a DOT Meeting Again
Public meetings hosted by state DOTs can be very frustrating. People who want safer streets and take the time to attend are often deluged with highly technical excuses about why their suggestions won't fly.
March 1, 2016
Can Ride-Hailing Apps Become More Like Buses and Less Like Taxis?
A big part of reducing car traffic involves using cars more efficiently. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are supposedly assisting in this transition by making car ownership less necessary. But even though both companies operate carpool-type services, most of their business still comes from single passenger trips.
February 29, 2016
Portland Figured Out How to Get Kids Walking and Biking to School Again
In a relatively short amount of time -- a generation or two -- the number of American kids walking or biking to school has plummeted. This isn't the result of some natural law -- it's the product of public policy decisions about how to design streets and build schools.
February 26, 2016
Death By a Thousand Cuts: Sprawl, State Neglect Crippling Cleveland Transit
According to a recent analysis by the Century Foundation, during the recession and recovery Cleveland transit riders endured more bus service cuts than any other major system in the country. But just a few years later Cleveland transit riders are facing further cuts, and a fare hike to boot.
February 25, 2016
Will Congress Keep TIGER Going?
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced this week that U.S. DOT is seeking applications for $500 million in TIGER grants -- the eighth round of funding since the program was launched in 2009.
February 24, 2016
Cutting Social Services to Pay for Highways, and Other Bad Road Lobby Ideas
Missouri lawmakers are really grasping for ways to keep the highway money flowing, after voters rejected a regressive sales tax hike backed by road builders in 2014.
February 23, 2016
Albuquerque’s Big Choice: Prioritize Streets for Transit, or Stagnate
Albuquerque is at a pivotal moment that could determine whether it becomes more a walkable and transit-oriented city.
February 22, 2016
The Highway Project That Could Change Traffic Management in the U.S.
In almost every state, politicians beat the drum for hundreds of millions of dollars to "solve congestion" by widening highways. After spending the better part of a century doing this, we know that thanks to induced demand, soon after the asphalt sets on the new lanes, people will drive more and congestion will return. The whole exercise is a bit like a dog chasing its tail.
February 19, 2016
Oregon Gov Candidate: End Gridlock By Adding a Lane to Every Freeway
It's not that unusual to see politicians approaching the problem of traffic congestion with a childlike simplicity. But Oregon gubernatorial candidate Bud Pierce's "solution" to eliminate gridlock in the Portland area might be the most infantile of them all. Pierce wants to add a lane to every major freeway in the region and "Presto!" -- problem solved. (You can watch Pierce make his pitch in the video at the bottom of this post.)
February 18, 2016