Streetsblog.net
To Speed Service, Seattle Looks to Separate Streetcars From Auto Traffic
As streetcars make a comeback in cities across America, they are under scrutiny from transit advocates who complain about service quality.
March 23, 2015
NJ Police Chief Responds to Pedestrian Death: “Think About the Driver”
After Richard Price, 56, was struck and killed by a driver on Route 130 in New Jersey's Burlington County, the local police chief took to the pages of the local paper to scold pedestrians and implore people to "think about the driver... and about the life trauma they now have to endure." The full piece, titled "If you must cross Route 130, use common sense," is unfortunately behind a paywall.
March 20, 2015
Texas DOT Raring to Build Money-Losing Toll Lanes
States seem to love expanding highways by adding tolled lanes, even when the money doesn't add up. The 495 Express Lanes in DC's Virginia suburbs lost $51 million last year, forcing investors to restructure $430 million in debt. Similarly, Maryland taxpayers are likely to be on the hook for the state's new I-95 lanes, which are generating barely $5 million a year after costing $275 million. Toll lanes in Atlanta and Houston are also not hitting their financial targets.
March 19, 2015
Touring Portland’s Brand New Car-Free Bridge
Okay, it seems like now Portland is just showing off. The city is putting the finishing touches on the Tilikum Bridge, a multi-modal span that will serve buses, cyclists, pedestrians and trains -- but no cars.
March 18, 2015
State Farm to Locate Thousands of Jobs Near Transit
Some very good news for a few American cities: It is now the official policy of insurance giant State Farm to locate its sizable offices near transit. The company's forward-looking approach should help relieve traffic congestion and promote low-cost, low-emissions commuting in some of the country's more sprawling metros.
March 17, 2015
Will Atlanta’s $250 Million Bond Measure Advance Biking and Walking?
Tomorrow, Atlanta residents go to the voting booth to decide on a $250 million bond package for infrastructure. The measure comes a few years after voters refused a 1 percent sales tax hike to fund infrastructure projects around the region.
March 16, 2015
The Promise of Tech-Enabled “Microtransit”
The enormous commercial success of startups like Uber and Lyft is just the beginning of how transportation services can be enhanced by mobile technology, writes Lisa Nisenson at Strong Towns. There's a whole range of needs that a new generation of transit services can meet, lessening dependence on private cars.
March 13, 2015
What Else Could You Fit Downtown Instead of 93,000 Parking Spaces?
In most American cities, parking lots are so ubiquitous and unremarkable, they mostly escape notice. But for Darin Givens, who lives in downtown Atlanta and writes at Network blog ATL Urbanist, they serve as a constant, inescapable presence.
March 12, 2015
Bipartisan Bill Would Establish Small “Vision Zero” Grant Program
As more cities adopt Vision Zero plans to eliminate traffic deaths, a new proposal in Congress aims to help implement them. Problem is, the amount of funding is a drop in the bucket.
March 11, 2015
Why Is Bus Ridership Slipping in Chicago? It’s the Service, Stupid.
New transit ridership figures are making the rounds, and the news out of Chicago is that bus trips declined while rail trips increased.
March 10, 2015