Streetsblog.net
If Americans Don’t Like Walkable Cities, Why Aren’t They Cheaper?
An acquaintance once told me that Joel Kotkin is like the climate change denier of the urbanism world.
May 1, 2013
The Big Leap from Car-Lite to Car-Free
While owning a car is a massive financial burden, economic incentives can still get in the way of the transition from car ownership to living car-free, even if you already don't drive much.
April 30, 2013
What Kind of Transpo Secretary Will Anthony Foxx Be?
Later today President Obama is expected to nominate Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx to replace Ray LaHood as transportation secretary.
April 29, 2013
Teaching Police How to Use Laws That Protect Pedestrians and Cyclists
Seattle resident Heather Barnett was making her usual bike commute to the University of Washington campus last September when she was t-boned by an SUV driver who blew a stop sign. Needless to say, it was a life-altering incident for the young woman.
April 26, 2013
Miami Attempts to Wall Off Crime, Screws Up City in the Process
Florida, to its detriment, has become the national capital of the gated community. Not only do fenced neighborhoods make it nearly impossible to walk anywhere, they also help perpetuate and institutionalize social divisions, which was brought home recently by the Trayvon Martin case.
April 25, 2013
The Faulty Logic Behind Pro-Car Populism
If you've ever made the case that roads and parking shouldn't be subsidized, you've probably heard the counter argument that raising parking rates, gas taxes, or tolls is regressive policy that will hurt the poor. And it's true that raising the prices of those things would mean everyone, including those with low incomes, would pay more for them.
April 24, 2013
The Opportunity Costs of Highway Expansion
In case you haven't heard, gas tax revenues aren't what they used to be. In this kind of fiscally-constrained environment, every dollar spent on big, expensive transportation projects is a dollar that won't be spent on smaller but smarter local transportation needs. Yet around the country, mega-highway plans conceived in a different era continue to march forward as if nothing has changed.
April 23, 2013
Will the FRA Force Amtrak to Build Pricier High-Speed Trains?
On the Network today, Systemic Failure highlights what is apparently an ongoing dispute between Amtrak and the Federal Railroad Administration -- one that could affect the development of next-gen Acela trains.
April 22, 2013
AAA Spokesman: Leading DC Urbanist “Retarded” and “Like the Klan”
Just a month ago, AAA released a heartwarming PSA reminding drivers that cyclists are people, before a crowd of hundreds of bike advocates at the National Bike Summit.
April 19, 2013
Orlando Cop Who Struck Pedestrian and Fled Scene Is Caught on Tape
Have we mentioned that Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrians? Wide, dangerous roads are definitely a huge factor. But there also seems to be a pervasive culture of permissiveness toward dangerous driving embedded in state government and law enforcement agencies.
April 18, 2013