Today’s Headlines

By Angie Schmitt
May 22, 2015

Michigan to Spend $268 Million in General Funds on Roads Only (Detroit News)
Columbus the “Lone Exception” in Midwest Population Growth (CURA OSU)
Northeast Corridor Senators Push for Full Amtrak Funding (WJLA)
Olympia Mother: Children Aren’t Welcome in My Neighborhood Streets (WaPo)
Oregon May Test Mileage Tax to Replace Gas Tax (Associated Press)
“Ridesharing” Could Save St. Louis Area Commuters $277 Million (St. Louis Business Journal)
Police Chief on Why He Has “Zero Tolerance” for Dangerous Driving (The Hinesburg Record)
Why Is Coral Gables Leaving Bike Lanes Out of Its Downtown Redesign? (Miami Herald)

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

Will Missouri Voters Go Along With the Highway Lobby’s Money Grab?

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 30, 2014

Next week, Missouri voters will decide on Amendment 7 — a three-quarter-cent sales tax hike to pay for transportation projects that would be the largest tax increase in the state’s history. Construction industry groups have poured millions into convincing Missourians to pay $5.4 billion over the next 10 years. Will they bite? A coalition of pro-transit forces […]

Citing Lack of Funds, St. Louis Road Builders Give Up on Sprawl Project

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 14, 2014

The transportation funding crunch kills bad projects along with the good. Case in point: Officials in St. Louis County say plans are on hold for the $120 million South County Connector, a classic sprawl highway boondoggle that has faced widespread local opposition. The campaign against the project included official legislation from the city of Maplewood, […]

Funding Transit in St. Louis: Another Crack at a Sales Tax

By Sarah Goodyear | Feb 4, 2010

Cities and counties across the country are struggling with the funding of their transit systems in these hard times. In New York City, the payroll tax solution touted in Albany last year has failed to meet projections. In Lorain County, Ohio, the rejection of a sales tax by voters resulted in crippling cutbacks to that […]

Why Is St. Louis Using Tax Money to Subsidize Parking Lots and Bars?

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 15, 2013

Tax increment financing is a pretty neat tool cities can use to finance quality-of-life amenities, like the Beltline in Atlanta, or the streetcar in Kansas City, by capturing the taxes from the property value increases of the investments. On the other hand, there’s a new model being pioneered by St. Louis, where you use special […]

Curtains for St. Louis’ Delmar Loop Trolley Plans?

By Angie Schmitt | Nov 11, 2014

For years, St. Louis and adjacent University City have been planning a 2.2-mile streetcar that would connect the thriving Delmar Loop business district to the museums in nearby Forest Park. In 2010, the plan won a competitive $22 million federal “Urban Circulator” grant. That funding, along with a 1 percent sales tax increase approved by area […]

Today’s Headlines

By Katie Pearce | May 15, 2014

House Stays Silent in Funding Debate (The Hill) How Senate’s MAP-21 Reauthorization Might Affect Cities (Next City) Obama Criticizes GOP for Taking Credit on Projects They Wouldn’t Fund (The Hill) Honolulu Rail Faces Obstacles to Budget, Schedule (Pacific Biz News) With Biden’s Cleveland Visit, Plain Dealer Looks at Importance of TIGER Grants in Ohio 121 Projects Developing […]