Does WMATA Have Enough Credibility to Avoid Doomsday Service Cuts?
WMATA, the DC region's transit agency, is in crisis.
October 13, 2016
Today’s Headlines
Obama: Self-Driving Cars Must Work for Everybody (Wired) DC Officials Consider 1-Cent Sales Tax to Fund Metro (WaPo) Anthony Foxx: Next President Will Formalize Self-Driving Car Rules (Detroit News) NJ Transit a “Cautionary Tale of Neglect” (NYT) Milwaukee Receives Federal Grant to Study Streetcar Extension (Urban Milwaukee) Study: Suburbs Will Get Denser, More Diverse (Curbed) San … Continued
October 13, 2016
Pittsburgh and the Challenge of Changing a City’s Car Culture
Since Mayor Bill Peduto assumed office in 2014, Pittsburgh has been a city that doesn't shy away from changing its streets. Most recently, two more protected bike lanes are now slated for downtown, and of course Peduto made a splash partnering with Uber to test autonomous vehicles on city streets.
October 12, 2016
Today’s Headlines
St. Louis Gets Federal Grant to Study North-South Transit Line (St. Louis Business Journal) Driver Smashes Into Columbus Day Protest in Reno; Gazette-Journal: They “Didn’t Have Permit” Truck Driver Struck and Killed Babysitter Pushing Stroller in Cincinnati (Enquirer) Seattle Times: Self-Driving Cars Aren’t the Answer to Every Transportation Problem Mercedes Says Its Self-Driving Cars Will Prioritize Saving … Continued
October 12, 2016
Sprawl Is a Global Problem
Sprawl isn't just a problem in car-centric America. Even cities with the world's best transit systems are surrounded by suburbs with poor transit access, according to a new report by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy. As billions of people migrate from rural to metropolitan areas in the next few decades, these growth patterns threaten to maroon people without good access to employment while overwhelming the climate with increased greenhouse gas emissions.
October 11, 2016
There Will Never Be “Enough” Parking
Employees at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, have to accumulate 13 years of service time before they get an on-site parking permit. To get a sense of how much employees become invested in this system, check out this YouTube video of one man's elation the day he gets his parking privileges (and notice how towering parking garages dominate the landscape).
October 11, 2016
How Many Americans Are “Captive Drivers”?
The concept of the "captive" transit rider -- the idea that there is a fixed number of people who ride transit because they have no alternatives -- is deeply flawed. Among other problems, it overlooks how low-income people without cars are sensitive to the quality of transit and will choose not to use poor service. And yet discussions of "captive" vs. "choice" transit riders persist.
October 10, 2016
Today’s Headlines
Some Big Cities Finally See Apartment Prices Fall (WSJ) The Joys and Challenges of Going Car-Free With Kids in L.A. (Curbed) How Bogotá’s Ciclovia Inspired Open Streets All Over the U.S. — With an Assist From Streetfilms (Vox) Chris Christie’s “Shell Game” With NJ Transit Funding Comes Under Scrutiny (WSJ) Grist: Uber Isn’t Contributing to … Continued
October 10, 2016
A “Dutch Junction” With Glow-in-the-Dark Bike Lanes Now Exists — in Texas
It's America's first unsignalized "Dutch Junction" -- a type of intersection with protected space for cycling. It even has solar luminescent bike lanes. And here's the kicker -- it's in the heart of Texas.
October 7, 2016
The Highway Era Is Over. When Will Our Institutions Catch Up?
The highway era is over. The construction of the Interstate Highway System is essentially complete.
October 7, 2016