Katie Pearce
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Today’s Headlines
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Taxes Have Proved the Sticking Point for Transpo Bill (The Hill) DC Metro Gets $150M in Senate Bill (WaPo) Google Will Help Pinpoint Every Rail Crossing in America (NYT) Will Anthony Foxx Make a Senate Run? (The Hill) Not Relying on Feds, NC Plans for Controversial Privately Run Tolls (Bloomberg) Oregon Governor Pulls Plug on Gas Tax […]
Here’s How 45 Firms Explained Why They’re Moving Downtown
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Two or three decades ago, the standard criteria for choosing an office location was often, “Where does the boss live?” says land use strategist Christopher Leinberger. And the boss inevitably lived in a car-oriented suburb. But the tide’s been shifting for a while now, with more American companies ditching suburban office parks for downtown locations. In 2013, Zappo’s […]
Decades in the Works, D.C.’s Silver Line Opens to Commuters
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Half a century ago, when Dulles International Airport was constructed in the farmlands of Virginia, planners were forming a blueprint for the Washington region’s new Metro system. Back then, they ruled out the idea of stretching the rail line 30 miles beyond the capital through rural counties to connect with the airport. Such a line […]
Transit Agencies Pull Out All the Stops for “Dump the Pump” Day
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The perks of public transportation will be more tangible than usual today, the ninth annual “Dump the Pump” day. More than 135 transit agencies across the country are taking part in the campaign, attempting to lure drivers out of their cars with free rides and all sorts of promotions, contests and schwag. In Los Angeles, […]
Will Julián Castro Follow Shaun Donovan’s Smart Growth Path at HUD?
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Losing Shaun Donovan at the helm of HUD was a blow for urbanists. This afternoon President Obama formally announced the nomination of San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro to replace Donovan as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. What will the transition mean for the agency, which under Donovan championed smart growth and the integration of […]
How Do You Grade a Bike-Share System?
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Bike-share has exploded in the last decade — and in North America, just in the last few years. What started as a shaky concept in Amsterdam in the 1960s has matured into a viable transit option worldwide, with 600 systems offering more than 600,000 bikes. The nonprofit Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) is […]
Will Terry McCauliffe Sign Off on a Notorious Sprawl Project in NoVa?
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With Terry McAuliffe about to move in to the Virginia governor’s mansion, it’s unclear what will become of one of the state’s most contested transportation proposals — the Bi-County Parkway, a $440 million highway in the outer D.C. suburbs. Though it seems likely the current administration of Republican Governor Bob McDonnell will make a forceful […]
Richard Florida: Seniors Want Vibrant, Livable Cities Too
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When he settled on Miami as his designated spot to escape Toronto winters, urbanist Richard Florida said he expected “all young people with a lot of gel in their hair.” What surprised him was finding a pocket of baby boomer urbanites from cities like Washington, DC, who came to Miami for its arts, diversity and […]
Guerrilla Crosswalk Painter Arrested by Vallejo Police, Cheered By Neighbors
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This story falls into the unusual but persistent overlap between pedestrian advocacy and vandalism. In Vallejo, California, last week, one man saw the need for a crosswalk at a dangerous intersection, and decided it was his job to make it happen. Anthony Cardenas, 52, grabbed some white paint and got to work at dawn to […]
Why It Can Be More Affordable to Live in an “Expensive” City
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So, how did Washington, D.C. — widely perceived as one of the most expensive cities in the country — end up topping a “most affordable” housing list? First and most importantly, adjust for average income levels. Then, factor in transportation costs. Using that formula, the D.C. region is tops among 25 American metro areas in […]
Transit Funding Cuts Are Putting Bus Drivers in Danger
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Attacks on transit drivers are not a new problem. But it seems to be getting worse. A bus driver now gets assaulted every three days in the United States, estimates the Amalgated Transit Union. Headlines abound of drivers getting kicked, punched, stabbed and shot, while the lower-profile offenses – spitting and verbal harassment – have […]
Green Lane Project Spreads the Word About NACTO’s Bikeway Design Guide
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For the next two years, the Green Lane Project will lend expertise and support to Austin, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, San Francisco and Washington, D.C. as those cities implement the type of infrastructure that has proven successful at leading people to take up biking for transportation. The project bills itself as a “storytelling campaign” for the cities […]