Elections
Basics
Two Big Wins For Mayors With Sustainable Transpo Cred
On the local level, the night’s biggest win for sustainable transportation was the victory of Kirk Caldwell over Ben Cayetano to be mayor of Honolulu. Caldwell had won just 29 percent of the vote in the three-way primary race, facing a steep uphill battle in the general election versus Cayetano, a popular former governor who had pulled in 44 percent of the primary vote.
November 7, 2012
Election Reveals Who Will Shape the Next Transportation Bill
Yesterday's election made history on many different fronts: gay marriage, immigration, consumer protection, and more. But America also voted to maintain essentially the same balance of power in Washington that has brought about so much gridlock. In the transportation arena, that gridlock meant three years of dithering on a national bill and, ultimately, a new law that failed to make many of the reforms needed to help the country build a greener, safer, 21st century transportation system.
November 7, 2012
Where to Get Your 2012 Transportation Ballot Results
It's Election Day -- finally! The top of the ticket has sucked most of the oxygen out of the room, but don't forget that there are 19 transportation-related measures on ballots across the country. So far this year, pro-transit measures have an 86 percent success rate at the ballot, and there are more transportation amendments being voted on this year than any other in recent memory. Here's Streetsblog's overview of the big ones.
November 6, 2012
Don’t Forget the Third Party Candidates!
In recent posts, we've explored the impact President Obama has had on transportation and land-use policy, and we've tried to square Candidate Mitt Romney's oil-soaked rhetoric with Governor Mitt Romney's smart growth record.
November 6, 2012
Which Mitt Would Shape U.S. Transpo Policy: The Governor or the Candidate?
If Mitt Romney the President reverts back to the positions of Mitt Romney the Governor, transportation policy in America could see significant steps forward. Better-maintained roads. Smarter growth. Cleaner air.
November 5, 2012
What Has President Obama Done to Improve American Transportation Policy?
With the election just days away, it’s a good time to reflect on what the Obama administration has done with transportation policy – and what a Romney administration might have in store. Streetsblog does not endorse candidates. This is an overview of their respective records and a look back at what we know of these two men. We’ll start with President Obama in this post and move on to Mitt Romney in the next one.
November 2, 2012
San Diego Chooses Between Two Bicycle Boosters For Mayor
The election is less than a week away. Americans have a choice between a) a president who has overseen notable transportation and land use innovations but failed to provide leadership when the national transportation bill could have been reformed, and b) a former governor who enacted a progressive, pro-smart-growth agenda but who has renounced those positions as a candidate.
October 31, 2012
Not a Word About Transit in Obama Jobs Plan
President Obama released a blueprint for his second term yesterday, a 20-page booklet focused on job creation [PDF]. Let's be clear: This came from his campaign machine, not the White House.
October 24, 2012
What Went Unsaid at Last Night’s Debate
At last night's presidential debate in Nassau County, the best opening for Barack Obama and Mitt Romney to talk about transportation policy came when undecided voter Phillip Tricolla asked the following question of the President:
October 17, 2012
Biden, Ryan Trade Automobile Horror Stories, Talk Up Car Jobs in VP Debate
The vice presidential debate last night took an unexpected turn toward traffic safety, amid a lot of predictable chest-thumping about saving Detroit. After Vice President Joe Biden said what is by now a standard favorite in the administration repertoire -- "Romney said, let Detroit go bankrupt" -- Rep. Paul Ryan countered with this: "Mitt Romney’s a car guy."
October 12, 2012