Federal Policy
Basics
High Speed Rail Alliance wants better train service in Chicago and across the nation
“The system would be useful for so many more people,” said executive director Rick Harnish. “It really would be a game-changer for Chicago-area transit.”
October 27, 2022
NACTO Pushes Back as Big Auto Seeks Safety Exemption for Driverless Cars
The national association of city transportation officials cries foul as Ford and GM try an end run around the NHTSA for cars without steering wheels and brakes.
September 23, 2022
What the Inflation Reduction Act Will — And Won’t — Do For Sustainable Transportation
The Inflation Reduction Act is expected to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions by channeling funding through tax credits, loans, and grants — but it's not a silver bullet.
September 23, 2022
Instead of Just Buying American EVs, Let’s Buy an American Path Out of Car Dependency
Automakers are warning that they won't be able to meet demand for electric cars while also divesting from foreign supply chains — prompting some advocates to demand a decarbonization strategy that doesn't require 1,000-pound batteries.
August 4, 2022
What’s in the New ‘Climate’ Deal for Sustainable Transport — And What’s Not
The Senate is on the brink of passing one of the most robust climate spending bills in U.S. history — but sustainable transportation advocates say it won't do enough to decarbonize the transportation sector.
July 29, 2022
Education, infrastructure, and holding drivers accountable > bike helmets for cyclist safety
Stopping drivers from killing cyclists shouldn't be a matter of good fortune and a couple inches of Styrofoam and plastic. We need education, infrastructure, and laws to prevent crashes from happening in the first place.
July 26, 2022
Analysis: There Are No 15-Minute Cities in a Post-Roe America
The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade will increase the average round-trip travel distance required to reach the closest legal abortion care provider from 50 miles to a staggering 250.
June 27, 2022
Pickups and SUVs are driving the pedestrian death epidemic. But the tide may be turning.
While big vehicles are safer for people on the inside, they're more deadly for those on the outside. But there's a movement to require safer automobile designs and create disincentives to owning oversized vehicles.
June 8, 2022
OPINION: Feds Must Make New Cars Safer for Bikers, Too
Cyclists can't wait until 2025 for the administration to mandate the testing of life-saving technology.
May 27, 2022
Talking Headways Podcast: What It Takes To Be a Developer
Why people of color who try to build affordable housing face many different kinds of barriers.
May 26, 2022
