One of Congress' newest members sees it fitting that Americans should drive slower to save fuel - an appropriate sacrifice for a war she sees partly waged for oil. Her first bill, HR 6458, lowers speed limits to 60/65 mph (urban/rural areas).
"Speier wasted no time announcing her presence. On her first day, April 10, the Hillsborough (CA) Democrat was booed on the House floor by Republicans who objected to her speech about the specter of a 100-year U.S. engagement in Iraq: "History will not judge us kindly if we sacrifice four generations of Americans because of the folly of one."
"If there is a political polar opposite of a Mother's Day resolution, it is trying to regulate how Americans drive. Speier has done just that with her very first bill, which would set a national speed limit of 60 mph in cities and 65 mph in rural areas.
"It's like guns - don't mess with my car, my Harley or my gun," Speier observed. "I know it's not going to make me a lot of friends, but I didn't go there for that reason."
"It might seem like an uphill climb in view of America's car culture, but Speier attacks it with relish. She notes the relatively small differences in travel times between 70 mph and 60 mph, against the potential savings of more than 2,000 lives and the reduction in this nation's carbon footprint and dependence on imported oil. Speier contends the lower speed limit (and corresponding drop in fuel consumption) would have far more near-term impact on gas prices than the other plans (offshore drilling, alternative fuel incentives) that have been kicking around in the House.
In the larger picture, Speier goes back to the subject of the speech she made on her first day in Congress: the war in Iraq, which has claimed 4,500 U.S. lives and has consumed more than $10 billion a month."
"Part of our reason for going there was oil," she said. Many Americans, she said, have not felt a direct sacrifice of the war. A reduced speed limit would be at least a small sacrifice, or, as Speier put it, "an act of patriotism."
Office of Congresswoman Speier: HR 6458: Establishing a National 60 mph Speed Limit
Oakland Tribune: 60 mph limit gaining speed
U.S. D.O.E.: Driving More Efficiently
AP: Senator asks if nation's drivers should slow down
Planetizen: Lowering The Speeding Limit To Improve Air Quality
FULL STORY: Speier proves quick study on Capitol Hill
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Google Maps Introduces New Transit, EV Features
It will now be easier to find electric car charging stations and transit options.
Ohio Lawmakers Propose Incentivizing Housing Production
A proposed bill would take a carrot approach to stimulating housing production through a grant program that would reward cities that implement pro-housing policies.
Chicago Awarded $2M Reconnecting Communities Grant
Community advocates say the city’s plan may not do enough to reverse the negative impacts of a major expressway.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.