As a part of its series on pressing issues that should inform the current Canadian federal election, the Globe and Mail examines how other cities around the world have undertaken affordable transportation innovations to ease traffic congestion.
The Globe and Mail points out that Canadians are only too willing to travel on subways or bicycles when they travel but seem resistant to change in their own cities:
"Canadians...remain psychologically gridlocked when it comes to how to improve our daily commute. Change also requires the kind of permanent funding that big-city mayors and others believe should be part of a federal urban strategy – and on the table for discussion in the national election campaign.
According to a new ranking of international cities by the Toronto Board of Trade, Canadian urban centres fare poorly on everything from transit ridership to infrastructure spending. Tokyo, Hong Kong, Paris, Stockholm and Oslo topped the transportation ranking, while cities as varied as Madrid, New York and Seattle all outperformed Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver, where congestion and transit problems were found to be 'crippling' local economies."
As alternatives, it offers New York's transportation planning under Janette Sadik-Khan, Hong Kong's "Octopus" smart card, Stockholm's congestion pricing, Spain's public-private partnerships and time-shifting in Melbourne.
FULL STORY: Canadian traffic in psychological gridlock
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.
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.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
Median Home Prices Top $1 Million in Over 200 California Towns
Towns once known for their affordability are seeing sharply rising home prices.
LA County Receives Reconnecting Communities Grants
Seven grant awards totaling $162 million will be used for planning, capital projects, and regional partnerships to reduce environmental harm and improve access in disadvantaged communities.
Seine Pollution Could Hinder Olympic Swim Events
Events like the triathlon could be impacted if tests continue to reveal high levels of dangerous bacteria in Paris’ famous river.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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ULI Northwest Arkansas
City of Laramie, Wyoming
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