The election is behind us. A Democratic administration headed by President-elect Barack Obama and a heavily Democratic Congress will assume power next January. How will this influence the direction of federal surface transportation policy and programs? To gain some insight, we have solicited the views of a number of people, including some who are familiar with the thinking of President-elect Obama’s transition team. While the views expressed below are our own, they have been influenced by the observations and speculations expressed in these interviews. By common agreement, all conversations were held off the record and not for attribution in order to allow for the freest possible expression of views.
Transportation
Businesses Invest In City Plan To Fight Homelessness
Businesses in Fort Worth, Texas, invest in a city-led plan to combat homelessness.
Fort Worth Business Press
3 Plans to Rescue the Economy and the Earth with Public Transportation
Treehugger.com talks to Andy Kunz of urbandesign.org, The Apollo Alliance, and Transportation for America about their proposals to move America forward with expanded public transportation initiatives.
Treehugger.com
County Enacts Far-Reaching Green Building Reform
The L.A. County Board of Supervisors recently approved a package of green building ordinances that may be the most comprehensive and far reaching green building legislation at the local level in the country.
The Planning Report
No Go On Hybrid Taxi Mandate
A federal judge has put the kibosh on New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg's plan to require taxi companies to use mostly hybrid vehicles by 2012.
New York Times
Energy Crisis Solved
Fri, 10/24/2008 - 07:18
Technology innovation – that’s all we need to solve the energy crisis! Unleash American ingenuity and we’ll be able to cope with higher energy costs. The Windmillmobile, should go a long way toward reducing petroleum consumption. It seems to work fine unless there is a strong tailwind. The engineers are still working on the sensor to fold down the windmill for garages and overpasses.
The Great American Fallacy Machine
Tue, 08/12/2008 - 08:07
When it comes to urban policy issues such as public transit andsmart growth, self-identified "Conservatives" and Libertarians have turned"straw man" argumentation into an art form. Many of their positions are sotransparently fallacious that I feel compelled to take them down, (asI've done in previous Planetizen op-eds [here and here])by systematically identifying their fallacies and documenting their misleading use of data sources.
It's easy and it's fun!
High Gas Prices Breathe New Life into DC's TOD
The cost of commuting is beginning to trump federal policies favoring exurban development, and transit ridership is at a fifty year high.
The Washington Post
Three Cheers for the Automobile
Former Congressman Ernest Istook discusses why the automobile is the ultimate manifestation of freedom, mobility, and personal choice, and argues for a re-allocation of public spending away from mass transit and other alternatives.
WorldNetDaily
An Argument for Congestion Pricing in Los Angeles
Robert Poole, director of transportation at the Reason Institute, delivers an open letter to Los Angeles-area elected officials in the hopes of persuading them to adopt a federally-supported pricing system for the region's freeway network.
The Planning Report
America's Dying Middle Class
Rolling Stone pundit Matt Taibbi writes that the media are missing the real story: that millions of Americans are financially drowning under home heating costs, gas prices and debt, and the middle class is disappearing.
AlterNet
America is Growing
The Guardian U.K. observes that the end of cheap oil is changing driving habits, boosting public transit use and encouraging localization. In short, they are making America a bigger place.
The Guardian
Minneapolis Residents Take to Their Bikes
The Minneapolis area is already 2nd in the nation for the percentage of commuters who bike to work. With gas prices soaring, the number of bicyclists has soared. One route over the Mississippi River has seen a doubling of bikes from last year.
Star Tribune
Wal-Mart To Cut Costs, Selling Local Fruits and Veggies
In an effort to reduce shipping costs, Wal-Mart is cutting its food miles and passing the savings on to customer by selling locally grown produce.
The Philadelphia Inquirer
CA's Climate Change Mandate Will Drive Smart Growth
In what may be the silver lining of the current economic climate, high fuel costs and carbon restrained economies may spell the end for unsustainable planning and development patterns in California, according to Rick Cole, City Manager of Ventura.
The Planning Report
Rural U.S. Hit Hardest By Gas Prices
Gas prices have just surpassed the $4 mark, but the impact is far from uniform throughout the nation- poor, rural counties, particularly in the south and west, suffer disproportionately.
The New York Times
Key New York City Council Member Predicts Future for Congestion Pricing
Council Member David Yassky was one of congestion pricing's earliest and most vocal proponents, and he hasn't yet given up on the prospect of charging tolls to drive in Manhattan.
The Planning Report
Environmental Groups Warm to Trains
Railroads are overcoming decades of resistance from environmentalists by touting their greener aspects.
Wall St. Journal
Comprehensive Analysis of Transit Energy Conservation Benefits
Tue, 05/27/2008 - 09:54
A recent report by the libertarian Cato Institute, Does Rail Transit Save Energy or Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions?, claims that public transit service improvements are ineffective at conserving energy and reducing pollution emissions. But this conclusion is based on faulty analysis.
Americans Reluctantly Face Their Gasoline Habit
The New York Times looks across the nation and finds consumers reluctantly changing their habits to deal with rising gas prices.
The New York Times
