USA Today

High Line Crowds

Not All Parks Are Created Equal

Parks almost always sound like a good idea. But some are vacant while others are transformative. Here's a list of ten recently completed projects that fall solidly in the latter category.

April 17, 2015 - USA Today

Latest American Community Survey: Continued Growth for (Some) Cities

According to the latest figures from the U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey (ACS), Americans continue to move into cities en masse over suburbs, but certain cities are attracting larger crowds than others.

October 10, 2014 - USA Today

Study: Residents Living Near Fracking Suffer Negative Health Impacts

Self-reported respiratory problems and skin irritations were significantly greater for those living near natural gas fracking wells in southwestern Pennsylvania than those living more than two kilometers away, according to a Yale University survey.

September 11, 2014 - USA Today

Fracking Opponents in New York Achieve Landmark Legal Victory

In a huge victory for fracking opponents and a major blow to the shale gas drilling industry, the New York Court of Appeals, the state's highest, ruled on June 30 that municipalities can use zoning laws to enact fracking bans or moratoria.

July 4, 2014 - USA Today

'Seattle's Greatest Social and Economic Experiment Is about to Begin'

That's how USA Today reporter John Bacon concluded his video on the Seattle City Council's historic vote to increase the city minimum wage to $15/hour in 3-7 years depending on the business. The outcome was never in doubt due to prior deliberations.

June 4, 2014 - USA Today

Breaking News on Keystone XL Pipeline: More Delay

Don't expect President Obama to issue a yes or no decision on whether to build TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline until after the November elections. A pending Nebraska court case and millions of public comments were given as the reason for the delay

April 19, 2014 - USA Today

Catastrophic Mud Slide in Washington—Could it Have Been Prevented?

The death toll in this rural area 55 miles north of Seattle in Snohomish County is expected to rise. Rain had saturated the ground and led to the collapse of a hillside about 600 feet high and 1,500 feet long. But was the slide foreseeable?

March 26, 2014 - USA Today

Can New Financing Mechanism Deliver Multi-Modal Safety in Low-Income Areas?

A new bill in Congress would create a new $11 million program amidst the $1 billion Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (TIFIA) loan program. But can it deliver more safety improvements to under-served populations?

March 12, 2014 - USA Today

Hedges shaped like cars

Where and How People Live Without Cars

The USA Today takes a closer look at data from the recent “Has Motorization in the U.S. Peaked?” report by Michael Sivak for the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute.

February 11, 2014 - USA Today

More Physical Activity and Better Diets Leading to Less Teenage Obesity

In another sign that efforts to reduce childhood obesity may be having an impact, a new study published in the journal Pediatrics has found increases in physical activity and the consumption of healthy foods among 11 to 16-year-old Americans.

September 23, 2013 - USA Today

Self-Driving Cars for Sale by 2020 Says Automaker

Nissan has become the first car company to commit to a date for selling self-driving cars in an announcement this week. And it won't just be one model for sale by 2020, Nissan will produce "multiple 'commercially viable' self-driving vehicles."

September 1, 2013 - USA Today

New Report Calls Attention to Need for Critical Bridge Funding

It may have been serendipity, but Transportation for America's new report on the sorry state of America's bridges, 11% are structurally deficient, was released the same day that a temporary replacement span opened on the Skagit River bridge in Wash.

June 23, 2013 - USA Today

For the First Time, White Deaths Exceed Births in the U.S., Reports Census

The demographic milestone shows how the U.S. is quickly becoming a nation of minorities - and also shows the rapid aging and lower birth rates of the white, non-hispanic demographic. However, due to immigration, the total white population increased.

June 14, 2013 - USA Today

Gas Tax Debate: USA Today vs. Rep. Earl Blumenauer

The USA Today editorial board argues that increasing the gas tax is the best way for states to fund transportation while Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) extolls Oregon's VMT fee pilot project, which the editors calls complex and bureaucratic.

May 16, 2013 - USA Today

Electric Vehicles Are Money Losers, But That's Expected

All-electric vehicles - those without tailpipes or gas tanks, are entering the marketplace, particularly in California, but unlike other models from the same manufacturers, they are not expected to sell well. So why are they even being manufactured?

May 13, 2013 - USA Today

What Are America's Healthiest Counties?

A new study from the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation ranks America's healthiest counties. Environment, rather than access to care, is seen as the key element in determining health outcomes.

March 22, 2013 - USA Today

U.S. Experiences Second-Highest Transit Ridership Since 1957

According to a new report, U.S. transit ridership increased to 10.5 billion rides in 2012 - a 1.5% increase over 2011, despite transit shutdowns and reductions caused by Superstorm Sandy. High gas prices, and their volatility, was a major cause.

March 12, 2013 - USA Today

'TVs on a Stick' Spark Battles Across the US

Since the Federal Highway Administration relaxed a rule against digital billboards in 2007, communities across the country have struggled with how to balance concerns about distracted drivers and disfigured landscapes with the desires of advertisers.

February 4, 2013 - USA Today

Biking to Work is a Slam Dunk

Lance Armstrong may no longer be the first athlete Americans associate with bicycle riding; and that may be a good thing after the last year he's had. This week, NBA MVP LeBron James's bicycle commute became national news.

December 21, 2012 - USA Today

How Does the Health of Your State Rank?

Modern medicine is prolonging our lives while our lifestyles are shortening it - that paradox is the main finding of the 2012 America's Health Rankings that ranked Vermont as the nation's healthiest state with Louisiana and Mississippi tied for last.

December 13, 2012 - USA Today

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