The San Jose City Council is considering a proposal to
ban plastic bags and most paper bags in supermarkets, out of concerns about the greenhouse
gases used to manufacture them and about the waste from discarded
bags. But this policy might create as many environmental problems
as it solves.
In a city without disposable bags, shoppers who seek to buy large
amounts of groceries will have to drag around an army of nondisposable
containers. For drivers, this is not a big deal. Susie SUV can always
find space for dozens of nondisposable bags in her truck. And because Susie’s bags
can stay in her truck forever, she will always be able to make impulse
purchases without difficulty.
Transportation
David Byrne (Hearts) Bikes
Musician David Byrne gathered a panel of planners and cyclists for a spirited conversation in San Francisco about the joys of urban cycling.
Streetsblog
World Cup Bus System Causes Conflict in Cape Town
Taxi and minibus drivers in Cape Town are concerned that a new Integrated Rapid Transport (IRT) system will put them out of work. The city cites lack of regulation, safety concerns, and standardized work hours as reasons the new system is necessary.
BBC News
Stockholm's Congestion Pricing Cuts Traffic, Boosts Clean Vehicle Sales
Stockholm's congestion charge is not only reducing traffic and greenhouse gas emissions, it's also increasing sales of alternative fuel vehicles.
The New York Times
NYPD Putting the Brakes on Illegal Bike Rentals
High demand from tourists near Central Park has attracted unlicensed bike rental vendors in NYC. Competition is getting tougher as police crack down on the booming business.
The New York Times
South American Olympics Overdue or Undercooked?
As the International Olympic Committee prepares to announced the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics this week, South Americans are hoping it's finally their time. Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is one of four finalists, but some say the city isn't ready.
Time
Metrolink Deaths Could Be Avoided, Says LA Times
244 people have died in Metrolink accidents over the last 15 years. A study by the Los Angeles Times says that that number could be greatly diminished by improving a handful of dangerous intersections.
The Los Angeles Times
Hummer Purchase a "Moral Choice"
A new study interviewed Hummer owners, and found that owners feel that their choice of vehicle perfectly reflects their moral values.
Wired
Russia Rolls Out New High Speed Rail
Siemens has retrofitted trains for cold Russian winters; they are being rolled out now between Moscow and St. Petersburg and could be a model for American HSR.
New York Times
Janette Sadik-Khan in Action
Forbes profiles transportation commissioner extraordinaire Janette Sadik-Kahn, interviewed in the middle of the new public space on Broadway that she championed.
Forbes
Maryland Proposes All-Electronic Toll Road
A new highway linking Montgomery to Prince Georges County in Maryland will be the first in the state to exclusively use overhead tolling technology.
Baltimore Business Journal
Bike Commuting Surges in Portland, Oregon
Fueled by the city's investment in infrastructure, 6.4 percent of commuters in Portland, Oregon biked to work in 2008, an increase of nearly 60% over the previous year.
The Oregonian
Frappuccino-Colored Streets
Would you slow for beige? Planners in San Francisco hope so, as they plan to differentiate sections of Market St. where they'd like traffic to slow down with 'frappuccino'-colored asphalt.
The San Francisco Chronicle
A Middle Ground In The Bag Wars
Thu, 09/24/2009 - 12:01
Open Transit Data: New Yorkers Left Out in the Cold
Give software developers open transit data, and they'll create applications that make riding easier and more convenient, says Ben Fried. But straphangers in the nation's largest transit market, New York, are still waiting for the MTA to open up.
Streetsblog
A Museum For A Highway?
The Lincoln Highway was the first road to reach from coast to coast. A Pennsylvania group is building a museum to celebrate this stretch of asphalt. Designs for the museum have just been released.
Architectural Record
Wooing Women to Transportation Planning
The Department of Transportation is teaming up with Spelman College in Atlanta for a new program designed to get more women into transportation careers.
Welcome to the Fast Lane: Official Blog of the US Secretary of Transportation
Reversing a Federal Transit Rule - But Only in Washington State?
A federal pro-privatization transit rule, which prevents local transit agencies from competing with private bus services on providing service to special events, could see an end in Washington State with this year's transportation spending bill.
DC Streetsblog
Transit Agencies Begin to See Stimulus Funds
The Obama administration has begun awarding grants of millions to transit agencies across the country for everything from bus upgrades to photovoltaic canopies and agency building upgrades. Check out the breakdown by agency here.
SF Streetsblog
Increasing Bike Ridership Means Pulling in Women
In the U.S., men bike far more than women. Some researchers suggest that understanding and meeting the demands of women is the best way to increase overall ridership.
Scientific American
Phoenix Light Rail Succeeds Beyond Expectations
Would one of America's most sprawling, auto-dependent cities take to the country's newest light rail system? Even its proponents were surprised by its success and its transformative effect on downtown businesses, particularly during a recession.
The New York Times - U.S.
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TECH-320: Advanced SketchUp Webinar
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TECH-320: Advanced SketchUp - Modeling Buildings
- Visualizing Unemployment During the Recession
- Windsor + Detroit = BFF?
- Canada Increasing Investment in Carbon Capture
- DC Metro's Death Toll Rises
- Function Over Geometry
- 'Getting Religion' in Water Conservation
- The Ghost of Architecture Past
- Exercising Eminent Domain for Private Developers
- Rural America Still Leads Nation in Poverty
- Can Free Fares Save Public Transit?
"Hoboken Daylighting" In Lieu Of Bump-Outs -- Ian Sacs
Learning from TTI -- Michael Lewyn
Automobility and Freedom: Conflicts and Resolutions -- Todd Litman
Somewhere Between Blight and Gentrification... -- Diana DeRubertis
The Future of American High Speed Rail: Regional and Slow -- Robert Goodspeed
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