Transportation

Transit Use is Growing, But Not Where You Think

Transit saw some big ridership increases over the past few years, but maybe not where you'd expect. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows the top ten metropolitan areas where transit use has increased the most.
19 November 2009 - 9:00am

From Policy to Implementation, CNU Transportation Summit Examines "The Greatest Place"

Mike Lydon reports from the CNU Transportation Summit in Portland, Oregon, the country's laboratory of smart growth. "Change is imminent," says Congressman Earl Blumenauer via video.
16 November 2009 - 9:43am

Checklists to Rethink the Streetspace

Remaking streets into attractive and successful places can be a challenge. But following a few straightforward checklists can simplify the process. Amber Hawkes and Georgia Sheridan guide the way, in this final article in their series on Remaking the Streetspace.
16 November 2009 - 5:00am

Alternative Fuels Won't Change the Expense of Driving

One of the conclusions of a new study in the San Francisco Bay Area is that switching to electric and alternative fuel cars won't reduce the burden on households because ownership is the most significant expense. Thus, density is the only way out.
20 November 2009 - 12:00pm
Streetsblog San Francisco

BRT PDQ in DF

Atlantic correspondent Cristine Russell takes a look at Mexico City's quickly-implemented bus rapid transit system.
20 November 2009 - 8:00am
The Atlantic Monthly

Are Prefabricated Overpasses the Answer?

Writer Sarah Lacey, stuck in hours of traffic in Bangalore, decides that prefabricated highway overpasses are the solution to the world's overcrowded, traffic-choked cities.
20 November 2009 - 5:00am
The Washington Post

HSR Too Slow? Blame CEQA

The California High Speed Rail Blog says that the biggest obstacle to building HSR in California isn't the cost, but a number of problems with the planning process, especially the California Environmental Quality Act.
19 November 2009 - 2:00pm
California High Speed Rail Blog

Cycling: It's About Individualism?

In this op-ed, Verlyn Klinkenborg posits that cycling, at least on the Stanford campus, is more about asserting one's identity than anything else.
19 November 2009 - 11:00am
The New York Times

Buffett and Beyond

This article takes a look at the past and future of rail in America, with an emphasis on one surprise success story.
18 November 2009 - 1:00pm
BBC News

LA, Orange Counties Collide on Freeways

As traffic congestion has worsened, so has the philosophical divide between LA and Orange counties in terms of how to address it.
18 November 2009 - 7:00am
Los Angeles Times

LA's Newest Rail Meets Skepticism

The Gold Line extension served 75,000 riders for its grand opening, but ridership dropped by over two-thirds for its first weekday operations.
18 November 2009 - 5:00am
Los Angeles Times

England's Most Dreadful Railway Stations

As Transport Secretary Lord Adonis tours railway stations most in need of help, the BBC News Magazine asks, "what makes a bad railway station?"
17 November 2009 - 2:00pm
BBC News Magazine

Minneapolis-St. Paul Residents Get A New Commute

$320 million dollars and 13 years after construction began, the Northstar commuter rail began running today between Big Lake and Minneapolis.
17 November 2009 - 8:00am
Star Tribune

Transit Expansion is Streetlife Expansion in L.A.

An extension of one of L.A.'s light rail lines opened this past weekend. Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers a hopeful prediction that the extension will inspire an improvement in streetlife.
17 November 2009 - 5:00am
Los Angeles Times

Learning from TTI

Mon, 11/16/2009 - 14:22

This week, I finally got around to looking at the latest (2009) Texas Transportation Institute study on traffic congestion. (1)

Two facts struck me as interesting.  First, the great congestion surge of the past decade or two is over.  In most large metropolitan areas, congestion (measured as hours lost to congestion per traveler) peaked around 2005, and actually declined in 2005-07.  For example, in Atlanta, hours lost to congestion peaked at 61, and decreased to 57 by 2007.  Congestion increased in only three of the fourteen largest regions (Washington, Detroit and Houston)- and in each of these by only one hour per traveler.

The Remarkable Rezoning of NYC

Recently the NYC Planning Dept. announced its 100th rezoning since Bloomberg took office. This article takes a spin through the city's remarkable shift in the last 50 years away from industry to business and tourism and a sustainable approach.
16 November 2009 - 2:00pm
New York Observer

Penalosa Critical of Gujarat BRT

Enrique Penalosa, famed as the "Father of Bus Rapid Transit," pays a visit to the Ahmedabad BRTS in Gujarat, India. Penalosa was positive, but doesn't think it goes far enough in catering to pedestrians over cars.
16 November 2009 - 12:00pm
DNA India

VMT Fee May Replace Car Taxes In Netherlands

Imagine this: Replacing the sales tax on purchasing a new vehicle and annual, 'fixed' fees with a VMT fee based on size, weight, and CO2 emissions of the vehicle. This is the plan of the Dutch government to reduce congestion and greenhouse gases.
16 November 2009 - 11:00am
Breitbart.com

Fed Seeks More Control Over Transit Safety

In light of recent transit accidents, especially the Red Line crash in Washington, DC suburbs, the Obama Administration is seeking legislation to set and enforce safety standards on transit systems nationwide.
16 November 2009 - 10:00am
The New York Times

Faring Well

Wealthier transit riders demand more expensive rail services and commute at peak hours; the poor commute using all modes, at all hours. Eric A. Morris argues that the MTA's new policy of off-peak pricing would help even out the inequity.
16 November 2009 - 9:00am
NYTimes: Freakonomics Blog
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