Streetcars are a better option than Vancouver's proposed 2.8 billion subway, says Prof. Patrick Condon of the Design Centre for Sustainability at UBC.
Dec 15, 2008 The Globe and Mail
This piece from <em>Worldchanging</em> looks at recent efforts by cities to "reconquer" streets by making them (temporarily, at least) pedestrianized and closed off to car traffic.
Dec 15, 2008 WorldChanging
Planners and officials in Seattle have whittled down the list to just two ideas for replacing the city's damaged inner-city viaduct. Washington Governor Christine Gregoire reportedly wants a final decision by the end of the year.
Dec 15, 2008 The Seattle Times
A local leader in the suburban Maryland/Washington DC area proposes aggressive use of "rapid buses" in dedicated lanes to accommodate growth, like other jurisdictions in the U.S.
Dec 14, 2008 Washington Post
More than 5,000 road and bridge projects are "ready to go". They still need funding, but could provide nearly 2 million jobs if Congress approves infrastructure spending.
Dec 12, 2008 CNN
Due to the collapse of local tax revenues caused by the national economic downturn, many transit systems may face shortages of money over the next year or two. Assuming this is the case, transit providers will have to either raise fares or reduce services by eliminating bus routes or otherwise reducing transit service.
It seems to me that raising fares is generally the lesser evil, both from the standpoint of an individual rider and from the standpoint of the transit agency itself.
Opinion
Dec 11, 2008 By Michael Lewyn
At a crucial two-day meeting, the California Air Resources Board may adopt, reject or modify two separate, landmark, controversial plans - one on climate change, the other on diesel emissions from trucks and buses.
Dec 11, 2008 San Francisco Chronicle
Its way of life no longer en vogue, the auto-centric suburb of Tysons Corner, VA plans to undergo a large-scale transformation into a walkable, "real" city over the course of the next 30 years.
Dec 11, 2008 NPR
With energy and the economy both causing headaches, 2008 has been a big year for local governments recognizing and planning for peak oil. Finding a way forward in a future of constrained energy will require much of planners.
Dec 11, 2008 Post Carbon Cities Blog
In this Mercury News Op-Ed, San Jose State University Professor Larry Gerston proposes this bold tax for mass transit and alternative energy programs. It yields $175 billion annually and creates green jobs, enabling us to determine our destiny.
Dec 10, 2008 Mercury News
