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
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.
The Cup of Coffee Cycling Incentive
Birdbath Bakery in New York has found popularity, and a niche, by offering a 25% discount to cyclists. As New York's bicycling infrastructure grows, businesses that cater to them may thrive.
The Village Voice
Des Moines, Iowa Moves Forward with "Complete Streets" Policy
Despite opposition from businesses and neighborhood groups, the city of Des Moines, Iowa is intent on implementing a program to make local streets friendly to non-drivers.
Des Moines Register
Searching for a 21st Century Transportation Bill
Transportation officials are talking more and more about drafting a brand new type of transportation bill, one that diverges from the patterns and old thinking of the past. But that's easier said than done.
The New York Times
High-Speed Rail, By The Numbers
America 2050 recently released a report ranking the best intercity corridors for high speed rail investment.
The Infrastructurist
A Ride on Dubai's New Metro Rail System
The new Dubai Metro rail system recently began operations in the desert city. Christopher Corbett, an American planner who's been living and working in Dubai, takes us on a visual tour.
Randal O'Toole Wants to Abolish the DOT
Barring that, he has some eight proposals for the transportation reauthorization bill, including eliminating long-range transportation planning and clean air mandates.
The Cato Institute
Transit Disoriented Development
Arlington, Texas, is home to the Dallas Cowboys' football stadium. But as the largest American city with no public bus or rail lines, getting to the stadium is no easy task.
The Dallas Morning News
Federal Mag-Lev Funding Reignites Debate in Las Vegas
Federal authorities recently announced $45 million in support of plans to construct a magnetic levitation train line between Las Vegas and Southern California, re-igniting a debate over two proposed rail connections.
The Las Vegas Sun
The Social Life of Traffic
Fri, 09/18/2009 - 09:07
Traffic is essentially "an engineering issue," says author Tom Vanderbilt. "But there's also a layer of culture."
That layer of culture determines, to a large extent, how traffic can become a problem. This idea is explored in Vanderbilt's 2008 book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), a Planetizen Top Book of the year. He recently expanded on that idea for a discussion about traffic put on by Zocalo Public Square in (where better?) Los Angeles.
Caltrans vs. Americans with Disabilities Act
Citing the estimated current cost of repairs as a partial reason for noncompliance with federal law, Caltrans heads to court against disability advocacy groups. The agency has failed to maintain or upgrade thousands of curbs and intersections.
Los Angeles Times
