Streetsblog USA has announced their 2016 Streetsies Awards.
The narrative that emerges from the 2016 Streetsies Awards is a tale of two transits. At the local level, transit initiatives found resounding success at the November ballot, earning the Best Sign of Progress award. But the news coming from the general direction of Washington, D.C. is less than encouraging, with the WMATA having a tough year (to say the least) and a new regime about to take over in the Executive Branch. The WMATA earned the Biggest Local Failure award for its contributions to the year's transit-related news.
Other Streetsies include recognitions for Worst Victim Blaming, Worst Trend, Heroes of 2016, and Villains of 2016. You'll have to click through to the original article to find out who earned those titles.
FULL STORY: The USA Streetsies: Looking Back at the Best and Worst of 2016
D.C. Metro System Ridership in Free Fall
Track repairs and inconsistent service have lead to a 14 percent decrease in ridership, enough to wipe out the year's gains of all other U.S. rail systems put together.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
Mobile App Makes DC Transit Easy to Navigate for Visually Impaired Riders
The app gives step-by-step directions and audio and visual cues accessible from anywhere for thousands of bus stops and rail stations.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont