Transportation
Obama has compared the size of the stimulus package he wants to the 1956 National Highway Act. If the states have their way, it may be just that -- a new highway bill with little left for transit.
Bloomberg
Brooklyn residents have built a makeshift detour sign in an attempt to redirect drivers away from their street. A new bike lane was implemented in the fall that has removed stop signs and, according to residents, made their street unsafe.
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
The political climate in San Francisco might seem likely to approve the city's congestion pricing plan, but opposition is strong.
Los Angeles Times
California transportation officials are confident that federal support will back up $10 billion in recently approved bond sales to fund the state's proposed high speed rail system.
San Francisco Chronicle
President-elect Barack Obama's plans to update the nation's highway system will be limited by funding. Congressional transportation officials are calling for an update of the gas tax, among other changes.
NPR
Gov. Schwarzenegger wants the California Environmental Quality Act- a requirement for major transportation projects- waived if he is to sign the $18 billion Democratic package that balances the budget and is crafted to circumvent Republican approval.
Sacramento Bee
The Wall St. Journal calls new transportation secretary Ray LaHood the "secretary of earmarks", and one of the biggest spenders in Congress.
The Wall St. Journal
The last S.U.V.s rolled off the assembly line at General Motors' plants in Janesville, Wisconsin and Moraine, Ohio, victims of both the economic crisis and the plummeting market for gas guzzlers.
The New York Times
Matthew Ridgeway wonders if the infrastructure benefits of new streetcar projects- facade improvement, streetscaping, community investment- could happen with direct investment, leaving streetcars out of the picture.
coolconnections.org
Density gives cities an edge, according to this study of commutes around the world. Hong Kong, Osaka, and Berlin all rank highly.
MSNBC
Blog post
Because of President-elect Obama’s plans to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure, some recent discussion of smart growth has focused on proposals for huge projects, such as rebuilding America’s rail network.
But walkability often depends on much smaller steps, steps that require changes in tiny increments of space.
Infrastructure funding in California is grinding to a halt as two crises hit simultaneously: a political impasse unable to resolve a budget gap of $42 billion and a credit crisis leaving the state unable to sell its bonds.
Los Angeles Times
Nobel laureate and Energy Secretary designee Steven Chu is apparently at odds with the president-elect's position on fuel prices in terms of the price signal it sends to motorists and home-buyers.
ABC News: The Note
In this op-ed, "San Francisco is not London", Steve Falk, the CEO of the S.F. Chamber of Commerce, explains why London-style congestion pricing is inappropriate for the downtown core - that it would only hurt businesses without reducing congestion.
San Francisco Chronicle
The New Amsterdam Project in Cambridge, Mass., recently debuted a fleet of pedal-powered cargo tricycles, aimed at clients who want to reduce their carbon footprint.
The Christian Science Monitor
The Pulitzer-prizing winning auto columnist for the LA Times reviews the hybrid version 2010 Ford Fusion - a car that shows Washington it is on the right track, even if a tad late. Neil highlights the importance of its nickel battery technology.
Los Angeles Times
This summer, the provincial government announced a $2 billion public transit fund focused on regional co-operation. Thousands of commuters from bedroom communities around Calgary could benefit from the infrastructure.
The Calgary Herald
In spring of next year, Burbank, CA will debut the nation's first lightweight, zero-emissions bus.
Mass Transit
In fact, says one planner, suburbs and exurbs can expect to see some of the biggest changes of all, at least from infrastructure and transportation funding.
Marketwatch
The announcement of Ray LaHood as Transportation Secretary came as a surprise to many transportation planners and environmentalists. This article looks at some of their reactions to the pick.
Grist
