Transportation

Mass demonstrations in Brazil over the past week were sparked by increases to bus fares. But what if buses were free? The Economist makes the argument that, to improve service and decrease congestion, we should study making buses and subways free.

June 21, 2013 - The Economist

From parking garages to its bike-share program, and streetscape improvements to trails that integrate nature and city life, Miami has taken a stylish but pedestrian-friendly approach to transportation decisions, says Claudia Kousoulas.

June 21, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

Now is the time for planners to engage in the public debate on vehicle-automation – leaving it to the car-makers and search-engine providers (and their legions of techies) won’t deliver the livability outcomes planners aim to achieve.

June 21, 2013 - Scott Le Vine

The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments is considering $4 billion in highway expansion projects at a meeting today. With Detroit pursuing several alternative transportation initiatives, is this the best way to spend scarce federal dollars?

June 20, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

While the decline may not be visible, total auto ownership peaked in 2008 according to a new report by Michael Sivak of the University of Michigan's Transportation Research Institute. He set out to determine the cause - was it the economic recession?

June 20, 2013 - The Atlantic

The House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and HUD has proposed drastic cuts to Community Development Block Grants and eliminating funding for the Partnership for Sustainable Communities and TIGER. The cuts presage coming budget battles.

June 20, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

It’s time to recognize that we can’t maintain the roads we have now, and that continuing down the path of highway expansion is both unaffordable and unnecessary, writes Stu Sirota.

June 20, 2013 - Better! Cities & Towns

It may seem counter-intuitive to charge extra fees for the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today - including those that qualify for a federal $7,500 credit. But ten states are doing just that to keep roads well-funded.

June 19, 2013 - The New American

Despite a flurry of new commuter rail lines in operation, ridership increased a mere .5% during a record year for transit. Worse yet, some of the newer lines saw the greatest decreases. The answer: increase service to attract riders.

June 18, 2013 - Governing Magazine

Did you chuckle when the WSJ's Dorothy Rabinowitz said "the bike lobby is an all-powerful enterprise”? Well, "[t]he bicycle lobby is real," say Byron Tau and Caitlin Emma, who explore the increasing clout of those fighting for bike infrastructure.

June 17, 2013 - Politico

To the chagrin of many state legislators, Gov. Terry Branstad opposes new revenue measures to fund transportation projects, as he believes he is following the wishes of his constituents. Tax cuts, not increases, are on his agenda.

June 17, 2013 - Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier

Greg Hinz tours the unfinished 'superstation' under Block 37 in the central Loop, built by the Chicago Transit Authority at a cost of $218 million. It would cost an estimated $150 million to complete, a sum that's unlikely to be raised anytime soon.

June 17, 2013 - Crain's Chicago Business

The Telegraph compiles a list of the fastest train trips in the world, from the 90 minute journey from Brussels to Paris at 186 miles per hour to Shanghai's 268 mile per hour maglev train. A new service is poised to join them.

June 16, 2013 - The Telegraph

Tax attorney Kelly Phillips Erb pens a colorful narrative upon the 81st birthday of the federal gas tax, showing the interesting history of this now controversial tax. It began on June 6, 1932 to close general budget gaps, not build roads.

June 16, 2013 - Forbes

'Unruly' protests by residents opposed to planned hikes in the cost of bus fares have shaken Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the past week. The country has a history of transit fare protests going back 130 years.

June 16, 2013 - The New York Times

Across America, TOD is seen as the solution for many of the problems that plague cities. But what if you could get the economic, environmental, and health benefits of transit-oriented development without the billions of dollars in rail investment?

June 15, 2013 - MinnPost

Counter to the predictions of mass chaos due to inexperienced riders being unleashed on city streets, the launch of bike-sharing in New York and elsewhere increases safety for all cyclists.

June 14, 2013 - The New York Times

An unprovoked attack on a bicycle commuter by as many as 15 youths in Washington D.C. this week is raising questions about the safety of one of the city's most popular bike routes.

June 14, 2013 - The Washington Post

It turns out New York isn't the only large city struggling to get its heralded bike-share system off the ground. Chicago's rush to launch Divvy has hit a snag, delaying the program's launch by two weeks.

June 13, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

The research wing of the non-profit think tank Future Cape Town has produced an infographic that provides valuable insight into the mobility patterns found in some of Africa's largest cities. Less sustainable options are growing, raising concerns.

June 13, 2013 - Future Cape Town