Transportation

If You Want Accurate Traffic Projections, Don't Listen to DOTs

Analysis by the State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) finds that the traffic projections used by state and local transportation agencies, which form the basis for spending priorities, are consistently higher than actual results.

December 18, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

New York's Streets Provide "Platform for Social Activism"

Justin Davidson ruminates on the great strides Janette Sadik-Khan and New York's Department of Transportation have made in reforming the city's streets. As much as they've accomplished, the transformation remains a work in progress.

December 18, 2013 - New York Magazine

Colosseo in Rome as seen from Via dei Fori Imperiali on a Sunday when traffic is cut off.

What Could Philadelphia Teach Rome About Reducing Traffic?

Rome's new mayor spent two decades in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and he's bringing lessons learned while living car-free in the United States to help solve Rome's traffic problems.

December 17, 2013 - philly.com

Lifestyle Solution Sought for Austin's Snarled Traffic

Austin has a giant traffic tangle on its hands. And because the city largely ignored the growing problem for years, transportation planning experts believe only drastic changes in behavior and lifestyle will ease the snarl.

December 17, 2013 - NPR

What Will Fuel Your Motor Vehicle in 10 Years?

Alternative fueled vehicles are increasing and will continue to gain in the next decade, according to a new report by the Fuels Institute, but light duty vehicles powered by gasoline will dominate. Diesel fuel will power 94% of heavier vehicles.

December 17, 2013 - Fuels Institute

Bikes Become Target of Conservatives' Vitriol

Is biking a partisan past time? If you listen to conservative leaders, you might think bikes were created as part of a liberal mission to spread socialism and curtail personal freedoms. Cycling is the unlikely new front in the culture wars.

December 16, 2013 - The Boston Globe

Expo Line LA Skyline

If You Build It, They Will Ride - Even in Car Crazy Los Angeles

A new study finds that within six months of opening, L.A.'s newest light rail line dramatically altered the travel behavior of those living within a half-mile of a station. Among those residents, rail ridership tripled and driving declined 40%.

December 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Investment in Infrastructure Leads to Jump in S.F. Cyclists

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency's annual bike count reveals that cycling has increased 14 percent in the city since 2011 and 96 percent since 2006.

December 16, 2013 - SFGate

Arrival of D.C.'s First Streetcar is Cause for Civic Celebration

On a dark and cold December night, D.C. residents celebrated the delivery of a holiday gift a half-century in the making when a gleaming red streetcar was lowered into place along the city's new line for testing.

December 16, 2013 - The Washington Post

L.A. Union Station's Pilot Program Discriminates Against Subway Passengers

Los Angeles’s Union Station is trying something new to keep the homeless at bay: restricting waiting room seating to ticketed passengers.

December 15, 2013 - LA Streetsblog

Harvard Square

Census Data Shows Which Cities Encourage the Most Walking

Multiple metrics have been developed to measure which areas are the most friendly to pedestrians. But by looking at Census Data on commuting patterns, one can glean which city's residents are making the most of their "walkable" environs.

December 14, 2013 - Governing

You're Paying for Parking, Whether You Use It or Not

Think you’re not paying for parking because you opted out of renting a space in your apartment complex’s garage? Think again.

December 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Multiple Choice Referendum to Decide Vancouver's Transit Future

British Columbia will proceed with a public referendum on transit spending for the province. In an interesting wrinkle, Premier Christy Clark says the referendum will offer multiple choices. City leaders are concerned about the possible outcomes.

December 14, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

Feds Order Unprecedented Review of Metro-North Safety

In the aftermath of a derailment that killed four passengers and other recent safety lapses, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has ordered an unprecedented in-depth review of the "operations and 'safety culture'” of Metro-North Railroad.

December 13, 2013 - The New York Times

Could a Gas Tax Hike Pay for Toronto's "Big Move"?

A government-appointed panel has recommended raising Ontario's gas tax to help pay for an ambitious 25-year transit construction plan dubbed the "Big Move". Political opponents were quick to reject the proposal.

December 13, 2013 - The Globe and Mail

Bike Share's Demographic Challenge

Bike share is in some ways the opposite of public transit, from a demographic perspective. While transit is often disproportionately patronized by low income riders, bike share is overwhelmingly avoided by that same group. NPR looks for the reasons.

December 13, 2013 - NPR

Could Private Donors Save Cincinnati's Streetcar?

There's hope yet that Cincinnati's embattled streetcar project might proceed after all. Mayor John Cranley, who campaigned on canceling the project, has announced he's willing to allow the project to proceed if the private sector pays to operate it.

December 12, 2013 - Cincinnati Business Courier

BART Headed Back to Bargaining Table

BART and its unions were tantalizingly close to resolving a long labor dispute two months ago when they reached agreement on a new contract. But a provision overlooked by negotiators has scuttled the agreement and sent both back to the drawing board.

December 12, 2013 - Sf Examiner

Envisioning a Future Urban Dronescape

Jeff Bezos' proposal to deliver packages by aerial drone has the potential to upset traditional models of logistics and distribution, but it's most powerful effect may be on the urban airspace. Are blue skies ahead for Bezos' vision?

December 12, 2013 - This Big City

Crude-By-Rail Slowed by a Red Signal

With many oil pipelines stalled due to popular opposition and/or regulatory hurdles (e.g. Keystone XL and Northern Gateway, or even refineries opting for more flexibility) there seemed to be no end to the growth in moving oil by rail...until now.

December 12, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?

After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.

Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold

The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

Senior Planner

Eagle County Government

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