Transportation

New Yorkers Get Behind Bike Lanes

Dogged by highly publicized lawsuits and complaints since their introduction six years ago, a new poll conducted by The New York Times shows widespread support for the city's new bike lanes.

August 22, 2012 - The New York Times

Imagining a Future Without Freeways

Giving new meaning to the phrase "take back the streets," Neal Peirce writes about the arguments in favor of a "freeway free" future for the world's cities, which was the subject of a recent Rockefeller Foundation Conference held in Bellagio, Italy.

August 22, 2012 - Citi Wire

New Chicago BRT Rapid in Name Only

Without full-time bus-only lanes, signal priority, advanced ticket sales, or all-door boarding, the Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA) tentative first steps aboard Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) may not be so speedy after all.

August 21, 2012 - Chicago Tribune

Preparations for Sacramento's New Intermodal Facility Prove Fatal

Sacramento's downtown train station recently relocated its tracks to accommodate new transit oriented development - but the long, winding walk from depot to platform has presented problems for passengers, including a fatal heart attack on day one.

August 21, 2012 - The Sacramento Bee - Transportation

NYC's Taxis Offer Rare Insights into City Driving Patterns

With New York's fleet of more than 13,000 taxi cabs transmitting Global Positioning System (GPS) data, the city's Department of Transportation has been able to develop a highly detailed picture of traffic patterns in the Big Apple.

August 20, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Airports Reinvent Themselves as Destinations

Bill Hooper looks at the global effort to reinvent the airport as a place where people will actually want to spend time.

August 20, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Exist

Obama Urges States to Spend Transpo Funds

"Use it or lose it" is the message being delivered to states by an Obama Administration eager to put people to work improving the nation's transportation infrastructure. $473 million is up for grabs, reports Alex Goldmark.

August 20, 2012 - Transportation Nation

In L.A., Pollution is Down Dramatically but Bad Air Remains

A new study by NOAA scientists and colleagues shows a stunning reduction in vehicle-related air pollutants in the Los Angeles basin over the past several decades. Despite the gains, unhealthy air remains.

August 20, 2012 - NOAA

Help Slow in Coming for Atlanta's Pedestrians

With pedestrian deaths on the rise in Georgia, despite falling automotive fatalities, Andria Simmons and Jeremiah McWilliams look at what is being done to make the Atlanta region's streets safer for those on foot and in wheelchairs.

August 20, 2012 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

High-Speed Rail May Bring New Station to Philly

Amtrak is considering where to build stations in Philadelphia for high-speed rail. One of the options is a new station in Market East, an underdeveloped part of downtown. Leadership sees the project as a potential catalyst for new building.

August 19, 2012 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Friday Funny: The Worst Parking Habits in the World

You may have heard of the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan for the "enlightened authoritarianism" of President Nursultan Nazarbayev, or as the world's largest landlocked country. It's now earning a well-deserved reputation for its parking habits.

August 17, 2012 - The Atlantic

Delayed NYC Bike-Share Gets New Launch Date

After weeks of speculation after its supposed July launch date came and went, this morning Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that New York's much anticipated bike-share program will be seen on city streets beginning next March.

August 17, 2012 - The New York Times

Amtrak Service Dominates D.C. to Boston Travel Market

Long lines at airport security and weather delays have contributed to Amtrak's commanding travel mode share between D.C. and NYC, and majority share between NYC and Boston, but the lead is threatened by the competition and aging infrastructure.

August 17, 2012 - The New York Times - Business Day

Europeans Have More Cars Than Americans - Say What?

The love affair between Americans and their cars is a well known trope. But according to a new paper from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on worldwide car usage, America's car ownership rate is among the lowest in the developed world.

August 16, 2012 - The Atlantic

Making Art out of America's Interstates

They may not be pretty to drive, but they sure are nice to look at from afar. Kelsey Campbell-Dollaghan profiles the work of aerial photographer Peter Andrew, who captures the beauty in America's Interstate System.

August 16, 2012 - Fast Company Co.Design

L.A. Eases Parking Requirements to Activate Streets

This week L.A. City Council members voted to approve an ordinance that gives the city more flexibility to lower parking requirements in select areas of the city to encourage adaptive reuse and walkability, report David Zahniser and Kate Linthicum.

August 16, 2012 - Los Angeles Times

There’s a Lot Riding on U.S. DOT’s Definition of 'Congestion'

As the new federal transportation bill, known as MAP-21, moves to the implementation stage, major finding decisions will ride on the nuances by which the U.S. DOT defines and measures "congestion," "roadway performance," and "cost effectiveness".

August 16, 2012 - Streetsblog Capitol Hill

No Room for Street Vendors on Model Roads

"Model road" project in the Indian city of Ahmedabad has sidewalks, crosswalks, and on-street parking, but no street vendors.

August 16, 2012 - The Times Of India

Desire for Streetcars Spreads Across America

From Atlanta to Kansas City to Los Angeles, cities across the country are welcoming a return of streetcars to their downtowns in the hopes of boosting economic growth and improving circulation. Some see the cars as just the latest urban planning fad.

August 15, 2012 - The Wall Street Journal

Auto Dealers Seek 'Gas Price Floor'

Would raising the gas tax to $1 and establishing a 'gasoline price floor' provide market stability for auto dealers? Some dealers, including the nation's largest, say 'yes'. Economists agree. Politically impossible? Read on.

August 15, 2012 - National Journal

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