Transportation

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) would like to spend $200 million on improving the city's bike infrastructure over the next 5 years. How many miles of green paint can you get with all that green?

January 30, 2013 - The San Francisco Examiner

Patrick Kennedy proposes an elegant and cost-effective way to deal with Dallas's aging elevated freeway and the city's "massive pent-up demand for walkable urban housing" - tear the sucker down.

January 30, 2013 - D Magazine

States with Amtrak routes less than 750 miles (excludes lines within Northeast Corridor) will need to subsidize the budget shortfalls - the difference between fares and operating costs, or lose the route. States may cut some lines to prop-up others.

January 30, 2013 - The Wall Street Journal

The plan being proposed for a new bus-rapid-transit (BRT) line operating along busy Ashland Avenue would limit left turns and see the removal of a traffic lane. Will it survive "political vetting by Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s office"?

January 30, 2013 - WBEZ

Could a recent article in The New York Times that profiled extreme bicycle commutes of up to 40 miles (one way) be harmful to the advancement of bicycle use among ordinary individuals?

January 29, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

During his first State of the City address, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee put reforming MUNI - the city's "notoriously late and overcrowded public transit system" - at the top of his agenda.

January 29, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced his pending resignation today - he will leave when a replacement has been confirmed, thus reversing an earlier, informal announcement he had made during an inauguration party on Jan. 21.

January 29, 2013 - Politico

Stephanie Steinberg and Bill Vlasic survey the growing universe of car-sharing services. From big corporations to non-profits, the high demand for car sharing in urban areas allows a variety of alternatives to "coexist comfortably."

January 28, 2013 - The New York Times

In the wake of the problem-plagued privatization of Chicago's parking meters in 2008, two WSJ reporters assess conversions (or attempts) in Indianapolis (2010), Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, Cincinnati and New York, as well as what went wrong in Chicago.

January 28, 2013 - The Wall Street Jounal

Before Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa was thrown off his bike by a taxi, shattering his elbow in the process, L.A. was known as "a pathologically unfriendly bike city." Two years later, the city has made incredible strides in building its bike culture.

January 28, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

As recent headlines reveal the insecurity faced by women in India’s largest cities, the role – and responsibility – of urban planning is being questioned.

January 28, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

The results of a new poll conducted for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution show that even in a notoriously sprawling metro (and perhaps more so), transit riders have a stronger connection to their neighborhoods and the larger region.

January 28, 2013 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Governments need money to finance transportation system improvements, but revenues from traditional sources are flat. This is leading to debate over how best to generate new funds. There are many possible options, some better than others, because in addition to raising revenue, they support other strategic objectives. Politicians will be tempted to choose the easiest funding options. It is up to planners to point out the best options, taking into account all impacts.

January 27, 2013 - Todd Litman

By comparing the city's density, scale, and distribution of employment nodes to other major cities, Kristin Eberhard makes the case for why and how transit can work in big, dense, polycentric Los Angeles.

January 27, 2013 - NRDC Switchboard

Even for more seasoned bicyclists, cycling in winter can pose many problems. The winter-minded city of Montreal, however, is attempting to improve the condition of winter cycling in an effort to improve the city’s sustainability.

January 27, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

Not usually regarded for their outside the box thinking, transportation engineers have nevertheless come up with some radical ideas for improving the flow of traffic and reducing the potential for collisions at busy intersections.

January 27, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Ending speculation as to whether he would stay or announce his resignation as many in Obama's cabinet have done, and who would replace him should he depart, Ray LaHood announced informally he would stay on as Secretary of the Dept. of Transportation.

January 26, 2013 - Bloomberg News

A five-day long fire caused by burning goat cheese has closed a highway tunnel in northern Norway indefinitely. Not having tasted Brunost, we're not sure if this is tragic or funny, or both.

January 25, 2013 - Grist

A new report documents the tremendous growth of Toronto's core, as it outpaces the surrounding suburbs. Downtown's growth is welcome news, but it won't come without substantial challenges.

January 25, 2013 - The Toronto Star

A proposed 2,700-acre development appears to conflict with the regional plan that complies with SB 375, a 2008 landmark law meant to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by reducing vehice-miles-traveled. The decision rests with the Board of Supervisors.

January 25, 2013 - Sacramento Bee