Transportation

Obama's 'Clean Extension' Clears Senate Committee

In advance of the President's key jobs speech Thursday, the Senate committee in charge of transportation approved a 4-month extension of the current transportation bill that expired Sept., 2009. It heads to the Senate floor next.

September 8, 2011 - Steetsblog Capitol Hill

A Closer Look at the Infrastructure Bank

The highly anticipated "job speech" by President Obama this evening will address, among other issues, the infrastructure bank. Michael Likosky argues that it is the only possible revenue stream for the nation's $600 billion infrastructure projects.

September 8, 2011 - CNN Money

Mixed-Use Prevails in 2030 Land Use Projections

A new land use study based on the 2008 "comp plans" data reveals a significant shift toward mixed-use and transit-oriented developments (TODs) in the Twin Cities seven-county metro area.

September 8, 2011 - Finance And Commerce

Boston Bike Share Program Surpasses Expectations in Early Success

Boston's bike share program Hubway has attracted 2,319 annual subscribers and had 36,612 station-to-station trips after one month of being open, reportst Erick Moskowitz for The Boston Globe.

September 7, 2011 - The Boston Globe

'Truck Train' Cuts out Freight Trucks in a Dutch City's Core

Cargohopper is a transportation system in Utrecht, the fourth largest Dutch city, that aims to replace freight trucks entering the city core. Electric trucks powered by solar panels take cargo from freight trucks to retailers in the city.

September 7, 2011 - Treehugger

Opinion: Being 'Smart' When Preparing for Hurricanes in New York City

In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene, Fast Company's Boyd Cohen writes how New York City's preparedness for Hurricane's should include enhancing infrastructure in things like the Internet and transit.

September 7, 2011 - Fast Company

Top Cities With the Worst Drivers

Washington D.C. drivers are the most accident prone out of 200 largest U.S. cities, according to a study by Allstate Insurance Co. The greater a cities population increases the chance of drivers getting into accidents.

September 7, 2011 - Forbes

Refineries' High Hopes For Diesel Fuel

It may not be apparent to American motorists, but the U.S. oil refinery industry is ailing. Reduced VMT, mandated ethanol use, and escalating vehicle fuel efficiency standards caused a decrease of gasoline consumed. Diesel may revive the industry.

September 6, 2011 - Houston Chroncle

Do Bike Lanes Bring Gentrification?

With the not-so-secret understanding that white people are much more likely to bike, some ethnic minorities in Portland, Oregon see the coming of a bike lane through their neighborhood as a fast lane to gentrification.

September 6, 2011 - Shareable

Vermont's Top Priority In Wake of Irene: Road Rebuilding

While the photos of the flooded towns in New England captivated our attention, it is the devastation to the roads and bridges that has become the priority in the rebuilding effort - as they must be repaired or replaced to allow relief and rebuilding.

September 5, 2011 - The New York Times - U.S.

Railing Issues in the UK

The benefits of building a new $52-million HSR that connects London to northern England are plausible but not persuasive, says The Economist.

September 5, 2011 - The Economist

Will Obama's Support of Advanced Batteries Encourage Sprawl?

The Obama administration has pumped $2.5 billion in stimulus funds into the advanced battery industry, with the goal of creating manufacturing jobs. But will supporting green cars mean supporting sprawl in the long-term?

September 4, 2011 - Think Progress

Making the Door Zone Safe for Bikers

The door danger zone- where cars and cyclists intersect - is getting a revamp in San Francisco, highlighting how little room there is on the streets for all users.

September 2, 2011 - Grist.org

Melbourne Ranked as Most Livable City

With high scores in five broad categories, Melbourne, Australia received the highest spot in livability rankings from The Economist's research unit.

September 2, 2011 - TheCityFix.com

Obama Calls For "Clean Extension" Of Current Transportation Bill

Recognizing that the overdue transportation reauthorization bill would not pass Congress by Sept. 30, resulting in the expiration of the 18.4 cent gas tax, President Obama called upon Congress to pass a 'clean', extension of undetermined length.

September 1, 2011 - D.C. Streetsblog

App Allows Motorists To Auction Free Curb Parking Spots

Shoup might love it or hate it. Rather than allowing the city, neighborhood, or homeowner to profit from unpriced curb parking by establishing a “parking benefit district”, the transient motorist auctions the spot upon departure...on an iPhone!

September 1, 2011 - DNAinfo.com

Realligning the Libertarian Stance in the Urban Planning Culture Wars

Libertarians opposition toward government backed light-rail ignores the longer history of government's pro-car policies, says Timothy B. Lee, contributor for Forbes.

September 1, 2011 - Forbes

All-Door Boarding Considered for SF Transit

Transit officials in San Francisco are considering a plan to allow transit riders to board through all doors of buses in an attempt to cut delays.

September 1, 2011 - San Francisco Chronicle

Urban Noise Forces Birds to Change Their Tune

The amount of urban background noise is affecting the songs that birds sing to attract mates.

September 1, 2011 - Discovery

The Tea Party Goes Too Far in Ventura

Local Tea Party activists gather 10,000 signatures to place an initiative on the ballot to remove Ventura's new parking meters, only to discover that they're pre-empted by the California Vehicle Code.

August 31, 2011 - Mayor Bill Fulton's blog

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