Transportation

Expressway Construction Faces Challenges

According to Tollroads News, "Without any tolling option, New York State DOT has been forced to drop a long planned rebuild of an old segment of the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE) and a portion of the Gowanus Expressway, both I-278 in Brooklyn."

December 1, 2011 - Tollroads News

Will CA HSR Survive Leg' Analyst's Blistering Report?

The non-partisan Legislative Analyst pulled no punches. To proceed with the project without more funding and environmental clearances would violate the authorizing ballot proposition and endanger funding for all other state needs, including education

December 1, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

Cycling Superhighways Raising Debate

In the summer of 2010, London launched a new program that had established bright blue bike lanes known as 'Cycle Superhighways' alongside main roads. These initiatives are intended to provide the quickest routes into the city centre.

November 30, 2011 - This Big City

Agency Says $500,000 Survey is Worth the Cost

In Chicago, the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is willing to spend $500,000 to survey their riders to see how the public feels about the bus and train services.

November 30, 2011 - Chicago Tribune

Long-Awaited Bus Project Finally Gets Funding

According to Yonah Freemark, the FTA announced that with a "New Starts grant," the 9.4-mile bus rapid transit line that has been under consideration since the late 90's, has finally secured funds to complete the project.

November 29, 2011 - the transport politic

Tropical Island Gets Its First Expressway

Sri Lanka, an island nation of 20 million people, has just completed its first express highway, which, as Toll Roads News is quick to point out, is financed through a toll system.

November 29, 2011 - TOLLROADSnews

Is the Central Valley The Vietnam For CA High Speed Rail?

It's been called a white elephant and a boondoggle, but Stanford rail historian Richard White went further in his interview in the NYT by comparing it with escalating involvement in an unwinnable war.

November 28, 2011 - The New York Times- U.S.

BART To San Jose To Take $772 Million Step

One of the costliest transit projects in the Bay Area is a $772 million contract, closer to construction come Dec. 8. The long-awaited BART extension from Fremont to the region's largest city may be contingent on FTA funding expected in February.

November 28, 2011 - San Jose Mercury News

Train Cars Recycle Kinetic Energy

A subway in Warsaw, Poland now features a system that captures the energy created by braking train cars for reuse elsewhere in the system.

November 27, 2011 - Earth & Industry

East Bay County Proposes Half-Cent Transportation Sales Tax

The newly formed Alameda County Transportation Commission is proposing a permanent, half-cent sales tax be placed on before the voters of the second most populous Bay Area county for the Nov. 2012 ballot for a variety of transportation purposes.

November 26, 2011 - Contra Costa Times

New Yorkers Can't Get to New Jobs

A new report from the Center for an Urban Future says that Manhattan's boroughs have been booming but transit hasn't caught up, leaving a lot of residents without access to jobs.

November 26, 2011 - Streetsblog

Untruths About a Gas Tax

The Carnegie Endowment's Shin-pei Tsay and Deborah Gordon expose five common myths and reveal three important facts on the 18.4 cent federal gas tax and present their solution to maintaining and improving America’s transportation infrastructure.

November 25, 2011 - CNN Opinion

Another Billion Dollars Awarded to CA HSR

Per a USDOT press release on Monday, Secretary LaHood has OK'd an additional $928.6 million in funding for California high speed rail, keeping the funds out of reach from state Republicans who'd rather the money go to highway construction.

November 24, 2011 - California High Speed Rail Blog

Pile-Up on the Trans-Texas Corridor

What happened to the Trans-Texas Corridor, the 10-lane, privately-funded toll road/high-speed train/fiberoptic cable-laden highway to the 21st century promised by Rick Perry in 2002?

November 23, 2011 - The Los Angeles Times

CEQA Lawsuit Delays Another Streetscape Improvement

The California Environmental Quality Act, a landmark 1970 environmental law now considered an obstacle to smart growth by some urban planners, has claimed another victim in a project that seeks to reduce car use while promoting biking and walking.

November 23, 2011 - Palo Alto On-line

Reason London Failed in Becoming a Cycling City

During WWII, thousands of bicycles were stolen from the Dutch by occupying Germans, leaving them unable to get around. In Britain, however, strict patrol rationing meant bicycle use rose considerably because it was the only way to get around.

November 23, 2011 - This Big City

Getting Residents Talking...With Cake!

McGill University planning students have built a cake replica of the neighborhood surrounding the Vendome Metro station in order to get residents to discuss the impacts of the construction and opening of a nearby "superhospital."

November 23, 2011 - CBC

Thinking About Pedestrians, Bicylists, and Transit Users

Getting transportation professionals to think about including pedestrians, bicyclists, and transit users is a key first step in creating great places and livable communities. Thank “complete streets” movement, which has taken the U.S. by storm.

November 22, 2011 - Project For Public Spaces

Chaotic Urban Growth Hinders Economic Development In India

Amy Kazim explore how chaotic urban growth and a political preference for rural government is beginning to hinder the development of India's largest cities.

November 22, 2011 - The Financial Times

Bike Lanes Go Green

The Boyle Heights neighborhood of Los Angeles is the testing grounds for Los Angeles' first bike lanes to incorporate a bright green color to indicate bike lanes and areas where bikes and cars share the space.

November 22, 2011 - LADOT Bike Blog

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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