Ugandan Transportation Policy Light Years Ahead of New York City The greater Kampala metropolitan area will flip the switch on its congestion charging system in February. The city "will raise revenue from vehicle owners who may want to drive to town instead of using cheap buses. The introduction of a congestion fee will instill discipline." Idi Amin would be proud.
Finally, Attention to Livable Streets at the World Trade Center Site (NYT) "We have to make this entire site very pedestrian oriented and very people friendly," said Janno Lieber, the World Trade Center project director at Silverstein Properties. "That means seating, plantings, art and smooth access to various uses including retail and other services."
Climate Change Emerging as Top New York Environmental Issue New York temperatures rose an average of 1.13 degrees Fahrenheit from 1900 to 1999, and two projection models indicate increases from 5 to 9.5 degrees over the next century, with implications for heat-related illnesses, coastal flooding, wildlife losses and insurance costs. Gov.-elect Eliot Spitzer has already called global warming the most important environmental issue facing this generation.
The Death of Another Cyclist on the Hudson River Greenway (Downtown Express) Charles Komanoff: "The mayor could turn this around. He could direct police to enforce traffic laws against drivers' too-close passing and other bullying that are the biggest causes of fatal cycle crashes. He could muster his vaunted backbone in support of congestion pricing and other traffic-busting policies, and allocate some of the freed street space to cycling. Don't hold your breath. The mayor hasn't even expressed any regret about Eric Ng or Henry Nacht or the dozen other New Yorkers whose lives have been taken this year while they rode bikes in his city."
Are We Reaching the Transportation Tipping Point? (Seattle Times) In 1980, 64.4 percent of us drove to work alone; in 2000 it was 75.7 percent, according to the Transportation Research Board's recent Commuting in America survey. This country already has more than 4 million miles of roads, enough, the Earth Policy Institute calculates, to circle the Earth at the equator 157 times.
Los Angeles Auto Show Concept Cars (Yahoo) If you're looking for a new generation of smaller, cleaner burning, more energy efficient vehicles, you'll have a hard time finding them here. If you want superficial style innovations and an SUV inspired by a camouflage print backpack, then you've come to the right place.
AARON NAPARSTEK is the founder and former editor-in-chief of Streetsblog. Based in Brooklyn, New York, Naparsteks journalism, advocacy and community organizing work has been instrumental in growing the bicycle network, removing motor vehicles from parks, and developing new public plazas, car-free streets and life-saving traffic-calming measures across all five boroughs. Naparstek is the author of "Honku: The Zen Antidote for Road Rage" (Villard, 2003), a book of humorous haiku poetry inspired by the endless motorist sociopathy observed from his apartment window. Prior to launching Streetsblog, Naparstek worked as an interactive media producer, pioneering some of the Web's first music web sites, online communities, live webcasts and social networking services. Naparstek is currently in Cambridge with his wife and two young sons where he is enjoying a Loeb Fellowship at Harvard University's Graduate School of Design. He has a master's degree from Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism and a bachelor's degree from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri. Naparstek is a co-founder of the Park Slope Neighbors community group and the Grand Army Plaza Coalition. You can find more of his work here: http://www.naparstek.com.
"I really would think that our mayor would be a little bit more active and speak with us, because he hasn't really made any time with riders. We're not the enemy. We just want better bus service."
Justin Sherwood and his lawyer will pocket $152,000 to settle his federal civil rights suit against the city and several officers who harassed him following his 311 calls.