Skip to Content
Streetsblog New York City home
Streetsblog New York City home
Log In

Much of the talk on the Streetsblog Network in the past few days, perhaps prompted by the recently concluded Congress for the New Urbanism conference, is about transit-oriented development. The real estate crisis, it seems, may finally be pushing the issue into the mainstream.

Hub and Spokes cites a recent article in the New York Times about new and proposed light rail lines in communities around the country, such as Carrollton, TX. "Are we finally seeing the key connection between transit and housing?" Hub and Spokes asks. "The drive-to-qualify model is no longer viable."

Over at CUNY's Sustainable Cities Blog, they picked up a piece by Grist about "the best US transit systems you never knew existed":

I was familiar with a few of their case studies (the Olympics-driven Salt Lake light rail, for example, is fantastic) but some were a complete surprise. Who would have thought that tourist-clogged Orlando was an up-and-comer? Or that the proud Confederate capital, Richmond, was a contender? Perhaps these success stories can be read as a sort of silver lining to our current economic woes.

Meanwhile, Mobilizing the Region has the latest on New Jersey's transit village program, which "provides financial incentives to communities committed to community revitalization, traffic reduction and air quality improvement in the areas surrounding their transit hubs." Orange, NJ, is the 20th municipality in Jersey to get the designation, which comes with $100,000 in funds and technical assistance in planning improvements around the train station there.

And Light Rail AZ is writing about how real estate agents are marketing apartments along the rail line that goes from Phoenix to communities like Mesa and Tempe. One is offering a free 31-day rail pass for new tenants. And the apartments are attracting a rare breed in the Sun Belt, the carless human:

Over at the La Paloma Apartments in Tempe, Veronica tells us that a lot of their residents are students, and she also mentions that "many of our residents are people that don’t have cars."

Imagine that.

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from Streetsblog New York City

Fixing Canal Street Means Rethinking the Manhattan Bridge Itself: Experts

Canal Street needs a fix, but the city must go straight to the source.

July 24, 2025

Lower East Side Panel Joins Growing Chorus Against Tisch’s E-Bike Criminalization

Another New York neighborhood is calling for an end to the “disproportionate consequences” that e-bike users face under the NYPD’s sweeping crackdown.

July 24, 2025

Restaurant Row: Cars Need to Go

“People like to sit outside and not be bothered by the cars,” said one restaurant manager. 

July 24, 2025

Thursday’s Headlines: Double Vigil Edition

With this much carnage, Wednesday featured two rallies for safe streets. Plus other news.

July 24, 2025

‘King’ Trump’s DOT Secretary Is Acting Like A Child on Congestion Pricing: Legal Scholar

The Transportation Secretary's claim that the federal government has "sovereign prerogatives" is a silly kid's argument.

July 23, 2025

Eyes on the Street: UPS Blows Off DOT’s ‘Microhubs’ Delivery Pilot

"Microhub" parking zones reserved for e-commerce firms to offload parcels from trucks to cargo bikes and hand-carts routinely go unused.

July 23, 2025
See all posts