Aaron Naparstek

Conservatives are fleshing out their next generation transportation ideas and Matthew Yglesias suggests that there could be a pretty big area of overlap between the left and right in this particular policy realm:

One of the major, Eisenhower-era obstacles to fuel efficiency, automaker reform and meaningful climate change legislation is finally out of the way. The Democratic caucus has ousted Michigan Rep. John Dingell as chair of the House Energy and Commerce committee. He'll be replaced by California Rep. Henry Waxman. Amen. 

Jan Gehl and Enrique Penalosa often talk about the important role that public space plays in a healthy, functioning democracy. I was reminded of that last night as joyous Brooklynites took to the streets for spontaneous celebration following Barack Obama's election victory. This was the scene at the intersection of Fifth Avenue and Union Street in Park Slope, Brooklyn last night around 1:15 a.m.

Before the financial meltdown severely undercut John McCain's presidential ambitions, his campaign was giddy over the apparent success of its energy policy message: Drill, baby, drill!

The City Council voted 29 to 22 to extend term limits. City Room and The Daily Politics have all the gory details. 

American transportation policy has not fundamentally changed since gasoline cost a nickel a gallon and President Eisenhower started building out the Interstate highway system. Today, with gas prices through the roof, gridlock grinding our cities to a halt and many Americans feeling trapped in barely affordable, far-flung, exurban homes, it’s clear that our 1950’s-era transportation system is failing.

A truck fire has shut down the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway in both directions around DUMBO and Brooklyn Heights. I just biked back to Brooklyn from the Open Planning Project office in Lower Manhattan and, wow!, I have never seen a traffic jam as bad as the one that is currently underway in and around Downtown Brooklyn. From the Brooklyn Bridge, down Adams Street, into Boerum Hill, along 3rd and 4th Avenues, up Union Street into Park Slope -- virtually every intersection is gridlocked, drivers are pissed out of their minds and the horn honking is unbelievable. A fender bender on the BQE has, it seems, shut down a good portion of New York City's automobile transportation system.

Jim Kunstler, author of The Long Emergency, has been predicting today's financial catastrophe for a few years now so it's no surprise that his blog is loading slowly this morning. The people want to know: What's going to happen next?

I biked from Park Slope to Chelsea this morning and managed to visit eight Park(ing) spots along the way. Here's what I found...