6 Principles to Make Self-Driving Cars Work for Cities, Not Against Them
Self-driving cars are coming, and maybe sooner than we think. But the question of how they will shape cities is still wide open. Could they lead to less traffic and parking as people stop owning cars and start sharing them? More sprawl as car travel becomes less of a hassle? More freedom to walk and bike on city streets, or less?
June 24, 2016
What If “Commuter Rail” Was for Everyone, Not Just 9-to-5 Commuters?
Rhode Island has been investing in commuter rail -- long distance service connecting Providence to Boston and towns in between. But lackluster ridership at a new park-and-ride rail station at the end of the line (by a Walmart!) is sapping support for much more useful investments, reports Sandy Johnston at Itinerant Urbanist.
June 24, 2016
How Leadership in 1972 Saved Boston From Highways and Shaped Today’s City
There aren't too many places in the United States like Boston -- truly walkable cities with good transit. And it didn't happen by accident.
June 23, 2016
Send Us Your Nominations for the Sorriest Bus Stop in America
Streetsblog's "Sorriest Bus Stop in America" contest is back by popular demand.
June 22, 2016
Columbus Wins $50 Million “Smart City” Grant. What Put It Over the Top?
U.S. DOT announced the winner of its $50 million "Smart City" grant yesterday, and Columbus, Ohio, bested finalists San Francisco, Portland, Austin, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, and Denver for the prize. Many other cities had applied for this federal funding to demonstrate how new technologies can improve urban streets and transportation.
June 22, 2016
Massive Highway Expansion Threatens to Destroy Tampa Neighborhoods
Most people still think of Tampa as a sprawling, car-centric town, but that is starting to change. In 2014, Smart Growth America [PDF] found that Tampa is shifting toward a more walkable development pattern. The city is starting to build out a bicycle network, and its Riverwalk project is bringing people out to stroll downtown.
June 21, 2016
New Transit Line Can Stitch St. Louis Together. But Can It Beat Parochialism?
It's been 20 years now since planners in the St. Louis region first envisioned a north-south route for the Metrolink rail system. The region's rail system is currently oriented in an east-west pattern.
June 21, 2016
Beyond Fitness: The Social Benefits of Open Streets Events
It's a beautiful thing to witness just how much neighborhood streets can change when you remove car traffic. As open streets events, modeled after Bogotá's Ciclovía, have spread across the U.S. in the past several years, they've brought not just opportunities for physical activity, but a joyful new way to use streets as public spaces.
June 20, 2016
What Gun Violence and Traffic Violence Have in Common
The horrific mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando has prompted some soul-searching about America's ability to take significant steps to curb gun violence. Congress did nothing to control guns after dozens of young kids were massacred at Sandy Hook. Will the loss of 49 innocent lives finally lead officials to take action?
June 17, 2016
Anthony Foxx to Local Officials: Transport Policy Should Tackle Segregation
Local transportation officials should actively work to reduce segregation and promote equal access to quality schools, three Cabinet members say in a "dear colleague" letter released last week [PDF].
June 16, 2016