The Best and Worst of the New 5-Year Transportation Bill
Smart people are wading through the 1,300-page transportation bill that came out of conference committee earlier this week, and we're starting to get a clearer sense of how it will change federal transportation policy for the next five years.
December 3, 2015
A Dutch Bicycle Engineer’s Perspective on the Sharrow
Sharrows: the consolation prize of bike infrastructure.
December 3, 2015
5-Year, $300 Billion “FAST Act” Will Extend Transpo Policy Status Quo to 2020
They've done it. Representatives from the House and Senate have emerged from conference committee with a five-year transportation bill, which is expected to be quickly approved and become first "long-term" bill in more than a decade.
December 2, 2015
More “Nervous” Drivers Are Exactly What’s Needed
The deaths of two pedestrians and a bicyclist in quick succession in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood have local street safety advocates demanding reforms and the mayor promising swift action.
December 2, 2015
The Highs and Lows of Hillary’s Bland Infrastructure Plan
We're getting some insight into what White House transportation policy would look like in a Hillary Clinton administration, following the Democratic frontrunner's release of a 5-year, $275 billion infrastructure plan yesterday. It's not exactly a visionary plan, but despite its blandness it's still likely to be DOA if Republicans retain control of Congress as expected.
December 1, 2015
Bad Street Design Kills People
Traffic fatalities are on the rise up again, with an increase of 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. As is their practice, NHTSA officials are attributing the problem to driver (or passenger) error -- drunk driving, speeding, failure to wear seatbelts -- but did promise "new initiatives to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists."
December 1, 2015
Stranded on Two Feet: The Danger of Gaps in the Pedestrian Network
Anyone who does a fair amount of walking to get around will encounter gaps in the pedestrian network sooner or later. Sometimes they might just be minor annoyances, but they can also put people in very dangerous positions.
November 30, 2015
It’s Time to Stop Pretending That Roads Pay for Themselves
If nothing else, the current round of federal transportation legislating should end the myth that highways are a uniquely self-sufficient form of infrastructure paid for by "user fees," a.k.a. gas taxes and tolls.
November 25, 2015
How Traffic Growth Projections Become a Self-Fulfilling Prophesy
Transportation planners in Austin are in the beginning stages of a pattern just about every community in the U.S. is familiar with.
November 25, 2015
Austin’s Emerging Bipartisan Coalition for Walkable Housing
Last week, the Austin City Council voted to allow "granny flats" -- small accessory dwellings -- in some areas zoned for single-family housing, and to reduce parking requirements along transit corridors. These types of reforms make housing more affordable and make neighborhoods more walkable and transit-friendly.
November 24, 2015