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Will Maryland Gov-Elect Larry Hogan Kill the Red and Purple Lines?
Seeing shovel-ready transit projects destroyed by petty politics has been all too common the last few years (see: Scott Walker and Wisconsin high-speed rail, or Chris Christie and the ARC tunnel). Even so, this one's a doozy.
January 7, 2015
Can Seattle Stop Its Highway Tunnel Boondoggle Before It’s Too Late?
It's been one year since the world's largest tunnel boring machine, "Bertha," got stuck 120 feet beneath Seattle. Before it broke down, the colossal machine had excavated just 1,000 feet of the two-mile tube that's supposed to house a new, $3.1 billion underground highway to replace an aging elevated road called the Alaskan Way Viaduct.
January 5, 2015
The Simple Change to Truck Design That Can Save Lives
When someone is struck by a turning truck driver in New York City, the worst injuries are typically caused when the vehicle's back wheels run over the victim. Amar Diarrassouba, Ngozi Agbim, Noshat Nahian, Jessica Dworkin, and Renee Thompson were among the New Yorkers run over by the rear wheels of large trucks in recent years.
December 18, 2014
Paris Mayor Pledges Bold Steps to Reduce Traffic in City Center
After a decade of repurposing street space from cars to people, buses, and bikes, Paris isn't done yet. The world's most-visited city is now preparing to remove even more traffic from the streets in the name of walkability and clean air.
December 8, 2014
TransAlt’s Noah Budnick Named New Executive Director of SF Bike Coalition
Transportation Alternatives Policy Director Noah Budnick has been named the San Francisco Bicycle Coalition's new executive director, the SFBC announced today. Budnick will succeed Leah Shahum, who will step down after 12 years leading the organization.
December 3, 2014
How NYC Could Get More Transit Funding From Developers
As the MTA capital plan funding gap has come into focus, there's been a lot of discussion about how new development can help pay for the transit service it requires. It turns out the city already has a tool that links real estate with transit improvements, but it's so limited that it's been used to fund transit upgrades only 10 times in more than three decades. For a more robust model, planners should look to San Francisco.
November 10, 2014
Raleigh’s Election Night Transit Sweep Likely to Clear the Way for Light Rail
Since 1995, leaders in the Raleigh-Durham region of North Carolina have dreamed about connecting its major centers via light rail. The results of Tuesday night's election might finally make it happen.
November 6, 2014
SF Voters Reject Measure to Enshrine Free Parking and Stop Livable Streets
In case you need a little pick-me-up this morning, here's some good news out of San Francisco. Voters resoundingly rejected Proposition L, a local ballot measure designed to halt the city's progress on improving streets for walking, biking, and transit. As of the most recent available count, with nearly all precincts reporting, 62 percent of San Francisco voters had said "No" to Prop L.
November 5, 2014
Zurich: Where People Are Welcome and Cars Are Not
When it comes to smart transportation options and city planning, Zurich can credibly claim to be the global champ. This Swiss city has enacted a number of policies and practices that have produced streets where people come first. Getting around and simply experiencing the city is a pleasure.
October 15, 2014
To Destabilize Detroit’s Fragile Renaissance, Go Ahead and Widen I-94
A recent report by U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group, “Highway Boondoggles: Wasted Money and America’s Transportation Future,” examines 11 of the most wasteful, least justifiable road projects underway in America right now. Here’s the latest installment in our series profiling the various bad decisions that funnel so much money to infrastructure that does no good.
September 30, 2014