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Funding California Rail With Cap-and-Trade Revenue Hits a Snag
California's cap-and-trade program is one of the boldest state-level climate change policies in the U.S. By capping statewide carbon pollution and then auctioning off emissions allowances, the state hopes to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate about $10.6 billion for projects to improve energy efficiency. Among other things, that money would support various rail and transit projects, including the state's high-speed rail line.
May 27, 2016
No, Seattle Isn’t Waging a “War on Cars”
It's cliché at this point for newspapers to label any effort to improve walking, biking, or transit as a "war on cars." The latest in this proud tradition is Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley, who wrote recently that the city is waging "a shock-and-awe campaign targeting anyone who dares to drive in, through or around Seattle." What was it exactly that set him off?
May 26, 2016
Why Expensive Parking Is a Blessing
Patrick Kennedy at Dallas Magazine's Street Smart blog says that when parking gets expensive, the conventional wisdom he hears is that more parking should be built. But what high parking prices really signify, he writes, is simply a strong concentration of businesses and/or housing -- the parking isn't even necessary.
May 25, 2016
Growth in the Houston Region Shifts to the City
In the past few years, a greater share of the population growth in and around Houston happened in the city itself, compared to the first decade of the millennium. The trend is pretty clear, reports Houston Tomorrow:
May 24, 2016
This Week: Woodhaven Boulevard SBS — The Next Chapter
Select Bus Service on Woodhaven Boulevard will speed up travel times for 30,000 daily bus passengers and bring much-needed safety improvements to one of the city's most dangerous roads.
May 23, 2016
Anthony Foxx Envisions a “Gradual Shift” Away From Car Dependence
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx criss-crossed the country last week on a tour of the seven finalists for U.S. DOT's $50 million "Smart City Challenge" grant.
May 23, 2016
Priced Lanes Can Move Everyone Faster — Even People Who Don’t Pay
Remember the uproar over the HOT lanes on I-405 outside Seattle? Republicans in the state senate fired transportation commissioner Lynn Petersen to register their displeasure with priced roads. The political furor isn't over. Bill Bryant, a GOP candidate for governor, continues to use the HOT lanes as a wedge issue against incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee.
May 20, 2016
More Evidence Bike Lanes Can Be More Efficient Than Car Lanes
Contrary to all those cranky newspaper columns about how every last inch of asphalt needs to be allocated to motor vehicles, bike lanes can actually move more people with less street space than general traffic lanes.
May 19, 2016
A Better Way to Track How Well Transit Performs
When you're riding the bus or the train, an unexpected delay is the last thing you need. If transit agencies want to know how well they're doing and how they can improve service, they have to track how reliable their service is for riders.
May 18, 2016
The Crucial Connection Between Street Width and Walkability, in 3 Photos
There's a good deal of empirical evidence that narrower travel lanes are safer for everyone because they slow motorist speeds.
May 17, 2016