Month: October 2009

While I was on paternity leave there were a lot of stories that I would have covered if I had been writing.   I didn't want to let them pass without any commentary or coverage beyond a sentence in Today's Headlines.  H

More Headlines at DC Streetsblog.

Here comes one positive side benefit of the L.A. budget crisis: Gridlock. Our tight budget means the city can no longer afford to pick up the tab to make driving easier — by providing free traffic officers for events at the Dodger Stadium, Hollywood Bowl, and other major venues.

Thanks to hard-working bicycle activists like Joe Linton and Stephen Box who’ve read through the L.A. draft Bike Plan, Angelenos who care about bikes can get the skinny on the 212-page draft without wading through the typo and error-riddled document themselves. That said, I’d love it if this draft were not so big and intimidating so that more people would be encouraged the actual document — which is why David Byrne’s latest blog post got me thinking.

I'm an environmental writer and activist who writes green LA girl, a blog about eco-friendly, sustainable living in Los Angeles. I’m also a contributing editor at BlogHer.com and also blog regularly for mnn.com and Lime.com. I also have a PhD -- but don't really use it. And I'm planning a Blogger Beach Cleanup for Oct. 24, the International Day of Climate Action -- which all Streetsblog LA writers and readers should come to!

The White House's economic stimulus law included several large new spending programs, from $4 billion for broadband to $2.4 billion for electric car batteries. But nothing has aroused so much interest -- and criticism -- as the $8 billion for American high-speed rail.

With all the remarkable recent livable streets improvements in New York, it's no surprise the tenth annual Walk21 Conference chose the Big Aplle. Visitors and attendees salivated over new pedestrian infrastructure and public spaces, including tours of the recently opened High Line and a special visit to the soon-to-be-restored High Bridge. Featuring a plethora of speakers, design charrettes and walking workshops, the three-day event drew experts from the UK, Austria, Japan, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Serbia, Italy, and Australia, among other places.

Today on the Streetsblog Network, we're looking at a post from Kaid Benfield on NRDC Switchboard about smart growth and how to make it more affordable. The answer, in a nutshell, is to build more of it -- and the market tells us the demand is there.

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill