Month: December 2009

One of the first conversations I had about transportation reform after moving to Los Angeles was about how the City of Los Angeles absolutely will not install "Zebra Crosswalks" because they weren't certified in city design guides.  I found this confusing, because studies have shown that the series of vertical lines that create a Zebra Crosswalk are more safe for pedestrians and drivers than the "box" crosswalks used at most crossings throughout Los Angeles.  In short, cars are more likely to respect a Zebra Crosswalk than a traditional one.

(This is the first in a four part series following up on stories that have run through the year but aren't yet finished.)

That was the eyebrow-raising suggestion reported by the Orlando Sentinel today after Rep. John Mica (R-FL) helped mark the beginning of central Florida's commuter-rail era, made possible by landmark legislation signed into state law this week.

The process of building roads in this country is underpinned by myriad assumptions and biases that favor automobiles. These biases are nearly invisible to most citizens, even though they have a profound effect on the built environment we all must move through every day.

Cyclists Claim Rights to Bike “Festival of Lights” (Soap Box) Auto VMT Still Dropping Nationwide… (New Republic) …Transit Ridership Also in Decline (USA Today) Last Decade Saw Radical Changes in Downtown Culture, Night Life, Streets (Downtown News) More on the FEIR for Expo (SM Daily Press, KPCC) BRT Is Changing Urban Design Throughout Latin America … Continued

The Expo Construction Authority has finally released the Final Environmental Impact Statement for Phase II of the Expo Line with some key changes.  I'll spend more time reviewing the document and talking to some of the key players in the drama over the weekend and will be back with a longer story on Monday.  But for those of you that can't wait to start talking, here are the key changes from the press release, which can be read in its entirety here.  Or you can read the environmental documents in their entirety on the Expo Construction Authority Board website.

Earlier today in City Watch, Editor Ken Draper sings the praises of LADOT General Manager Rita Robinson for speaking to last weekend's meeting of Neighborhood Council representatives and being bluntly honest about the state of the city's finances while attacking the City Council.  Draper's column is full of tough talk from Robinson, all of which can be seen on the video above.  She doesn't mince words, claiming the City Council is in a state of "denial" and that they suffer from "Reality Deficit Disorder."

For decades, planners and transportation specialists have debated how San Francisco's most important street could be re-visioned to  make it work better for transit, pedestrians, cyclists, shoppers, and those living on or near it. Now, as the Better Market Street Project moves forward with trial traffic diversions, the Art in Storefronts project, music and programming in public spaces, greening along sidewalks, and pedestrian safety improvements, San Francisco's political class is intent on revitalizing the street for the long haul. Though the concrete vision for what Market Street will eventually look like is some ways off, there is more effort now than in many years to improve the public realm and ensure the street lives up to its great potential.