Month: February 2010
Streetsblog LA
Vroom! It’s Time to Talk Speed Limit Increases at City Council
When we last checked in with the City Council Transportation Committee, they decided to table a motion to increase the speed limit on Chandler Boulevard, where the limit would increase from 35 MPH to 45 MPH along the Orange Line, and Riverside Drive which would change the limit from 35 MPH to 40 MPH for its entire length between the Burbank border and Van Nuys Boulevard in Sherman Oaks. The Councilman for the area, Paul Krekorian, wanted a chance for the community to give input on the increases before the proposal went through, and now the increases are back on the agenda for tomorrow's meeting.
February 23, 2010
Want to Foster Walking, Biking and Transit? You Need Good Parking Policy
The high-water mark for American parking policy came in the early
1970s, when cities including New York, Boston, and Portland set limits
on off-street parking in their downtowns. They were compelled to do so
by lawsuits brought under the Clean Air Act, which used the lever of
parking policy to curb traffic and reduce pollution from auto
emissions. This level of innovation went unmatched over the ensuing
three-and-a-half decades. Only now are U.S. cities implementing
effective new parking strategies that cut down on traffic.
February 23, 2010
Clock’s Ticking on Expo Phase II Lawsuit. Opponents Vow to Get it Filed by Next Week.
Anyone awaiting word on whether the group fighting to stop or reconfigure Phase II of the Expo Line would file lawsuit doesn't have to wait until March 6, the last day they can file to legally challenge the certification of the Environmental Impact Statement approved by the Expo Board on February 4. At a meeting of Neighbors for Smart Rail last week, the organization was collecting checks and promising from the podium that a legal filing was in the works.
February 23, 2010
Republican Trades Jobs Vote Bill for Promised Transportation Reauthorization Vote Later This Year
Compelling infrastructure news out of the Senate last night: The long-delayed successor to the 2005 federal transportation law could come to a vote sooner than the spring 2011 timetable sought by the Obama administration, thanks to a promise secured by Sen. George Voinovich (R-OH) in exchange for his vote in favor of the Democratic jobs … Continued
February 23, 2010
Montana Bicycle Blogger Terrorized by Drunk Driver
One of our Streetsblog Network
member bloggers had a terrifying encounter with a pickup truck full of
drunken men the other night. , who writes the blog Imagine No Cars, wrote of being chased through the streets of Missoula, Montana, in fear for his life:
February 23, 2010
City and County Refuse to Pass Charges Againt Cayene Driver Who Hit Ed Magos and Ran
(Update: Tuesday, 2/23/10 at 8:02 A.M. - I had a chance to talk with Magos' lawyer over email last night and he confirmed that the LAPD sent the case to both the District Attorney and City Attorney; so in this case the LAPD isn't to blame. I'm going to leave the text below unchanged so that the anyone reading through won't be confused by the comments section.)
February 22, 2010
Fix It Last: LADOT Closes Shop on Mulholland
Tom Petty's days of "gliding down over Mulholland" are at an end, at least for the foreseeable future.
February 22, 2010
U.S. DOT Offers Sample Distracted Driving Bill — With a Potential Loophole
The Obama administration today offered a one-page sample proposal to crack down on texting behind the wheel, aimed at helping guide states through the process of crafting their own distracted driving legislation. (Photo: brainlink.org) The sample bill text [PDF] was prepared by the U.S. DOT’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which invited road safety groups … Continued
February 22, 2010
The Week in Livable Streets Events
Big meetings this week for cyclists and transit riders.
February 22, 2010