Month: April 2011
Streetsblog LA
Obama Brings Focus Back to Minneapolis Bridge Collapse, Media Blunders the Story
(Marybeth Miceli is the President of Miceli Infrastructure Consulting, LLC. She is a bridge testing and assessment specialist and materials scientist with a background in Nondestructive Testing/Evaluation. She has just completed a 3-year term on the Board of Directors for the American Society for Nondestructive Testing (ASNT), who named her "Young NDT Professional of the Year" in 2004. Miceli is married to L.A. Streetsblog Editor Damien Newton.)
April 21, 2011
It’s the Sprawl, Stupid — The Budget Buster No One’s Talking About
Across the nation, there's a lot of hand wringing going on about how state budget crises will affect local communities. Will trash pickup be less frequent? Will senior services be cut? How will the schools be affected?
April 21, 2011
Finally, a 710 Worthy of Support: State Considers Restricting Parking in Transit Oriented Districts (Updated Below)
A.B. 710, the Infill Development and Sustainable Community Act of 2011 introduced by Assemblywoman Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley) would mandate that automobile parking minimums in Transit Oriented Developments would be capped to one car per residential unit or per 1,000 square feet of retail space. The Assembly Housing & Community Development Committee is scheduled to hear this legislation at their next meeting on April 27.
April 20, 2011
States Begin to Consider the Benefits of a Two-Year Transportation Bill
As we reported yesterday, the buzz around a two year transportation bill seems to be growing, and there are sound reasons to set our sights on a shorter-term bill, despite the obvious pitfalls.
April 20, 2011
Looking Ahead: Streetsblog Will Examine Impacts of County’s PLACE Grants
As part of a California Endowment Health Journalism Mini-Fellowship , I'll be looking at the five communities that were awarded PLACE Grants to see how their programs are proceeding and how the communities have changed as a result of the grants. In some cases, Streetsblog has already covered part a portion of the PLACE program in the community, and in other places we'll be giving the communities a first look. Each PLACE Grantee is expected to create progressive updates to their Master Plans or other planning documents, bring about some sort of physical change and program promotional events designed to encourage more active lifestyles.
April 20, 2011
Getting on the Road to Health
(The following article is by Ruben Cantu, the program director for the California Pan-Ethnic Health Network. This month, they're holding a series of community convenings throughout California to discuss the public health impacts of our transportation decisions on our communities. Los Angeles' convening will be at the California Endowment Building one week from today from 10 A.M. to 2 P.M. To register, click here. - DN)
April 20, 2011
A Two-Year Transportation Bill? Some Say It’s a Better Deal
Last week, we reported that Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT) had mused aloud at a committee hearing that perhaps a two-year transportation reauthorization was a better option in the current political and economic environment than a six-year bill. "We don't have a lot of money here," he said.
April 20, 2011
Is the Realtors’ Survey Really a Ringing Endorsement of Smart Growth?
Urbanists are celebrating the results of the National Association of Realtors’ 2011 Community Preference Survey, which, according to the NAR, shows a clear preference for mixed uses, shorter commutes, and transportation options. The survey shows that people are asking for more walkable amenities and shorter commutes: a good sign.
April 20, 2011