Elon Musk’s “Master Plan” Won’t Work for Cities
Earlier this week tech entrepreneur Elon Musk released his updated "master plan" for Tesla, including some thoughts on how autonomous mini-buses will supplant today's transit and "take people all the way to their destination." Like every Musk pronouncement, this one got a lot of buzz -- but it also drew some healthy skepticism.
July 22, 2016
Of Course the GOP Transportation Platform Is a Catastrophe
In the past few years, Congressional Republicans tried and failed to turn the federal transportation program into a highways-only affair. Still, the GOP isn't giving up on eliminating federal funds for transit, walking, and biking.
July 21, 2016
Portland’s Long-Awaited Bike-Share System Gets Off to an Impressive Start
Tuesday was a very exciting day in Portland, as the city celebrated the launch of its long-awaited bike-share system, Biketown. The network makes 1,000 bikes available in an eight-square mile area of the city.
July 21, 2016
Report: As Cities Add Bike Lanes, More People Bike and Biking Gets Safer
The more people bike on the streets, the safer the streets are for everyone who bikes. This phenomenon, originally identified by researcher Peter Jacobsen, is known as "safety in numbers." And that's exactly what American cities are seeing as they add bike infrastructure -- more cyclists and safer cycling -- according to a new report from the National Association of City Transportation Officials [PDF].
July 21, 2016
America’s Sorriest Bus Stop: San Francisco vs. Hillsboro, Oregon
Oh, the terrible places you'll go to catch a bus. So far this week in our hunt for the Sorriest Bus Stop in America, a bus stop in Boston knocked off a real catastrophe in Nassau County to advance to the second round. Meanwhile, voting remains open until midnight in a tight contest between Maryland and Delaware.
July 20, 2016
Seattle’s New Park-and-Rides Cost a Fortune But Won’t Move Many People
Seattle area voters will vote this November on a $53 billion transit expansion package. But along with new light rail lines stretching across the region, Seattle will also be getting a publicly owned parking empire.
July 20, 2016
America’s Sorriest Bus Stop: Silver Spring vs. New Castle
From the pathetic to the desolate, our parade of sorry bus stops continues today with the fourth match of the first round in this 16-bus-stop tournament.
July 20, 2016
Vox Pulls Back the Curtain on “Scam” to Save Lives With Red Light Cameras
You can usually count on Vox for accurate, research-based explainers of public policy issues. That's why the new Vox video on red light cameras is so monumentally disappointing.
July 19, 2016
Houston FTW: Transit Execs Aim to Fix Sorry Bus Stops
The lousy state of American bus stops is a serious problem. Transit riders say bad waiting environments are one of their top concerns, according to a recent survey and report by TransitCenter [PDF]. That's why Streetsblog is highlighting some of the sorriest bus stops in the nation this month.
July 19, 2016
Focusing Only on Commutes Overlooks Women’s Transportation Needs
Commuting accounts for only about 15 percent of trips in the United States. But when planners make transportation infrastructure decisions, they often base them on commuting patterns, not other types of trips.
July 18, 2016