What Gun Violence and Traffic Violence Have in Common
The horrific mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando has prompted some soul-searching about America's ability to take significant steps to curb gun violence. Congress did nothing to control guns after dozens of young kids were massacred at Sandy Hook. Will the loss of 49 innocent lives finally lead officials to take action?
June 17, 2016
Anthony Foxx to Local Officials: Transport Policy Should Tackle Segregation
Local transportation officials should actively work to reduce segregation and promote equal access to quality schools, three Cabinet members say in a "dear colleague" letter released last week [PDF].
June 16, 2016
Walkable Cities Are More Affordable Than You Think – We Need More of Them
People living in walkable cities may have high housing costs, but they also tend to have low transportation costs and better access to jobs, according to a new study from Smart Growth America [PDF].
June 15, 2016
Goodbye to the Era of Big Infrastructure?
Despite the occasional feature story about America's "infrastructure crisis" and the campaign platforms for increased investment, the "era of big infrastructure is over," argues University of Minnesota engineering professor David Levinson at the Transportist.
June 14, 2016
New Jersey May Finally Do the Responsible Thing and Raise the Gas Tax
For a long time now, New Jersey politicians -- first and foremost Governor Chris Christie -- have been playing a high stakes game of chicken with transportation funds, doing practically anything to avoid raising the gas tax. Only one other state in the nation has a lower fuel tax than New Jersey. Thanks to inflation, drivers pay less and less for the roads, but transit riders are paying as much as they ever have following a fare hike last year.
June 13, 2016
Car Dependence and the Troubling Rise of Subprime Auto Loans
There have been warning signs about the growth in subprime auto loans for years now. But the issue got some very high-profile attention last week when JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon raised concerns that there may be a bubble in the auto lending market.
June 10, 2016
Many Americans Live Near Transit, But Few Live Close to Good Transit
This chart tells an eye-opening story about access to transit in the United States. Using the new data tool AllTransit, TransitCenter dug into who has access to transit in American cities, making a crucial distinction between residents near any transit whatsoever and residents with access to convenient, frequently running service.
June 10, 2016
A Hit-and-Run Driver Killed 5 People on Bikes, So the Press Lectured Cyclists
A hit-and-run driver killed five people on a group bike ride in Kalamazoo, Michigan, Tuesday. Four others were seriously injured in the horrifying crash, caused when a driver hit their training group -- known as "the Chain Gang" -- from behind.
June 9, 2016
Blaming Jaywalkers and Drunk Pedestrians Lets the Real Culprits Off the Hook
New Mexico was recently named the deadliest state for walking by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Something's got to change, but what? Well, the Albuquerque Journal ran a front page article blaming the state's terrible safety record mostly on "jaywalking" and "drunk pedestrians."
June 8, 2016
Eyes on the Street: London “Cycle Superhighway” Teems With Bike Traffic
In case you're looking for a good visual to show how bike lanes can be extremely efficient transportation infrastructure, check out this short video from the UK-based advocacy group Sustrans. It shows rush hour on the Blackfriars Bridge "cycle superhighway" in London on a Tuesday morning.
June 8, 2016