Only Six Cities Are Worthy of Rail Funding, Manhattan Institute Scholar Decrees
A new report from Manhattan Institute senior fellow Aaron Renn argues that the federal government should stop supporting new rail lines in cities across the country and instead focus on repair work in six "legacy cities." The problem is that, by ignoring the way many of those "legacy cities" got their rail systems in the first place, Renn's proposal would cut off transit's nose to spite its face, and needlessly condemn American cities to car dependence in the process.
May 4, 2017
AAA’s Latest Road Safety Report Ignores the Obvious: We Should Be Driving Less
The number of annual traffic deaths in America is heading in the wrong direction, climbing back above the 40,000 mark. To reverse this trend, the AAA Foundation for Road Safety this week released a report that prioritizes six road design changes it says would do the most to reduce the death toll. There's just one problem: AAA's report doesn't consider the idea that, to save lives, we should be driving less.
May 4, 2017
Bike-Share and Open Streets: A Perfect Match
Open streets events, or ciclovias, give people a new way to explore their city's streets. Without cars on the streets, they're a natural opportunity for people who don't usually ride a bike to hop on two wheels -- and that's precisely why it's important to include bike-share systems in the mix, says Stefani Cox at the Better Bike Share Partnership.
May 3, 2017
Columbus Just Launched a Completely Redesigned Bus Network
This week, Columbus, Ohio, became the latest city to flip the switch on a redesigned bus network, changing a decades-old route map in a bid to jump-start flagging ridership. The updated routes bring huge numbers of people and jobs within closer reach of frequent transit service.
May 3, 2017
House and Senate Decline Trump’s Request to Gut Transit Funding, For Now
Yesterday, Congress came out with a funding package that keeps the government operating until the end of September. Officially, it's known as the omnibus appropriations package for fiscal year 2017. Unofficially, it's a Republican Congress ignoring the wishes of President Donald J. Trump, and for transit projects around the country, it's what amounts to good news these days.
May 2, 2017
App-Based “Microtransit” Provider Bridj Closes Shop
Bridj, the premium app-based "microtransit" service that tailored routes and prices based on customer demand, has folded after exhausting its funds.
May 1, 2017
The Backstory and Aftermath of Philly’s Teen Bicycle Freeway Takeover
Perhaps you saw video on social media this week showing hundreds of teenagers riding bikes, popping wheelies on a Philadelphia expressway. It was an unauthorized freeway takeover that ought to have brought a smile to even the sourest face.
April 28, 2017
What Will It Take for Sacramento to Make Walking Safer in Poor Neighborhoods?
Police and city planners in Sacramento have come under scrutiny in the weeks since police were caught on tape assaulting Nandi Cain, Jr., a black man, during a jaywalking stop. Cain, who was legally using an unmarked crosswalk, has since filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city. Now, reporters are looking into why there are so few marked crosswalks in one of Sacramento's poorest areas.
April 28, 2017
A Simple Change to Make the Walk to Transit Feel Within Reach
Sometimes, high-quality transit is within a walkable distance, but people just aren't used to walking to the train. New signage in St. Paul, Minnesota, funded through a local challenge from a national foundation, aims to help people get over that mental block and walking to the nearest Green Line station.
April 26, 2017
Popular Support for Bike Lanes Is Precisely the Problem for Atlanta Columnist Bill Torpy
A plan to put an extra-wide suburban Atlanta thoroughfare on a road diet, adding protected bike lanes in the process, has come under fire from a local columnist with an unhealthy vendetta against people who ride bikes.
April 25, 2017
