Car Culture
Streetsblog LA
Schwarzenegger Serious about Reducing Car Fleet. Whither Villaraigosa?
Anyone that has been reading LA Streetsblog for any period of time knows that we haven't been shy about criticizing Governor Schwarzenegger for talking a good game about the environment but never asking Californians, including himself, to make any changes in their lives when it comes to transportation.
July 20, 2009
Urban Traffic Report Sparks Clever Headlines, But Little Transit Talk
The latest edition of the Texas Transportation Institute's influential urban mobility report
was released today, prompting a flurry of mainstream media coverage
focused largely on a faux-ironic theme that would do Alanis Morrissette
proud -- the bad economy is giving us less traffic!
July 8, 2009
EPA Okays Stronger Auto Emissions Standards Now in CA, 13 Other States
(Photo: theweeklydriver.com) The Environmental Protection Agency today granted California’s request for a waiver allowing greater limits on auto tailpipe emissions, a move that effectively speeds up the phasing-in of the Obama administration’s fuel-efficiency standards in as many as 13 other states. The EPA billed its decision, which was widely expected and fulfills a campaign promise … Continued
June 30, 2009
Ad Nauseam: Antisocial Thuggery From Pioneer
Last week Streetsblog NYC's Brad Aaron posted what is sure to be a car-culture classic. This three minute web-only commercial celebrates people that enjoy putting so much money into their cars' sound systems that they can terrorize entire neighborhoods by blasting music at ear-splitting volumes. A lot of times when I'm writing an "Ad-nauseam" post I might exaggerate a part of the commercial to help make a larger point.
June 26, 2009
Nothing Says Tranquility Like the Hum of a Huge Diesel Engine
The Mark Sanford scandal is a bit off topic for Streetsblog but Sean Roche at the Newton Streets & Sidewalks blog points us to this incredible passage from one of the e-mails between the South Carolina governor and his mistress in Argentina. Sanford writes:
June 25, 2009
Times’ Readers Freak Out at So. Pasadena School Bus Sting
Last week, the South Pasadena Police Department held a traffic sting. A group of squad cars laid in wait while cars whizzed past a school bus, with lights flashing and stop sign extended. Once cars passed the bus, the police swooped in and handed out tickets like candy on Halloween to the over 160 cars that didn't stop for the well-marked school bus.
June 19, 2009
Krekorian Rallies with Cyclists, Council Members, Cops and Community for Safer Streets
Flanked by members of the City Council Transportation Committee, police from the Cities of Glendale and Burbank, an L.A. County Sheriff, leaders from community boards and a group of cyclists from around the city; Assemblyman Paul Krekorian strongly made his case for the passage of A.B. 766, the legislation that would empower the community to resist speed limit raises even if called for in an engineering survey.
May 7, 2009
Nate Silver: Is American Car Culture on the Skids?
Silver
also points out that between 2004 and 2008, cities that took the
biggest hit in home prices, like Las Vegas and Detroit, were "highly
car-dependent," while Portland, Oregon had the largest gains.
May 7, 2009
What’s Really Dangerous for Kids? Hint: It Has Four Wheels and a Tailpipe.
Photo by pawpaw67 via Flickr. When she wrote a column for the New York Sun last year about letting her nine-year-old ride the subway on his own, Lenore Skenazy was pilloried by many as an irresponsible mom. She stuck to her guns, though, and started a blog dedicated to “sane parenting”, advocating the idea that … Continued
May 6, 2009