Fix-It-First
Streetsblog LA
Behind the Numbers: California’s Bridges Might Be Worse Off Than We Think
Earlier this week, Transportation for America released a report on the state of America's bridges. Capitol Hill Streetsblog broke down those numbers yesterday, but the numbers for California were even worse. According to "The Fix We’re In For: The State of California’s Bridges," 11.8% of California bridges are "structurally deficient" and this figure will continue to rise as an entire generation of bridges approaches their 50-year life expectancy. Additionally the top ten most heavily traveled structurally deficient bridges in the nation are in the greater Los Angeles region.
April 1, 2011
State Transpo Officials Push to Toll for Maintenance, Not Just Capacity
Last week, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood told state DOT officials gathered at an AASHTO conference in Washington that he was all in favor of tolling – but only to add new capacity.
March 8, 2011
EPA Adopting ‘Fix-it-First’ Infrastructure Policy — For Water
Environmental groups have long called for a national "fix-it-first"
standard to apply to new transportation projects, requiring states
to focus on repair of existing infrastructure before constructing new
lane miles. The approach has caught on in several state capitals, but
not in Washington -- except when it comes to water infrastructure.
May 6, 2010
New Analysis: 59% of Road Stimulus Went to Repair, 33% to New Capacity
In
the first year of the Obama administration's economic stimulus law, 59
percent of its $27 billion in transportation formula funds went to
projects that preserve existing roads, while 33 percent was used to
build new pavement, according to an analysis by the advocacy group
Smart Growth America (SGA).
May 5, 2010
What Do These Things Have in Common: Smog, Highway Widenings, and Congestion?
Sometimes, the news comes to you from several directions at once, and you have to pull the pieces together to see the bigger picture. Such a thing happened yesterday, when three seemingly unrelated story created the perfect tapestry of cause, symptom and effect.
April 29, 2010
Quick Hit: How Bad Is the City’s Pothole Problem?
Last December, I was taking my Flying Pigeon bucket bike back to its nest for some baby-preparedness upgrades by taking it down Beverly Boulevard on its way to the Downtown. I'd probably ridden on Beverly going east once or twice, preferring the "4th Street Bike Boulevard" so I wasn't expecting the poor state of the road to literally cause a bungee chord on the bike to snap and end up getting wrapped in my bike chain. The wounded pigeon ended up returning to my house for repairs before we could get it fixed.
April 29, 2010
Fix It Last: LADOT Closes Shop on Mulholland
Tom Petty's days of "gliding down over Mulholland" are at an end, at least for the foreseeable future.
February 22, 2010
What’s Wrong With America’s Ambivalence About Crumbling Infrastructure?
In today's New York Times, Bob Herbert celebrates the cause of
infrastructure maintenance -- a less exciting proposition for
politicians than cutting the ribbon at new transportation projects, but
in many ways more vital to economic growth.
February 16, 2010
NY and CA: How Did They Spend Transportation Stimulus Money?
In an economic recovery report released
today by New York Gov. David Paterson (D), the state broke down its
plans for the estimated $31 billion it received as part of the Obama
administration's first stimulus law.
December 8, 2009