DC Streetsblog
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DC Road Lobbyist: Since Most People Drive, We Shouldn’t Invest in Transit
Last week, the Washington Post ran an editorial calling for a "balanced" approach to transportation investments. That rather mundane stance was enough to set off alarm bells for an advocate of suburban highway expansion in Virginia.
July 18, 2013
Atlanta Beltline, Still in Its Infancy, Already Boosting Business
It's working. The Atlanta Beltline, still in its most formative stages, is already boosting business and promoting development, according to this report from a local news station.
July 17, 2013
Study: Wealthier Motorists More Likely to Drive Like Reckless Jerks
You know the stereotype of the arrogant Porsche driver? Well, science says there's some truth to it.
July 17, 2013
ITDP Debuts a LEED-Type Rating System for Transit-Oriented Development
"Transit-oriented development" is probably one of the more abused terms in all of urban planning. Listen carefully in some cities, and you'll hear urban development professionals calling parking garages "transit-oriented development" without a hint of irony.
July 16, 2013
Study: Federal Funding Means More Bike Commuting
Bicycling is at a tipping point in many American cities. Bike-share systems are multiplying rapidly, infrastructure that used to be seen as novel is now commonplace, and commuting rates are growing. There are many explanations for this cultural shift, but here’s one not to be ignored: federal funding.
July 12, 2013
Passing a Law Is the Easy Part: The Challenge of Building Complete Streets
If Ontario Street in Cleveland, Ohio, is any indication, a complete streets policy is no guarantee you'll get a safe place to ride a bike, or even a comfortable place to walk.
July 12, 2013
Amtrak Foe Mica Meets His Match in John Robert Smith
I just sat through a pretty boring hearing on rail financing. But I’m glad I stuck it out, because the fireworks came at the end, when Rep. John Mica picked a fight with the wrong man.
July 11, 2013
How Reason’s Highway Report Works Against Urban Areas
Just what does good state highway performance look like, according to the climate change skeptics at the Reason Foundation? This "libertarian think tank" -- funded by Exxon Mobil and the Koch Family Foundations, among others -- has a funny way of judging these things. But media outlets all over the United States are reporting its findings as if they're gospel.
July 10, 2013
Expanded, Simplified TIFIA Still Greasing the Gears of Highway Expansion
A federal loan awarded to a California highway illustrates how TIFIA, the "innovative" transportation financing program that was expanded as part of MAP-21, is still funding business-as-usual highway projects.
July 9, 2013
Another Swing (and a Miss) From Anderson Cooper’s Show on High-Speed Rail
My apologies, readers: Anderson Cooper did another segment slandering high-speed rail last month and it’s taken me this long to bring it to your attention.
July 9, 2013