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McClatchy Muckrakers Expose Seedy Underbelly of the Highway Bonanza
The work of a sustainable transportation reporter can be a lonely lot. But it’s a lot less lonely now that two McClatchy reporters, Curtis Tate and Greg Gordon, have taken up the mantle of exposing wasteful road expansion.
February 12, 2013
Cycling Advocates to President: We’d Like Another Ray LaHood, Please
Next month, outgoing Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood will speak at the National Bike Summit -- he never misses one -- and I'll bet the standing ovation lasts 10 minutes. His support for biking and walking has been unprecedented at U.S. DOT. Now cyclists are worrying about who could replace him, and whether that person will bring the same zeal for livability and sustainable transportation.
February 11, 2013
Does Riding Transit Make You More Civic-Minded?
Civic pride, attachment to community -- what does that have to do with how you get around? According to a recent study commissioned by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, possibly quite a bit.
February 7, 2013
Gary Toth: TTI Congestion Scores Prove Road Expansion Isn’t the Answer
In response to yesterday's story on the Texas Transportation Institute's congestion rankings, which take traffic delays out of context and risk being used to justify road expansions, former New Jersey DOT leader Gary Toth raised this question: What if, instead of getting frustrated with the report, we reframe its interpretation?
February 7, 2013
The Votes Are In: Omaha Abomination Voted Worst Intersection in the U.S.
Well, it was a tough competition for America's Worst Intersection, with a lot of worthy contenders -- the kind of intersections that would make an Olympic sprinter nervous. But the people have spoken -- 468 of them -- and in the end it wasn't even close. Our winner is Omaha, Nebraska's intersection of 132nd Street, Industrial Road, Millard Avenue, and L Street.
February 6, 2013
Report: Most States Have Poor Safeguards Against the Revolving Door
Last week we looked at three state DOTs which are currently led by former lobbyists for the asphalt or energy industries. The "Revolving Door" series highlighted how billions in federal funding for transportation get funneled, with no oversight, to states where money and politics corrupt policy and lead to shocking amounts of waste.
February 5, 2013
Secretary Villaraigosa? Not So Fast.
A favorite for transportation secretary has stepped out of the race. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa released a statement late Friday saying he is "flattered and humbled" by the buzz around his candidacy but is "firmly committed to remaining in LA and finishing [his] term.”
February 4, 2013
The Revolving Door: TxDOT’s Phil Wilson, “Revolver in Chief”
This is the final installment in our three-part “Revolving Door” series about how cronyism in state DOTs leads to wasteful highway building. The first part profiled Ohio DOT chief Jerry Wray and the second part looked at Oklahoma DOT boss Gary Ridley. Both Wray and Ridley left the DOTs to work as asphalt industry lobbyists, only to return to the public sector later on.
February 4, 2013
What Is Obama Looking For in a New Transportation Secretary?
He strung it out long enough, but Ray LaHood has finally announced that he’s resigning as Transportation Secretary. Speculation has been rampant for months about who could replace him, and now it kicks into high gear.
January 30, 2013