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More Urban Developers Question the Wisdom of Building Parking
A San Francisco developer made headlines a few weeks ago when it offered tenants $100 a month toward Uber and BART in an attempt to reduce the usage of on-site parking.
June 1, 2016
Who Needs a “Straddling Bus” When Bus Lanes Have Already Been Invented?
It's not even a new idea at this point, having made the rounds in the media about six years ago, but the "straddling bus" concept that some Chinese cities are purportedly considering continues to fascinate people. Straddling bus stories went viral again last week, with claims that the conveyance, which only exists as a scale model at this point, can carry up to 1,400 passengers while traveling above two lanes of car traffic as fast as 40 mph, according to CityLab.
May 31, 2016
Funding California Rail With Cap-and-Trade Revenue Hits a Snag
California's cap-and-trade program is one of the boldest state-level climate change policies in the U.S. By capping statewide carbon pollution and then auctioning off emissions allowances, the state hopes to both reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate about $10.6 billion for projects to improve energy efficiency. Among other things, that money would support various rail and transit projects, including the state's high-speed rail line.
May 27, 2016
No, Seattle Isn’t Waging a “War on Cars”
It's cliché at this point for newspapers to label any effort to improve walking, biking, or transit as a "war on cars." The latest in this proud tradition is Seattle Times columnist Brier Dudley, who wrote recently that the city is waging "a shock-and-awe campaign targeting anyone who dares to drive in, through or around Seattle." What was it exactly that set him off?
May 26, 2016
Growth in the Houston Region Shifts to the City
In the past few years, a greater share of the population growth in and around Houston happened in the city itself, compared to the first decade of the millennium. The trend is pretty clear, reports Houston Tomorrow:
May 24, 2016
Anthony Foxx Envisions a “Gradual Shift” Away From Car Dependence
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx criss-crossed the country last week on a tour of the seven finalists for U.S. DOT's $50 million "Smart City Challenge" grant.
May 23, 2016
Priced Lanes Can Move Everyone Faster — Even People Who Don’t Pay
Remember the uproar over the HOT lanes on I-405 outside Seattle? Republicans in the state senate fired transportation commissioner Lynn Petersen to register their displeasure with priced roads. The political furor isn't over. Bill Bryant, a GOP candidate for governor, continues to use the HOT lanes as a wedge issue against incumbent Democrat Jay Inslee.
May 20, 2016
More Evidence Bike Lanes Can Be More Efficient Than Car Lanes
Contrary to all those cranky newspaper columns about how every last inch of asphalt needs to be allocated to motor vehicles, bike lanes can actually move more people with less street space than general traffic lanes.
May 19, 2016
The Crucial Connection Between Street Width and Walkability, in 3 Photos
There's a good deal of empirical evidence that narrower travel lanes are safer for everyone because they slow motorist speeds.
May 17, 2016
Transit and Parking Mandates Go Together Like Peanut Butter and Tuna
Cleveland is finally getting around to establishing guidelines to foster walkable development around rail stops -- which is in very short supply. Some stations are surrounded by little more than vacant industrial space or parking lots. (One of the stops on the underused Waterfront Line, called "Muni Parking," is in the middle of the enormous City Hall parking lot.)
May 16, 2016