Streetsblog.net
Streetsblog LA
What Mister Rogers Can Teach Us About Cities and NIMBYism
If you spend much time at community meetings, or you're a Leslie Knope fan, you know that public forums are often where open-mindedness goes to die.
March 8, 2016
Attention Cities: To Encourage Walking, Don’t Overlook the Basics
When it comes to making it easier and safer for people to get around on foot, is your city covering the basics? If you live in the U.S., odds are the answer is "Not by a long shot."
March 7, 2016
A Car-Free Downtown and Other Ideas From Portland’s Mayoral Debate
It's always interesting to see what mayoral candidates say about streets and transportation in a public debate. Who's done their homework on transportation policy? Who understands in their gut why better streets for walking, biking, and transit are good for the city? Which candidates are willing to take a stand on these issues while making their case to voters?
March 2, 2016
Why One Street Safety Advocate Will Never Go to a DOT Meeting Again
Public meetings hosted by state DOTs can be very frustrating. People who want safer streets and take the time to attend are often deluged with highly technical excuses about why their suggestions won't fly.
March 1, 2016
High Transportation Costs Make a Lot of HUD Housing Unaffordable
Rental assistance from HUD isn't enough to make the cost of living affordable when the subsidies go toward housing in car-dependent areas, according to a new study by researchers from the University of Texas and the University of Utah. The study evaluated transportation costs for more than 18,000 households that receive HUD rental subsidies, estimating that nearly half of recipients have to spend more than 15 percent of their household budgets on transportation.
March 1, 2016
Can Ride-Hailing Apps Become More Like Buses and Less Like Taxis?
A big part of reducing car traffic involves using cars more efficiently. Ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft are supposedly assisting in this transition by making car ownership less necessary. But even though both companies operate carpool-type services, most of their business still comes from single passenger trips.
February 29, 2016
Portland Figured Out How to Get Kids Walking and Biking to School Again
In a relatively short amount of time -- a generation or two -- the number of American kids walking or biking to school has plummeted. This isn't the result of some natural law -- it's the product of public policy decisions about how to design streets and build schools.
February 29, 2016
Death By a Thousand Cuts: Sprawl, State Neglect Crippling Cleveland Transit
According to a recent analysis by the Century Foundation, during the recession and recovery Cleveland transit riders endured more bus service cuts than any other major system in the country. But just a few years later Cleveland transit riders are facing further cuts, and a fare hike to boot.
February 25, 2016
Will Congress Keep TIGER Going?
Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced this week that U.S. DOT is seeking applications for $500 million in TIGER grants -- the eighth round of funding since the program was launched in 2009.
February 24, 2016
Albuquerque’s Big Choice: Prioritize Streets for Transit, or Stagnate
Albuquerque is at a pivotal moment that could determine whether it becomes more a walkable and transit-oriented city.
February 22, 2016