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The Highway Project That Could Change Traffic Management in the U.S.
In almost every state, politicians beat the drum for hundreds of millions of dollars to "solve congestion" by widening highways. After spending the better part of a century doing this, we know that thanks to induced demand, soon after the asphalt sets on the new lanes, people will drive more and congestion will return. The whole exercise is a bit like a dog chasing its tail.
February 19, 2016
Oregon Gov Candidate: End Gridlock By Adding a Lane to Every Freeway
It's not that unusual to see politicians approaching the problem of traffic congestion with a childlike simplicity. But Oregon gubernatorial candidate Bud Pierce's "solution" to eliminate gridlock in the Portland area might be the most infantile of them all. Pierce wants to add a lane to every major freeway in the region and "Presto!" -- problem solved. (You can watch Pierce make his pitch in the video at the bottom of this post.)
February 18, 2016
What Will It Take to Save Bike-Share in Seattle?
Seattle's bike-share system, Pronto, is in trouble. Pronto is currently run as a private non-profit, but to continue operations, it needs a $1.4 million injection of city funds by the end of March, Tom Fucoloro at Seattle Bike Blog reports.
February 17, 2016
Cincinnati Preservation Board Says Historic Building Needs More Parking
An office developer wants to rehab a derelict 88,000-square-foot historic building right along Cincinnati's almost-finished streetcar line. This is exactly what should happen, right?
February 16, 2016
A Bigger Transit Benefit Is No Match for America’s Parking Tax Perk
Late last year Congress finally moved to boost the maximum commuter tax benefit for transit riders to the same level that car commuters receive. That means transit riders can buy up to $255 in fares each month with pre-tax income, just like drivers can pay for $255 in parking expenses with pre-tax income.
February 12, 2016
Washington State GOP Claims a Scalp in the Name of Socialized Roads
Republicans in the Washington State Senate are sending a message: Don't mess with our socialized highways. To show they're serious about subsidizing roads, they ended the tenure of Washington DOT chief Lynn Peterson.
February 10, 2016
More Than 1 in 10 Workers Commute By Bike in Some D.C. Neighborhoods
Imagine 20 percent of commuters getting to work by bike in a major U.S. city. No entire city is close yet (Portland, with the highest rate, is at about 6 percent), but some neighborhoods are getting there.
February 9, 2016
New Evidence That Protected Bike Lanes Get People Cycling More
Cities making the most progress on protected bike lanes are seeing bicycling rates go up. But at the scale of a specific street with a new protected lane, it's hard to know how much of the increase in bike counts is due to cyclists moving over from nearby streets, and how much is due to people biking the route for the first time thanks to safer conditions.
February 8, 2016
A University Built Around the Car Sees the Light
Fresno State University was, until very recently, your prototypical car commuting school. The school began as an isolated agricultural institution and is still connected to a large university farm. Its transportation services haven't extended much beyond subsidized parking.
February 4, 2016
Road Spending Threatens to Crowd Out BRT in Montgomery County
Montgomery County, Maryland, has an ambitious forward-looking vision for a bus rapid transit system, calling for an 81-mile network that would offer a way to bypass gridlock in the growing D.C. suburbs.
February 3, 2016