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Is the FAST Act Good for Bike Funding?
When Congress passed a long-term transportation bill for the first time in more than a decade earlier this month, People for Bikes called it "a great day for bikes," and Momentum Magazine called it a "win for bikes." But is it?
December 16, 2015
Seattle’s Struggle to Keep the Transit in Its “Tunnel Plus Transit” Plan
Back when Seattle and the state of Washington made the (regrettable) decision to replace the aging Alaskan Way Viaduct with an underground highway, the consolation was that the elevated highway running between downtown and the waterfront would come down and make way for a nice surface street with dedicated transit lanes. Proponents of the deep bore tunnel even gave their plan a greenwashed name: "tunnel plus transit."
December 15, 2015
To Save the Climate, Mayors and Cities Can Lead the Way
On Saturday, the COP21 summit in Paris culminated with a precedent-setting climate change agreement. Nearly 200 nations are on board, but their commitments don't go far enough to head off catastrophic global warming.
December 14, 2015
St. Louis Struggles With an Old Question: “Why Go Downtown at All?”
Alex Ihnen at NextSTL uncovered this video from a 1965 television program about traffic and commuting in the St. Louis region. Noting the growing number of businesses in the suburbs with "free parking," the narrator asks, "Who needs to go downtown at all?" This leads to a vision of the future that turned out to be eerily accurate:
December 9, 2015
If Congress Cared About Climate, Its Transport Bill Would Look Much Different
With a few exceptions, the five-year transportation bill heading to President Obama's desk continues what has been the core function of federal transportation policy for more than 60 years -- sending a ton of money to the states to spend on highways.
December 4, 2015
A Dutch Bicycle Engineer’s Perspective on the Sharrow
Sharrows: the consolation prize of bike infrastructure.
December 3, 2015
More “Nervous” Drivers Are Exactly What’s Needed
The deaths of two pedestrians and bicyclist in quick succession in Pittsburgh's Oakland neighborhood have local street safety advocates demanding reforms and the mayor promising swift action.
December 2, 2015
Bad Street Design Kills People
Traffic fatalities are on the rise up again, with an increase of 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015, according to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration. As is their practice, NHTSA officials are attributing the problem to driver (or passenger) error -- drunk driving, speeding, failure to wear seatbelts -- but did promise "new initiatives to protect vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists."
December 1, 2015
Stranded on Two Feet: The Danger of Gaps in the Pedestrian Network
Anyone who does a fair amount of walking to get around will encounter gaps in the pedestrian network sooner or later. Sometimes they might just be minor annoyances, but they can also put people in very dangerous positions.
November 30, 2015