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Turning Gas Pumps and Asphalt Into Soil and Shade Trees
Anyone who takes an abandoned gas station and converts it into a neighborhood business is a hero in our book.
July 23, 2013
How Sprawl Got Detroit Into This Mess
It wasn't de-industrialization that bankrupted Detroit, wrote Paul Krugman in a New York Times column yesterday. If that was all there is to it, then how do you explain the fact that Pittsburgh, once so dependent on the steel industry, is now recovering? No, what brought Detroit to this low point, more than the loss of factory jobs, was decades of unsustainable development patterns.
July 22, 2013
Two Schools of Thought on Bike Infrastructure: Egalitarian vs. Elite
It might seem strange, but there are still plenty of people who ride bikes but don't like the idea of protected bike lanes that much, or even bike infrastructure altogether.
July 19, 2013
How “Buy America” Restrictions Can Cost America Jobs
Proponents of Buy America restrictions -- regulations that require American-made sourcing for transportation projects supported by the federal government -- may be well-meaning, but when applied to rail expansion, these rules can be pretty pernicious. There isn't a large domestic passenger rail market in the United States, so there isn't much of a domestic traincar manufacturing industry. When you throw Buy America into the mix, that can end up being a real problem for passenger rail projects.
July 17, 2013
Seattle Makes Guerrilla Bike Lane Permanent
How about a round of applause for Seattle? This spring, a group of activists calling themselves "Reasonably Polite Seattleites" installed a protected bike lane on Cherry Street. How did Seattle officials react? Well, this week the city made it permanent.
July 16, 2013
When Hostile Streets Mar What Should Be a Walkable Trip
David Levinson lives just three blocks from St. Paul, Minnesota, but he almost never walks there. Standing in his way is a largely impassible highway and a series of sidewalk-deficient, glass-strewn streets.
July 15, 2013
Wider Highways Mean More Congested Local Streets
If there's a highway expansion debate raging in your community right now, here's a new item to add to the "con" column.
July 11, 2013
Joe Cortright: Death of CRC Signals the End of “Highway Dinosaur Era”
Last month the Portland mega-highway bridge project known as the Columbia River Crossing died unceremoniously on the floor of the Washington statehouse. But there was some question among project opponents about whether to consider it a victory for smart transportation policy. After all, suburban Republicans opposed to the inclusion of light rail were ultimately the straw that broke the camel's back.
July 10, 2013
“Soviet-Style” Rail Is Actually a Model of Productivity
Representative John Mica really hates Amtrak. When he's editorializing against his favorite foe, as he did yesterday, he loves to bust out a zinger about how it's a "Soviet-style" operation.
July 10, 2013
Lincoln, Nebraska — That’s Right — Is Planning a Green Protected Bike Lane
The latest sign that "innovative" bike infrastructure treatments are becoming more and more mainstream: Lincoln, Nebraska, is planning to add a protected bike lane near its downtown.
July 9, 2013