It Just Got Easier for Cities to Design Walkable, Bikeable Streets
We probably haven't seen the last of engineers who insist on designing local streets like surface highways. But at least now they can't claim their hands are tied by federal regulations.
May 13, 2016
For the Record, the Feds Don’t Require Streets to Speed Car Traffic
When advocating for a street redesign that will take some space away from cars, it's common to run up against this classic brush-off from your local transportation agency: The federal government won't allow it.
May 13, 2016
Reminder: Just Laying Track Is No Guarantee Riders Will Come
Laying track isn't enough to build a successful transit system -- as some cities are learning the hard way.
May 12, 2016
D.C. Poised to Strike Down Law That Blames Cyclists When They Are Struck
When cyclists and pedestrians are injured in traffic crashes in D.C., there's a big legal obstacle standing in the way of justice. That obstacle is a legal standard called "contributory negligence."
May 12, 2016
Zoning Reform Will Boost Housing Affordability and Walkability in D.C.
A change to D.C.'s zoning code will allow homeowners to build and rent out a basement apartment, or an apartment over the garage, without the long, expensive hassle of obtaining special permission.
May 11, 2016
How Can Cities Move More People Without Wider Streets? Hint: Not With Cars
How can cities make more efficient use of street space, so more people can get where they want to go?
May 10, 2016
How Boston Will Cut Transit Construction Costs Without Diluting Transit
Boston's 4.7-mile Green Line extension is supposed to bring light rail service to some of the nation's most densely populated neighborhoods, but skyrocketing construction costs have threatened to sink the project. After the price tag ballooned to $3 billion last year, about a 50 percent increase, the project was in danger of being cancelled altogether.
May 10, 2016
London’s New Mayor, Sadiq Khan, Pledges to “Accelerate” Cycling Progress
London bike advocates proved they were a political force to be reckoned under Mayor Boris Johnson. After cyclists demonstrated that they would not be satisfied with half-measures, Johnson started to make serious headway on safe bike infrastructure in his second term.
May 9, 2016
Paris Kicks Off Monthly Car-Free Sundays on the Champs-Élysées
It's been almost six months since Paris held its big car-free day, a jubilant event that temporarily cleared the air of poisonous diesel emissions and imparted a sense of how great streets could be without the constant roar of motor vehicles.
May 9, 2016
Historical Photos of St. Louis Capture the Great Violence of “Urban Renewal”
Some of these images, dug up by Alex Ihnen at NextSTL, almost look like a war zone. Buildings exploding. Entire city blocks reduced to ghost towns. Families out on curbs, carrying all their belongings in suitcases.
May 6, 2016