Use the Stimulus Bill to Complete Our Nation’s Streets
One of the most encouraging moments in last week's PBS NOW documentary about Charlotte, NC came when Mayor Pat McCrory pointed out the importance of "complete streets" to the success of the city's new light rail system. "Transit alone doesn't transform neighborhoods," said McCrory. "The key is how you connect those neighborhoods to the train stations, with well-planned sidewalks that create a walkable community."
February 19, 2009
Listening to the President on Transportation
Over the last few weeks, President Obama has made a few different statements that have gotten the attention of urbanists and sustainable transportation advocates. Could it be? Does this guy really get it? And if so, what is he going to do about it?
February 19, 2009
The Stimulus Bill: Time to Start Following the Money
Now that the president has signed the stimulus bill, members of the Streetsblog Network have thrown themselves into the task of trying to figure out where all that money is going.
February 18, 2009
Will Cities Get Some of the Stimulus Money?
So the wheeling and dealing over the stimulus bill is done, and the spending, presumably, is soon to begin. Members of the Streetsblog Network are looking at what it means for their communities.
February 17, 2009
The Challenges in Getting Transit Funded
One of the most unusual members of the Streetsblog Network is the Santa Rosa CityBus blog, written by staffers from the municipal bus system in that Northern California city and "intended to highlight for the public some of the activities, efforts and challenges of operating a bus system in a mid-size California city." It's a laudable -- and rare -- effort by a transit agency to create some accountability and transparency for riders.
February 13, 2009
Transit and Bikes: Meant for Each Other
Too often, in the struggle for meager financial resources, progressive transportation advocates can become divided -- and the division sometimes leaves bicyclists on one side and transit boosters on the other. Today, Streetsblog Network member blog Cyclelicious makes the case that not only do bikes need transit, transit needs bikes to increase efficiency and ridership, giving the example of Caltrain in the Bay Area:
February 12, 2009
An Attempt to Create Empathy in Drivers
One of the issues that continually bedevils the members of the Streetsblog Network is how to get drivers to slow down and pay attention.
February 11, 2009
Meet the New AASHTO?
Today on the Streetsblog Network, member blog Beyond DC has a question: "Where is the old AASHTO and what have you done with them?"
February 10, 2009
Contrarian Thinking: Against Transportation
As the two chambers of the Congress haggle over the stimulus plan (see The Transport Politic's handy comparison of transpo-related spending in the House and Senate bills), we'll take a moment to step back and look at the bigger picture, courtesy of Streetsblog Network member blog Where. They have a post entitled "Against Transportation" that poses these questions:
February 9, 2009
Columbus and Its Mall: This Marriage Can’t Be Saved
The New York Times published an article a few days ago on the waning of the American mall, presenting the nation's relationship to its shopping centers -- and the rampant consumerism that relationship represents -- as a troubled marriage:
February 6, 2009