Livable Streets Are Good for Health in the Heartland, Too
The health benefits of livable streets don't always get enough attention. Today on the Streetsblog Network, we've got a story from Missouri Bicycle News about a new study from the St. Louis University School of Public Health documenting how the health of people in rural communities suffers for the lack of biking and pedestrian infrastructure:
December 17, 2008
Street-Level Intelligence from the Streetsblog Network
One of the great things about following the feed of the Streetsblog Network is the sense you get of what is happening quite literally on the street level of communities all over America. Take one of our top picks this morning, a post from Portland. The other day, the Pacific Northwest had a storm that left the streets slicked with ice and cars sliding every which way. In contrast, network member Portland Transport writes,
December 16, 2008
When the Status Quo Doesn’t Cut It
Today on the Streetsblog Network, people are questioning the status quo. Sustainable Savannah writes that the faltering economy provides yet another good argument -- along with slowing traffic and making streets safer -- for converting one-way streets to two-way.
December 15, 2008
Streetsblog Network: No Way to Build a Sidewalk
Today on the Streetsblog Network, we check in with the good people at Broken Sidewalk in Louisville, KY, who are talking about — you guessed it — sidewalks. More specifically, how poorly constructed they are. Imagine the outcry that would ensue if motorists were expected to put up with similar obstructions in their path of travel.
December 12, 2008
More Portland Cyclists Mean Safer Portland Streets
Today on the Streetsblog Network, people are talking about safety, among other things. Bike Portland has a post on how the number of bike commuters is up in that bike-friendly city and the number of traffic injuries to bicyclists is down, while Bike PGH wants to see some local response to the world's number-one killer of children: traffic crashes.
December 10, 2008
The View from Forth Worth
Today on the Streetsblog Network, Kevin at FortWorthology adds to the ongoing debate over how the smart-growth crowd should view Obama's stimulus plan. The way he sees it, those expecting meaningful change in transportation policy at the federal level are bound to be disappointed. At the local level, though, things are looking much better, at least in this corner of Texas:
December 9, 2008
Obama’s Stimulus: Too Much Emphasis on Roads and Bridges?
There's a lot of reaction from members of the the Streetsblog Network to President-elect Obama's address this weekend. Some transit advocates, like The Transport Politic, are putting a positive spin on it, and Ryan Avent at The Bellows says, "it’s really amazing to see the wave of public intellectual criticism [for] Obama’s potential stimulus plan." Avent adds, in another post:
December 8, 2008
Today on Streetsblog.net
We're coming to the end of our first week at Streetsblog Network. The response has been overwhelming and very heartening. We've been getting e-mails from all over the country, and the message we're hearing is that people are craving connection with others who are thinking about the ways in which smart planning and improved transportation networks can change their lives.
December 5, 2008
Today on Streetsblog.net
We're headed out to the West Coast this morning on Streetsblog Network, where we are now featuring feeds from 142 blogs and adding new members all the time (welcome Kansas! welcome Kentucky!).
December 4, 2008