Reps. Duncan (R) and Nadler (D) Will Lead New House Panel on Freight
MAP-21 pushed U.S. DOT to get serious about freight: In recent months, the agency has announced the creation of a national freight policy, a National Freight Advisory Committee, and a Freight Policy Council, as mandated by the bill.
April 16, 2013
Counting Bikes and Cars Without a Clipboard
Liberate yourself from government transportation data that doesn’t tell you what you need to know!
April 12, 2013
Study: Too Many Drivers Fail to Look for Pedestrians When Turning Left
Drivers turning left are a leading cause of pedestrian crashes in urban areas. Where drivers can only turn left with a green left-turn arrow, pedestrians are more protected. But when drivers are watching oncoming traffic for a chance to make their turn, they tend not to be as vigilant as they should to watch for pedestrians. In fact, 5 to 11 percent of drivers don’t look for pedestrians in the crosswalk at all.
April 4, 2013
What Should the Surgeon General Say to Get More People Walking?
What if cars came with a Surgeon General’s warning like the ones that come on cigarette packs: "Sitting in this seat could lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, depression, and divorce."
April 2, 2013
How Much Driving Is Avoided When Someone Rides a Bike?
If Jane Doe rides her bike a mile to the post office and then back home, is it fair to assume she just avoided two miles of driving? And can we then assume that she prevented 2.2 pounds of carbon dioxide from being emitted?
March 29, 2013
Congress to U.S. DOT: Streets Aren’t Safe Until They’re Safe For Everyone
Yes, traffic fatalities have been (mostly) going down, but as long as cyclist and pedestrian fatalities keep going up, we can’t truly say our streets and roads are getting safer. That’s the message from 68 members of Congress to one pretty receptive audience: Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood.
March 29, 2013
Study: Homes Near Transit Were Insulated From the Housing Crash
If you live close to a transit station, chances are you’ve weathered the recession better than your friends who don’t.
March 22, 2013
Will Big Highway Projects Have to Consider Climate Change?
Since 1970, the National Environmental Protection Act has required federal agencies to consider the impacts of their projects on air, water, and soil pollution -- but not on climate change.
March 21, 2013
Is ASCE Failing to Tell America to Spend Wisely on Infrastructure?
The American Society of Civil Engineers released its new report card for U.S. infrastructure yesterday. The topline grades: The country’s “GPA” has gone from a D four years ago to a D+; roads have gone from a D- to a D; transit has stayed steady at a D; and rail made the biggest leap, from a C- to a C+.
March 20, 2013
Obama’s Clean Energy Policy Elevates Efficient Cars Over Efficient Modes
It has a nice ring to it: using oil and gas revenue to shift transportation off oil and gas dependence. President Obama announced a plan to do just that on Friday -- but the details of his plan are disappointing if you want to see the conversation on clean transportation go beyond cars.
March 18, 2013