Cities and Countries
Streetsblog Basics
It’s Official: Mexico City Eliminates Mandatory Parking Minimums
The largest city in North America has done away with one of the biggest hidden subsidies for driving: minimum parking requirements. The new regulations will make housing more affordable, transit more convenient, and streets less congested.
July 19, 2017
Atlanta Erases Major New Bike Lane Segment, Replaces It With Parking
After a city installs a bike lane, there's typically some pushback for a while from people who object to the change. What's unusual is when a city loses its nerve and decides to remove the bike lane. But that's what Atlanta has done on a 1,000-foot stretch of Westview Drive.
July 19, 2017
Cleveland Clinic Lets Slip That the “Opportunity Corridor” Isn’t About Opportunity At All
The official line on the $331 million road project was that it would help poor Cleveland residents, not whisk people past their neighborhoods to reach the Cleveland Clinic. It was a lie.
July 18, 2017
Trump DOT Shuts Down Civil Rights Probe of Larry Hogan’s Decision to Kill the Red Line
The issue may be settled at U.S. DOT, but it's not going away. All five Democratic challengers to Larry Hogan's 2018 gubernatorial run have said they'll revive the Red Line.
July 17, 2017
How Transit Agencies Can Stop Worrying and Love Bus Network Redesigns
By their nature, bus network redesigns create tradeoffs, so it's important that the improvements feel worth it for riders. And that, says Houston Metro board member Christof Spieler, requires having frank, in-depth conversations with transit riders, not just talking at them.
July 14, 2017
Will Philadelphia Go Backward on Parking Requirements and Housing Affordability?
In many American cities, free on-street parking remains more abundant than affordable housing. Despite the housing crunch spreading to more urban areas, the politics of parking threatens to keep it that way.
July 14, 2017
The City That Tamed Cars So People Can Walk and Bike Where They Please
Nijmegen, a small Dutch city, was never on my radar. But I found myself in town last month for the Velo-City 2017 conference, and it was a marvel. The extent to which Nijmegen has prioritized walking, biking, and transit -- and kept car traffic at bay -- is something every city should strive for.
July 13, 2017
Milwaukee Forges Ahead With Its First Bike Boulevards
Milwaukee will be getting its first bike boulevards, the city announced this week, the beginning of what should eventually be a citywide network of low-traffic, low-stress streets for cycling.
July 13, 2017
All the Effort That Went Into Fighting a Dallas Highway Is About to Pay Off
The Trinity Parkway would cost $1.5 billion, further entrench car dependence, and ruin riverfront parkland and natural habitat. But now, after a sustained campaign that turned highways and transportation into a central issue in local elections, the Dallas City Council is on the verge of killing the project.
July 12, 2017
The Bus Network Redesign in Indianapolis Will Be Like Launching a Brand New Transit System
What Indianapolis is doing deserves attention, especially from other spread-out American cities looking to spend their transit dollars as efficiently as possible. The big change is a complete reshaping of bus service, which will be like setting up a brand new transit network.
July 11, 2017