Car Dependence
Streetsblog Basics
Peter Norton: We Can Learn From the Movement To Enshrine Car Dependence
Yesterday, we published part one of my interview with Peter Norton, a historian at the University of Virginia and the author of Fighting Traffic: The Dawn of the Motor Age in the American City. We talked about whether the push for infrastructure investment is always code for increasing car capacity, and how the Vision Zero campaign bears the legacy of 100-year-old movements to make streets safe for everyone.
October 17, 2014
Are There Any Affordable Cities Left in America?
Are Washington, San Francisco, and New York the most affordable American cities? A new report from the New York-based Citizen's Budget Commission [PDF], which made the rounds at the Washington Post and CityLab, argues that if you consider the combined costs of housing and transportation, the answer is yes.
August 27, 2014
America’s Progress on Street Safety Is Pathetic
A new report from the International Transport Forum shows America is only falling farther behind all of its peer nations on street safety [PDF].
August 20, 2014
Wisconsin’s Outdated Transportation Priorities Are Alienating Young People
Over-spending on roads is a bad idea for any state DOT. But it’s an especially bad idea if that state needs to retain more young people who don't want to be shackled to cars.
May 21, 2014
Survey: Freedom From Car Dependence Appeals Across Generations
When it comes to what Millennials and Baby Boomers look for in a community, the generation gap may be overstated.
April 30, 2014
Uncle Sam Wants You to Drive: 5 Tax Breaks for Cars in the U.S. Tax Code
It’s April 15. If you bought an electric car in 2013, you can claim a tax break today. If you bought a plug-in hybrid, you can get a tax break today. But if you don’t own a car and walk to work instead? Sorry, Charlie.
April 15, 2014
The Problem With Prescribing “Access to Cars” in the Fight Against Poverty
It goes without saying that the mass suburbanization of the past 60 years has been very bad news for people who can't afford cars, and it's getting worse as poverty levels rise in the suburbs.
April 4, 2014
Study: All Across America, Car Commuting Is Dropping
U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group are on a mission to explore the downward trend in driving. In a series of reports, they point to evidence that it isn’t just a temporary blip, but a long-term shift in how Americans get around. Today, the two organizations released a new report, “Transportation in Transition: A Look at Changing Travel Patterns in America’s Biggest Cities,” which shows that these changes are happening in regions all over the country.
December 4, 2013
Measuring the Shift Away From Car Ownership, City By City
A new analysis by Michael Andersen at Bike Portland helps illuminate how shifts in car ownership are playing out in different cities.
July 31, 2013
Has America Already Hit “Peak Car”?
In 1901, there were 10,000 motor vehicles in the United States.
June 21, 2013