Barack Obama
Streetsblog Basics
Portland Elects Cyclist Mayor; Obama Draws 8,000 on Bikes
On Tuesday, voters in Portland, Oregon elected Sam Adams as their next mayor. A former Congressional staffer and current Portland city commissioner, Adams -- who is a cyclist -- ran on a platform that emphasized environmental and progressive growth initiatives, including, in the words of the Oregonian, "use [of] the
Portland Streetcar and better planning to spur urban
renewal." Adams received strong support from the livable streets community, which helped earn him a 52-34 percent margin of victory.
May 22, 2008
Clinton Camp May Rethink Gas Tax Strategy
With a big loss in North Carolina and a razor-thin victory in Indiana, the Times reports that Senator Hillary Clinton's advisers are expected to reconsider her campaign strategy for upcoming Democratic primaries -- specifically, whether to continue pushing for a federal gas tax cut.
May 7, 2008
Obama Dismisses Gas Tax “Gimmick”
With primaries in North Carolina and Indiana less than a week out, Barack Obama seems to have taken Streetsbloggers' advice with this ad explaining why a suspension of the federal gas tax, as called for by Hillary Clinton and John McCain (among others), is a sham. It's a masterful spot: the swelling orchestral score, the shots of everyday North Carolinians nodding in agreement as the candidate links the lie of the "short-term quick fix" gimmick to the need for fundamental change in Washington.
May 1, 2008
Obama Endorses Pricing as “Thoughtful and Innovative”
Last month Barack Obama released details of a vaguely encouraging transportation platform, pledging investment in rail and "livable communities." Today the Democratic presidential candidate endorsed congestion pricing.
March 27, 2008
Obama’s National Transportation Plan Includes Bicycling & Walking
Democratic front runner Barack Obama just released a campaign "Fact Sheet" entitled, "Strengthening America's Transportation Infrastructure" (download it). While Hillary Clinton has put forward some outstanding and heavily transit-oriented plans of her own, Obama appears to be the first major party presidential candidate to outline a national transportation platform that explicitly seeks to "create policies that incentivize greater bicycle and pedestrian usage of sidewalks and roads" (if anyone knows differently, let us know in the comments section). Whatever the case, it's a significant step up from the 2004 campaign featuring George W. Bush's mountain bike fitness regimen and John Kerry, spandex-clad on an $8,000 Serotta.
February 27, 2008
Who is the Livable Streets Candidate?
It's Super Duper Tuesday, primary election day here in New York. If you're still mulling your options and trying to figure out who the best candidate on Livable Streets issues is, Damien Newton of Street Heat L.A. and the editor of soon-to-be-launched Streetsblog Los Angeles, dug up the positions of the Democrats and Republicans for us. Grist and the Los Angeles Times have also done some nice candidate round-ups.
February 5, 2008
Would Dems’ Pledge for “Change” Bring Transportation Reform?
This is part two of a two-part series on where candidates for
president stand on transportation issues, authored by Streetsblog Los
Angeles correspondent Damien Newton. Damien currently runs the blog Street Heat,
which is soon to become Streetsblog L.A., our first foray into foreign
territory. Damien was New Jersey coordinator for the Tri-State
Transportation Campaign before relocating to California last year.
Yesterday he examined the platforms and records of the Republican
presidential candidates; today, the Democrats.
January 30, 2008
Is Barack Obama the Livable Streets Candidate?
Barack Obama is a long-time cyclist (Photo: Chicago Tribune)
January 2, 2008