Around the Block
Streetsblog Basics
Who’s Gonna Get Stuck With the Bill for Seattle’s Highway Tunnel Misadventure?
Seattle's massive downtown highway tunnel, originally slated at $3.1 billion, is now expected to cost at least $4 billion when all is said and done. Who's going to pay?
April 7, 2017
3 Steps to Fight Street Harassment
Cat calls, patronizing enjoinders to "smile," and more aggressive forms of harassment can make walking or biking uncomfortable or threatening. Katie Matchett, an urban planner who writes about pedestrian issues at Where the Sidewalk Starts, says it's up to everyone -- men and women -- to combat it.
April 6, 2017
Is Portland Losing Its Resolve Against Highway Expansions?
In the 1970s, some American cities revolted against highway expansion and kept the worst excesses of the interstate construction spree in check. Those cities tend to be the most walkable and transit-oriented places in the nation today. But in Portland that legacy is in jeopardy.
April 5, 2017
Atlanta’s I-85 Collapse — Another “Carmaggedon” That Wasn’t
When a heavily-traveled section of Atlanta's I-85 collapsed in a fire last week, the traffic predictions were dire. But the highway disruption appears to be another case of "carmaggedon" that never materialized.
April 4, 2017
The GOP Case for Cutting Federal Transit Funding Isn’t Principled — It’s Tribalism
The insistence that transit is a local issue while highways are a national concern is an article of faith at right-wing think tanks. But highways mostly serve the same type of trips that Republicans believe are inappropriate for federal funding.
April 3, 2017
Why Do Teenage Girls Lose Interest in Biking?
Jennifer Dill at Portland State University is taking a close look at why girls' attitudes about biking change over time. In a study of 300 Portland-area families, she observed that a gender gap in attitudes toward cycling isn't apparent in younger kids, but when girls reach adolescence, they don't view cycling as positively as boys do.
March 29, 2017
Highway Projects Won’t Save the Rust Belt
Highway mega-projects remain tempting to struggling cities and regions in the Rust Belt. But evidence shows they shift economic activity away from existing business districts and don't generate lasting improvements.
March 28, 2017
Nashville Is Ready to Embrace Transit
Regional planners have put together a $6 billion transit expansion plan that calls for four light rail lines, three bus rapid transit routes, a commuter rail connection, and more. And it looks like a referendum in Nashville would fare well.
March 27, 2017
Seattle Campaign to #GivePedsTheGreen Would Do Away With “Beg Buttons”
A petition in Seattle is calling on the city to do away with "beg buttons" and automatically give pedestrians a walk signal at every traffic light in its "urban villages" -- areas that are walkable and transit-oriented.
March 24, 2017
Portland Advocates Won’t Settle for Business-as-Usual Highway Spending
Advocates in Portland are challenging the region's business-as-usual approach to transportation planning. They're sick of roads getting most of the funding pie, while transit, biking, and walking get crumbs.
March 23, 2017
