Ten Urban Freeways That Need to Come Down
There are excellent candidates for freeway removal in many American cities, where roads built 50 or 60 years ago are nearing the end of their useful lives. Cities that take the plunge and get rid of their urban highways don't regret it.
January 31, 2017
Democrats Can’t Fight Trump and Make a Deal on Infrastructure at the Same Time
Chuck Schumer says he will "claw, scrap, and fight with every fiber of my being" to overturn Donald Trump's executive order preventing refugees and residents of seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the country. If that's the case, Schumer should abandon his strategy of dealmaking with Trump on a big infrastructure bill.
January 30, 2017
Keep an Eye on These 10 Cities (including L.A.) Aiming for Big Increases in Cycling
The national advocacy organization People for Bikes has selected 10 American cities to participate in "The Big Jump" -- a program that seeks to double or triple cycling rates in specific neighborhoods. The goal is to demonstrate how smart policy can lead to big changes in a short amount of time.
January 26, 2017
Mayors Stand Up to Trump’s Executive Order on Sanctuary Cities
With an executive order yesterday, Donald Trump followed through on his threat to punish cities where local police do not report undocumented immigrants. Funds for transportation, housing, and other programs may (or may not) be at stake, but mayors of sanctuary cities around the country made it clear they are not backing down.
January 26, 2017
Today Trump Gags the EPA. Tomorrow the GOP Strangles the Census.
Republicans want to cut off federal data that social science researchers depend on, limiting our ability to understand the effects of transportation and land use policy, especially on the most vulnerable Americans.
January 25, 2017
U.S. Senate Dems Put Out Their Own Trillion Dollar Infrastructure Plan
Senate Democrats have an infrastructure "blueprint" of their own, one that's weighted toward transit. The trouble is that Democrats have little power to set terms, and getting drawn into negotiations over an unnecessary infrastructure bill may not play out to their advantage.
January 25, 2017
How Could Transit Agencies Cope With a Sudden Loss of Federal Funds?
Under Trump and the Republican Congress, transit agencies can't be certain the funding they're expecting will materialize. Via TransitCenter, here's a look at how cities have coped with the sudden and dramatic loss of resources.
January 25, 2017
Trump’s First Budget May Zero Out Federal Transit Funding
Donald Trump's first budget will follow a blueprint for extreme spending cuts laid out by the Heritage Foundation, the Hill reports. That could spell disaster for cities, since Heritage recommends eliminating federal support for transit.
January 20, 2017
North Dakota May Make It Legal to Run Over Protestors
North Dakota state rep Keith Kempenich has had enough of people exercising their right to assembly and free expression. In response to the protests at Standing Rock, Kempenich has introduced legislation to shield drivers from penalty who unintentionally strike a pedestrian "obstructing vehicular traffic."
January 19, 2017
The Case for a Tax on Parking Lots
Parking lots make cities less walkable, bikeable, and transit-friendly. They crowd out space for housing. But with a parking lot tax, incentives change and using parking as a placeholder becomes a lot less attractive.
January 19, 2017