State DOTs to Feds: We Don’t Want to Reveal Our Impact on Climate Change
Every year state DOTs receive tens of billions of dollars in transportation funds from the federal government. By and large, they can do whatever they want with the money, which in most states means wasting enormous sums on pork-laden highway projects. Now that U.S. DOT might impose some measure of accountability on how states use these funds, of course the states are fighting to keep their spending habits as opaque as possible.
August 18, 2016
John Oliver on the Cruel Poverty Trap That is Subprime Auto Lending
Never forget this: Those who pay the highest price for the American system of transportation -- one that makes owning a personal car practically a mandate -- are the poor. We've reported before about how the largely unregulated subprime auto lending market has been expanding in recent years, leading some people to wonder if a breakdown in the auto loan industry could echo the housing bubble.
August 17, 2016
Study: High-Traffic Arterial Roads Reduce Quality of Life, Even Blocks Away
Seminal research by Donald Appleyard in the 1970s found the volume of traffic on a street affects quality of life for residents in profound and unexpected ways. For example, the amount of social contact people had with their neighbors was curtailed for those who lived on high traffic streets compared with those living on quieter streets. People even defined their "home area" much more narrowly if they lived on a busy road.
August 17, 2016
“Pocket” Bike Lanes: A Small Step to Make Intersections Work Better?
A bike lane that appears at an intersection to help guide bicyclists out of the way of turning drivers -- in Washington, D.C., they call this a "pocket lane." David Cranor writes at Greater Greater Washington that the District is looking to add them along streets that don't otherwise have bike lanes, targeting intersections where they might help avoid conflicts. He says:
August 15, 2016
Study: Even Drivers Prefer Protected Bike Lanes
When it comes to allocating street space, it is often taken for granted that anything that benefits people on bikes harms people who drive. Such assumptions are contradicted by data showing that cycling infrastructure makes streets safer for all users, and don't mesh with a new study on motorist preferences.
August 12, 2016
If You Want to Fix Sorry Bus Stops, Don’t Forget to Tell the DOT
Streetsblog just wrapped up our 2016 Sorriest Bus Stop in America competition, with a waiting area on a state highway in Silver Spring, Maryland, beating out 15 other terrible bus stops for the crown of shame. For our voters, asking people to cross a six-lane divided road with no signal was unforgivable.
August 10, 2016
Streets Without Sidewalks Are Killing Florida Pedestrians
Florida is the most dangerous state in the nation for pedestrians, according to Transportation for America. More than 5,100 people were killed while walking in the state between 2003 and 2010, and four Florida cities rated among T4A's list of the most dangerous for walking.
August 10, 2016
This Tiny Roadside Refuge in Silver Spring Is Your Sorriest Bus Stop, America
The people have spoken, and the winner of Streetsblog's 2016 Sorriest Bus Stop in America tournament is this beauty on Colesville Road in Silver Spring, Maryland.
August 9, 2016
Survey: Americans Want DOTs to Factor Climate Change in Their Decisions
Should we continue to let state transportation departments spend tens of billions of dollars in federal funds each year without regard to how highway expansions contribute to climate change? Right now U.S. DOT is looking to inject some accountability into a process that has created a very carbon-intensive transportation system, and a new poll suggests most Americans would welcome that.
August 8, 2016
NTSB Finally Takes an Interest in Cycling Deaths — Still Misses the Point
The National Transportation Safety Board is best known for investigating train crashes and plane crashes to figure out what went wrong.
August 8, 2016