True Story: Ratings Agency Pins Dangerous Roads on Car-Free Young People
The financial ratings agency Standard & Poor's has a new report out that presents a bizarre theory about dangerous conditions on American streets. It's the Millennials' fault, "but not in the way you think," they say. Prepare yourself for some ratings agency clickbait!
October 21, 2015
“Stupid Pedestrians” Aren’t Causing the High Death Toll on Delaware Streets
According to new data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Delaware is the most dangerous state for pedestrians per capita. Already this year, 28 people have been killed while walking in the tiny Mid-Atlantic state, about twice the national average, according to the News Journal.
October 21, 2015
Do Environmental Reviews for Road Projects Help the Environment?
It's been more than 40 years since the National Environmental Policy Act was enacted. In that time, America has built a lot of emissions-inducing, land-devouring highway infrastructure despite the environmental review process mandated by NEPA. It's fair to ask: When it comes to transportation infrastructure, does environmental review make a difference for the environment?
October 20, 2015
How Safety Rules and Enviro Regs Work to the Detriment of American Rail
America's convoluted regulation of passenger rail helps explain why the U.S. is so far behind other developed nations when it comes to rail travel.
October 16, 2015
Salt Lake City’s Groundbreaking Protected Intersection Is Open
The second protected intersection in the country is open in Salt Lake City, another milestone for American bike infrastructure.
October 16, 2015
Seattle Burb to Get Its Own Dutch-Inspired “Traffic Garden”
The traffic garden is a Dutch invention: a safe, controlled environment that gives children a chance to practice bicycling and walking in conditions that mimic city streets.
October 15, 2015
“Adam Ruins Everything” Explains the Origins of “Jaywalking”
Think the origins of "jaywalking" in 1920s car industry propaganda are too esoteric for a mainstream audience? Watch this clip from truTV's "Adam Ruins Everything" that adapts research from Peter Norton's Fighting Traffic, a history of how motordom conquered American streets in the early 20th century. It's a good sign when productions backed by the entertainment industry start devoting attention to topics like this.
October 14, 2015
How NIMBYism Stifles San Diego’s Sustainability Goals
Earlier this month, the California environmental group Next 10 released a study ranking the walkability of nearly 500 rail stations in the Golden State's major cities. Not surprisingly, San Diego's transit stations rated at or near the bottom.
October 14, 2015
Streets Have Changed Before, and They Can Change Again
Some of the fiercest battles over streets come down to resistance to change -- fears that claiming a lane of traffic for transit will cause carmageddon, or that converting parking spaces to bike lanes will starve local businesses of customers.
October 14, 2015
Sizing Up Target’s New Down-Sized Urban Stores
Love ’em or hate ’em, big box stores are shrinking their footprints in an effort to fit into city locations.
October 13, 2015