USA

How Auto Insurers Subsidize Car Carnage

By Eve Kessler | Oct 22, 2020

It costs less to insure an SUV, despite its role in the pedestrian death crisis. And drunk drivers barely pay more for insurance (why can they even get insurance again?).

Talking Headways Podcast: The Hidden Terror of Driverless Cars (It’s Not What You Think)

By Jeff Wood | Oct 22, 2020

Are we going to live in a world where nothing moves unless Amazon or Google, gets a piece of the action?

Could Car Share Become a Part of Transit?

By Kea Wilson | Oct 21, 2020

For more than 20 years, U.S. car-sharing services have failed to deliver on the promise of reducing private vehicle ownership at large scale — but an innovative new business model rolling out on the streets of Minneapolis and St. Paul soon may give the industry the jolt it needs.

NYC

A Round and a Roundy: A Tale of Two Mayors

By Streetsblog | Oct 21, 2020

Another clarion call from our national treasure editorial cartoonist.

Experts Foresee Diverse Curbside Uses

By Eve Kessler | Oct 21, 2020

Vision Zero Conference panel says 'amenities' are coming — and drivers will pay for space.

NYPD Abuses Damaging Locals’ Confidence

By Gersh Kuntzman | Oct 20, 2020

Here's an article to clip and save for the days after Nov. 3.

LA

Metro Board Unanimously Approves Motion to Delay 605/5 Freeway Widening and Instead Study Alternatives

By Joe Linton | Oct 22, 2020

Metro's Board sends a strong rebuke to Metro's Highway Program

Metro Plans to Take Out 200+ Downey Homes to Widen 5 and 605 Freeways

By Joe Linton | Oct 3, 2020

Downey resident Alexandria Contreras says Metro's "I-605 Corridor Improvement Project" is "not an improvement, it's destruction, state sanctioned violence.... immoral and unjust."

Cops Give Contradictory Account of Dijon Kizzee Killing

By Sahra Sulaiman | Sep 19, 2020

The 2nd deputy doesn't draw his gun until nearly 2 seconds after Kizzee's gun has skittered along the ground to its final resting place

CHICAGO

Raising Gas Tax Could Forestall Carmaggedon

By John Greenfield | Oct 22, 2020

Raising the city gas tax a few cents a gallon would help deter unnecessary car trips while addressing the budget shortfall, without causing undue fiscal pain for residents.

PPE Vending Machines Come to Chicago ‘L’ Stations

By John Greenfield | Oct 21, 2020

While the initiative can't hurt, it won't be helpful for people who lack masks -- which are for sale just about everywhere nowadays -- because they can't afford to buy them.

Chicago Loop Alliance: More residents are using private cars to commute downtown

By Sharon Hoyer | Oct 15, 2020

A report released yesterday by the CLA found a disproportionate spike in downtown parking rates recently as compared with pedestrian traffic and business activity.

SF

Expanded Caltrain Equals Six Freeway Lanes

By Roger Rudick | Oct 20, 2020

That makes Caltrain expansion a relative bargain--plus it won't pollute, cause more road carnage, or induce more traffic jams

Safest Block on Broadway is a Construction Zone

By Roger Rudick | Oct 20, 2020

Oakland finally follows Dutch/Danish best practices by placing the construction barrier between moving cars and the bike lane

SFCTA Maroons Treasure Island Cyclists

By Roger Rudick | Oct 15, 2020

Tammy Powers' bike normally takes a relaxing 45 minutes. But the San Francisco County Transportation Authority just announced a six-month closure of the only bike access between Treasure Island and the Oakland Bay Bridge, forcing her to add an hour, and two bus rides, to get to work.

DENVER

Back on Track: A Delicate Balance in District I

By Streetsblog Denver | Oct 23, 2020

In two weeks, the Regional Transportation District will welcome eight new members to its Board of Directors. Seven will be elected by voters within each district but the eighth seat—District I—will be chosen by the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. District I consists of the eastern part of Boulder County, which includes most of […]

App Maps Cities’ Walkable Neighborhoods

By Kea Wilson | Oct 21, 2020

A new tool can help you advocate for your cities to cultivate the walkable amenities that are missing, as well as create safe routes to reach them.

How Denver’s GO Bond Could Transform Citywide Mobility

By Streetsblog Denver | Oct 20, 2020

Welcome to the new Streetsblog Denver series covering the Elevate Denver General Obligation bond. Every Tuesday, we’ll be looking at and dissecting different biking, walking, and transit upgrades across the city. We’ll explore the planning aspects behind key projects in addition to considering how these changes will affect the lives of people in the communities where they are located.

CALIFORNIA

A Historical Perspective on Los Angeles’ Traffic Congestion Fight

By Melanie Curry | Oct 19, 2020

UCLA paper describes century-long efforts to quell, redirect, and control the problems that come with congestion - and the very little success achieved

Governor Signs Housing, Sustainable Transportation Bills

By Melanie Curry | Sep 29, 2020

But he vetoes a bill declaring housing as a human right, inconsistent with his willingness to set aspirational goals in other areas (such as electric vehicle mandates)

Bike to Whereever Day: A Pivot from BTWD, Celebrating Some Progress

By Melanie Curry | Sep 25, 2020

Events like these are a fabulous way of both celebrating the hard-fought changes we have seen and of reminding everyone why better bike facilities are important and necessary.

SOUTHEAST

How I Respond to “Atlanta Is a Car Town, Not a Cycling and Transit Town”

By ATL Urbanist | Jan 2, 2018

A commenter on a recent post of mine mentioned a couple of pretty common criticisms about expectations for growth in cycling and transit in Atlanta.

What Makes a Good City? You Need the Right Codes

By David Walters | Dec 1, 2017

How can we stop design and planning mistakes from damaging our city? Part 2 in a series of illustrated essays on urban design.

Suburban Exclusion of MARTA and Access to the Braves Stadium

By ATL Urbanist | Nov 13, 2017

There is a way to get to the Braves stadium by using Cobb County’s transit service. But that service is nowhere near as extensive as MARTA and doesn’t meet the needs of the people who live in suburban poverty.

OHIO

What’s Really Behind GCRTA’s Falling Ridership Levels?

By Tim Kovach | Dec 20, 2017

The past year has been eventful, to say least, for public transit in Northeast Ohio.

Driving Is the Problem, Not the Solution

By Tim Kovach | Dec 15, 2017

We’re officially in the middle of the holiday season, which can only mean one thing – that’s right, the 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) data for 2016 came out last week.

COTA to Interview Four Candidates for CEO Post

By Brent Warren | Dec 13, 2017

Four candidates will be interviewed to be the next CEO of the Central Ohio Transit Authority.

STL

Why You Should Go to the Chouteau Greenway Events this Week

By William Smith | Jan 3, 2018

If you haven’t yet heard of Great Rivers Greenway (GRG) or specifically the Chouteau Greenway, you’re missing out on one of the most exciting developments planned in St. Louis.

Take Parking Away From Treasurer’s Office

By Steve Patterson | Jan 3, 2018

Former St. Louis treasurer Larry Williams reminds me of a small town version of New York's Robert Moses (1888-1981), using the state legislature to give him money and power while also remaining free of oversight.

How Much Do People in Missouri Bicycle?

By Brent Hugh | Dec 6, 2017

How much do people in Missouri bicycle? Is the amount of bicycling in Missouri growing? How to Missouri communities compare with other U.S. cities and with major cities of the world?

TEXAS

The One Little Rule That Decides Where Austin’s Towers Build Parking

By Dan Keshet | Jan 2, 2018

Not every tower in downtown Austin looks exactly the same, but there is one defining characteristic that describes almost all of them: parking. Most towers rest on top of what they call in the industry a parking plinth, the tower base where folks store their cars.

Remembering Pedestrian Pete

By Leah Binkovitz | Dec 13, 2017

Irascible, ornery, unconventional, Pedestrian Pete pushed Houston to be better and embrace walkable urbanism.

Harvey to Be a Turning Point for Equitable Transit-Oriented Development in Houston

By Raj Mankad | Dec 7, 2017

Rendering of New Hope Housing project on Harrisburg. Courtesy: GSMA.The urban ambitions of our government leaders — so easy to dismiss in the past as nice words with no budget — may get a serious infusion of funds because of Harvey. The Texas delegation that Governor Abbott took to Washington D.C. lobbied for $61 billion beyond what the state already expects to receive from […]