USA

Study: Drivers Responsible For Way More Ammonia Pollution Than Previously Thought

By Kea Wilson | Dec 7, 2021

Federal and state agencies may be underestimating the amount of dangerous ammonia emissions that cars pump into the atmosphere by as much as a factor of five, a new study finds — and maybe more in urban areas.

Who’s a Good Boy? Five Ways To Make Cities More Dog Friendly (Without the Car)

By Kea Wilson | Dec 7, 2021

People who live with dogs are more likely to own cars and drive them — which is big news even without us running lots of photos of Kea Wilson's dog!

Agencies Plan Equitable COVID Recovery

By Kea Wilson | Dec 6, 2021

A staggering 88 percent of U.S. transit agencies expect that historically disenfranchised riders will be their primary customers as they recover from the pandemic, a new study finds.

NYC

Let’s Fix Killer ‘Signalized Sidewalks’

By Michael King | Dec 7, 2021

A flawed intersection design helped lead to the traffic death of a toddler on Staten Island. Here's what we must do — and which intersections around the city to avoid.

Movement History: Hazmat Suits and Street Memorials

By Charles Komanoff | Dec 6, 2021

Today, as we confront the bloodiest year in Mayor de Blasio's Vision Zero, Streetsblog begins a seven-part series focusing on a key strand in the movement for livable safe streets, written by a central figure in that movement, Charles Komanoff.

OPINION: City DOT Must Do More To Fix Atlantic Avenue

By Julia Salazar | Dec 2, 2021

Being a pedestrian or cyclist rather than a driver should not mean you are more likely to lose your life.

LA

Analysis Shows Racist Harms of Freeway Projects

By Joe Linton | Nov 12, 2021

In five states - California, Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Texas - the Times found that large highway building projects demolished homes predominantly in Black and Latino neighborhoods

Anatomy of an Officer-Involved Explosion: a Post-Mortem on LAPD’s E. 27th Street Fireworks Blast

By Sahra Sulaiman | Aug 11, 2021

A year ago, a councilmember co-authored a motion to shift $150mil from LAPD's budget. A month ago, LAPD called everyone but his office to watch them detonate fireworks in his district. The explosion rocked the city.

About that Bus Shelter Tweet: Street Services’ Demo Draws Attention to Sorry State of L.A. Bus Stops

By Damien Newton | Jul 23, 2021

Earlier today, a tweet from Metro in support of the Bureau of Street Services’ pop-ups on potential bus shelter designs featuring the above image quickly drew a lot of, er, shade. What about when more than two people are waiting for the bus? https://t.co/nwzwnm9zCM — TransitCenter (@TransitCenter) July 22, 2021 People across the twittersphere dunked […]

CHICAGO

“Reimagining Mobility’’ series encourages Lawndale residents to explore diverse travel modes

By John Greenfield | Dec 8, 2021

The series is organized by the mobility justice Equiticity, which is also working to open The Go Hub, a neighborhood transportation resource center.

No, concerns about equity didn’t kill the Ashland BRT plan. A car-centric backlash did.

By John Greenfield | Dec 7, 2021

It's not that city officials need to pick a more equitable street for bus rapid transit next time. They just need to show some backbone.

Wave of violence against CTA workers highlights the need for Transit Ambassadors

By John Greenfield | Dec 4, 2021

Everyone on the CTA deserves to feel and be safe, especially the transit employees who help keep the city moving.

SF

Caltrain Electrification Rises by $100 Million

By Roger Rudick | Dec 7, 2021

...delivery date still 2024

Berlin’s Transformation Is Wunderbar: a San Francisco Transplant’s View

By Roger Rudick | Dec 7, 2021

An urbanist moved from S.F. to Berlin last year. He reflects on how a progressive city can transform

Emeryville Bike and Ped Bridge Is Finished!

By Roger Rudick | Dec 3, 2021

It's rare that the Bay Area opens a piece of serious bike and pedestrian infrastructure, but the new South Bayfront Pedestrian Bridge is one. And it's gorgeous.

DENVER

We Can’t Ignore the Needs of Non-Drivers With Disabilities

By Kea Wilson | Aug 30, 2021

People with disabilities who don't drive are being left behind by accessibility efforts that ignore their unique and diverse needs — and centering them in city-building efforts can carry benefits for everyone, a new study argues.

Commentary: How a new emphasis on safer streets could drive big change in Colorado

By Streetsblog Denver | May 4, 2021

Colorado's wowntowns, main streets, and the urban arterials that have become so many of our main streets should be vibrant community centers, but people need to feel safe accessing them, no matter how they get there.

Commentary: Best Foot Forward

By Streetsblog Denver | Apr 26, 2021

Dear Denver: We met on Walk Score. Hello, again. I’m the woman who was looking to move from a mountain town of 450 people to you – you with public transportation and a large public library system and the symphony and museums and movie theaters and neighborhoods to walk.

CALIFORNIA

California, Cars, and the Vision of a More Diverse Transportation Future

By Roger Rudick | Nov 30, 2021

Streetsblog S.F.'s editor does a loop around the state and notes all the progress--and lack thereof--in creating a more equitable transportation system

Grants Will Support Four California Projects

By Melanie Curry | Nov 30, 2021

A rural bike plan; a downtown bike, ped, transit improvement project; seismic bridge retrofits; and fixing a highway that will intersect with High Speed Rail.

Report: Talk of Climate-Focused Transit Is Empty When CA Still Prioritizes Investment in Automobility

By Brian Addison | Nov 23, 2021

Researchers at the University of California looked at California's progress on climate-focused transit promises and proposals - and find that the state focuses only TWO PERCENT of its funding there. The rest goes towards making driving easier.

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 […]