Entries tagged with Transit
Citizens Acting Like Citizens
June 9, 2010
Kudos to Chicago Transit Authority. CTA invited citizens to "adopt a station," and they responded by painting L stations. Bryn Mawr and Granville on the Red Line got the makeovers. Let's hope we see lots more of this as city budgets continue to be pinched in these tough times. …
The Infrastructure Imperative
May 27, 2010
The Urban Land Institute, with Ernst and Young, has released a new report on infrastructure called "Infrastructure 2010: Investment Imperative." Here is the imperative in a nutshell:
...America’s future prosperity, world economic standing and ability to accommodate over 100 million more people by 2050 depends directly on “bolstering…
Last night, CEOs for Cities attended a reception at the Dirksen Senate Office building hosted by Transportation for America. More than 100 business leaders attended the event as part of T4A's national campaign to mobilize major U.S. employers in support of their agenda for the federal Transportation Reauthorization…
When Does a Bike Lane Become an Economic Stimulus?
April 22, 2010
When it's part of an alternative transportation system that puts $19 billion into New York City's economy each year.
In time for Earth Day, the New York City Department of Transportation released New York City's Green Dividend, a report by CEOs for Cities that, for the first time, aggregates the economic…
DOT Announces $280M for Transit
December 3, 2009
As part of the Livability Initiative, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced it would be making available $280 million in 2010 for grants to streetcars, buses and other urban circulator projects. "Priority will be given to projects that connect destinations and foster the redevelopment of communities into walkable,…
Rail~volution
October 29, 2009
It’s an exciting time for change agents working toward more livable communities, with leadership at the federal level finding new ways to collaborate across the issues of transportation, housing and land use.
And Rail~volution, a national conference kicking off today, will offer insight into that process with a dynamic conversation…
Rebel without a Car
October 12, 2009
Is the love affair between cars and young people starting to cool?
That could be the case, according to a new study of auto-related online commentary among teens and young adults by J.D. Power and Associates reported by the LA Times.
Between January and August, the market research…
Vote No on Issue 9
September 20, 2009
Nice video in support of Cincinnati's battle for transit at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3n8coGqe04.
(Hat tip to Aaron Renn at Urbanophile.)
The Radical Urbanist: Enrique Penalosa
August 31, 2009
Those who met Enrique Penalosa at our national meeting in San Diego last spring know that he is unapologetically pro-urban, pro-pedestrian and anti-car. We recently ran across a series of videos featuring Enrique's thoughts on a car-free world, investing in public space and cities as a means of achieving equality…
Successful Transit Is Only Half the Story
August 11, 2009
Many urban leaders long for light rail. Many make the trip to Portland and come away with visions of the line they will build in their own cities.
The problem is, though, they forget to ride the buses that connect to the light rail lines. They forget to drive Portland's…
Is High Speed Rail a Good Investment?
July 29, 2009
Harvard's Ed Glaeser weighs in with the first of three blog posts on the topic. He urges serious cost benefit analysis, writing, "Large infrastructure projects are complicated things that all have hundreds of consequences, some good and some bad. It is easy to come up with good and bad…
Bus Stops of the Future
May 23, 2009
You have to see these (especially if, like me, you stand on an open el platform in Chicago winters).
A German Suburb without Cars
May 12, 2009
Residents of Vauban, Germany, "are suburban pioneers, going where few soccer moms or commuting executives have ever gone before: they have given up their cars." Cars are forbidden on most of Vauban's streets, and houses cannot have driveways or garages.
Portland Lands $75M for Streetcar
April 30, 2009
Portland won approval today for not just the 3.35-mile eastside streetcar extension, but to start a new streetcar industry here in the Portland region with an order for 6 streetcars to be built at United Streetcar.
The Loop Project is a 3.35-mile extension of the Portland Streetcar…
High Speed Rail a Priority for White House
April 16, 2009
President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and Sec. of Transportation Ray LaHood held a press conference today to announce a new U.S. push to transform travel in America, creating high-speed rail lines from city to city, reducing dependence on cars and planes and spurring economic development.
The President laid…
Portland a Model, Says LaHood
April 14, 2009
Good for Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood for his endorsement this morning of Portland's transit system as "a model for the nation." LaHood also called Portland a model for reducing pollution, "getting people out of their cars" and creating "livable" communities. How encouraging it is to see Secretary LaHood acknowledge…
Selling Density
February 12, 2009
Building affordable housing and parks at the same time density is advanced helps sell density.
Terry Montague of the Atlanta Beltline just noted that the silos at the federal level flow all the way down to local communities. So it makes it difficult to advance multiple linked agendas as she…
Housing: What's Next Part II
February 12, 2009
Mary Nichols, Chairman of California Air Resources Board, says Ed's recommendation to getting rid of the unlimited home mortgage interest deduction has not yet been discussed as a solution to climate change. California has been absent from the scene in land use for many years, but the desire to mitigate…
Thank You, Mr. President
February 11, 2009
This just in from the Midwest High Speed Rail Association...
"The Senate approved the stimulus package today. The conference committee hopes to have a finished bill on the President's desk by Monday.
"But that isn't why this action alert is so important. Earlier today, President Obama listed high-speed…
Transit Cut but Ridership Up
February 3, 2009
How much sense does this make? The NYT just posted a story that begins like this: "There are some 2,300 bus stops around St. Louis where the buses will no longer stop at the end of next month, when, despite rising ridership, the cash-strapped transit system plans to lay…
Transit Cuts
January 25, 2009
Find them here, courtesy of Transportation for America.
One Way to Grab the Green Dividend
January 11, 2009
Have you seen Arlington, Virgina's Car-Free Diet campaign? Very clever.
Obama: Santa to Cities?
December 1, 2008
As reported by Politico: "To the nation’s mayors, Barack Obama seems a little like Santa Claus — with a big sack of federal money to build local projects that would help stimulate the nation’s faltering economy.
"With infrastructure investment a key tenet of the economic…
Transportation for America
November 17, 2008
As calls for federal investments in infrastructure get louder, send President-Elect Obama a message to support a new direction for America developed by Transportation for America.
Major points include:
1. A 21st CENTURY NETWORK: Invest in a world-leading, sustainable transportation system.
2. NO MORE BLANK…
How to Build a Great City
November 16, 2008
That's the cover headline on a recent issue of Azure. Inside, reporter Nelda Rodger asks, "Is a great city one that is thrilling to live in, or one where you never have to lock your bike? Where buildings are tourist attractions, or where everyone rides public transit? Can a…
The Momentum of Special Events
October 19, 2008
In preparation for the World Cup in 2010, Johannesburg is building its first metro line that will run approximately 60 km (with stops to include the airport). In the central city, the line is underground, again. The city is also building bus rapid transit in the city center, based on…
Making the Wait More Entertaining
October 19, 2008
Just heard on CNN Worldwide that Shanghai is trying to make the wait for its metro more entertaining. On one line with 12 minute headways, Shanghai has installed a system to lend magazines to waiting riders. Problem is, only 10 days into the program, riders haven't quite figured out how…
The Citiwiki Project
October 8, 2008
Take a look at Pittsburgh's Citiwiki that invites citizens to offer their own ideas to develop an intelligent, easy-to-use transportation system that works for people of every stripe?
The goal of the Wiki is to harness the considerable intellectual firepower of the Pittsburgh region's thoughtful citizenry to help transform…
Connected Urban Development
September 30, 2008
Cisco is promoting a concept called "Connected Urban Development" in partnership with cities to cut traffic congestion and reduce C02 by deploying innovative connected network solutions. The program initially involved three pilot cities: San Francisco, Amsterdam and Seoul. According to the Financial Times, "these were selected because each…
Will It Draw Hot Chicks?
August 25, 2008
That will be an important sign of whether bus rapid transit, the value-priced alternative to light rail, actually works, according to Alan Hoffman, a San Diego-based transit consultant. It may not be politically correct to say so out loud, he said , "but it's what I call the 'AYF Factor.'…
Drive Less...Pay Less
July 31, 2008
Consumerist reports that GMAC Insurance is offering a discount for drivers who keep their miles down.
Case for Greening?Early
July 29, 2008
The current hype around the pollution challenges Beijing is facing in the lead up to the Olympics offers an interesting opportunity for a microcosm view of pollution management issues world-wide.
This Wall Street Journal article highlights the economic impacts of excessive pollution. “Two years ago, with the…
A New Bus for London
July 29, 2008
Here's an interesting example of open source design. London Mayor Boris Johnson is inviting ideas from everyone for a new bus for the city, based on the much-missed Routemaster. The competition has two categories: Fun ideas from everybody and Professional ideas based on actual plans for the Routemaster.
Any City Can Be Transformed
July 2, 2008
Jaime Lerner, former mayor of Curitiba, Brazil, is a delightful maverick who insists that any city can be transformed. In an interview with CNN, Lerner insisted that "every city can improve its quality of life in less than three years, no matter the scale or the financial conditions. All you…
Wake Up Wake County
June 27, 2008
Last night, I shared the stage with the very impressive Keith Parker, who heads the Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS), at Wake Up Wake County's forum on transit. A committed group of volunteers in Raleigh, North Carolina, whipped up 300+ citizens to attend an evening forum on transit plans…
On the Road
June 24, 2008
A heavy two weeks of meetings with urban leaders in cities across the country left me with several thoughts:
Urban leaders are scrambling to figure out how to respond to high gas prices, and transit is a priority for mayors everywhere. Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio has made…
New York City's $19B Green Dividend
April 21, 2010
When does a bike lane become an economic stimulus? When it's part of an alternative transportation system that puts $19 billion into New York City's economy each year.
Because New Yorkers drive substantially less than the average American, they realize a staggering $19 billion in savings each year — money…
Investing in Detroit's Future
February 25, 2010
All eyes are on Detroit, including ours. CEOs for Cities will host our national Opportunity Dividend Summit in the Motor City next week with our partners at the United Way of Southeastern Michigan. And last week, Detroit's transit initiative, the privately funded M-1 line along Woodward Avenue, received a…
Harriet Tregoning on the Green Dividend
January 30, 2009
Harriet Tregoning, head of the D.C. Office of Planning shares her insights on ways that cities can begin to think about capturing the Green Dividend.
Stimulus Proposal Released
January 16, 2009
The House Appropriations Committee has released information on the proposed economic stimulus package that has the following as its focus:
- Clean, Efficient, American Energy
- Transforming our Economy with Science and Technology
- Modernizing Roads, Bridges, Transit and Waterways
- Education for the 21st Century
- Tax Cuts to Make Work Pay and…
The Stimulus: Making a Strong Case for Cities
January 13, 2009
Negotiations on the stimulus package continue. While the “Investments” portion of the four-part package (infrastructure) gets smaller, it also seems to be getting narrower. Included are roads, bridges, schools and water systems. Transit is currently not favored out of fear that transit projects are not “shovel ready.” There also seems…