Month: November 2009
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Wanted: Your Photos of Kids on Bikes
Hey,
we need your help again for our next slide show. This one is going to
make you feel good. We're looking for pictures of kids on bikes -- on
their own, with their parents, on trailers and seats and Xtracycles and
whatever other kind of rig there is. Show us what you've got.
November 20, 2009
Carlyle Group’s New Infrastructure Public-Private Partnership: Donuts
As the federal deficit squeezes the Obama administration's options for
financing ambitious new infrastructure projects, public-private
partnerships (PPPs) are gaining
currency as a possible solution. And in an illustration of PPPs'
potential, the $86 billion private-equity firm Carlyle Group yesterday struck a deal with the state of Connecticut to run ... 23 highway rest stops.
November 20, 2009
It’s Official: Chicago Parking Privatization a Massive Rip-Off
City parking meters are a gold mine, and in Chicago, Morgan Stanley is rolling in parking riches. Secret company documents leaked to reporters show the company will rake in a 70 percent profit margin this year from its $1.15 billion, 75-year lease of Chicago’s parking meters. This profit is on top of the millions Morgan … Continued
November 20, 2009
To Thrive, Suburbs Might Become More Urban
A very interesting article in USA Today on the future viability of suburbs came up in our Twitter feed this morning, via Community Research Partners of Columbus, Ohio.
November 20, 2009
Cyclist Injured in Crash on the Wiggle
A bicyclist was seriously injured this afternoon after a woman driving an SUV struck him at the intersection of Haight and Pierce Streets. According to eyewitness accounts, he remained conscious after the crash, and was taken to the hospital by the Fire Department.
November 19, 2009
New Draft San Francisco Transbay Development Plan Unveiled Today
The San Francisco Planning Department will release the Draft Plan for the new Transbay Terminal and development project after the Planning Commission meeting tonight at 5:30 p.m. According to Planning's Joshua Switzky, the plan will be presented to the commission but there will not be extensive discussion about its details until future public hearings.
November 19, 2009
New Study Quantifies High Personal Costs of Building CA Cities for Cars
California residents living in sprawling suburban developments could save billions of dollars every year if they lived in denser, urban zones and along transit corridors, according to a study released today by smart growth and transit advocates TransForm. Analyzing four metropolitan areas--Southern California, the San Francisco Bay Area, San Diego, and Sacramento--Windfall for All found that shifting populations in those regions to denser development along transit corridors would save save $31 billion per year, or $3,850 on average per household [Report Summary PDF].
November 19, 2009
Dec 5 Service Changes Catch Chinatown, Vis Valley Muni Riders by Surprise
When the MTA Board approved wide-ranging changes to Muni service at its meetings this fall, most of the public comment was from residents who didn't want rerouted bus lines to pass by their homes, and merchants who opposed articulated buses running in front of their shops. As Streetsblog's coverage noted at the time, the absence of Muni riders at the meeting was striking, perhaps indicating a lack of proper notice.
November 19, 2009
Pelosi: Passing a Wall Street Transport Tax Would Require Overseas Buy-in
Any proposal to fund new U.S. infrastructure investment by taxing
financial transactions -- such as Rep. Pete DeFazio's (D-OR) bill taxing
Wall Street oil speculators -- would require international
participation to prevent the trades in question from migrating
overseas, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) said today.
November 19, 2009