Day: July 19, 2012

How can more cars relieve congestion at an intersection?

Let’s say you worked for a city that was trying to revitalize a piece of land with a bunch of dilapidated buildings on it. You want to build some residences and some retail space, and you want to make better connections to the street grid. Congratulations – HUD and U.S. DOT both have money to help you get where you’re going. Except, oops: HUD is going to demand that you hire locally, to create jobs in the community, while U.S. DOT is going to demand that you get a competitive bid, showing no preference for local hires. Everyone you talk to at either agency just scratches their heads and says they don’t know anything about the other agency. They wouldn’t even know who to talk to over there.

From the Drivers-Don't-Pay-Their-Own-Way Department...

Welcome to the worst American drought in half a century. More than half the United States is considered to be in a "moderate or extreme drought." Missouri alone has recorded 50 wildfires -- since June. The corn crop is withering. Yesterday President Obama warned that hot and dry conditions threaten the nation's food supply. The Secretary of Agriculture reported a third of US counties had been labeled disaster zones.

More headlines at Streetsblog Capitol Hill