City Streets in State Officials’ Hands Can Be a Recipe for Disaster
Cities shouldn't have to fight with state departments of transportation to ensure streets are safe for their residents. But too often that's exactly the case, and when cities lose, the result can be deadly.
September 27, 2016
White House: Make Cities Affordable By Building for Walkability, Not Parking
The Obama administration is taking on the crisis of rising rents in American cities, releasing a series of recommendations today to spur the construction of more affordable housing. Among the many ideas the White House endorses: allowing more multi-family housing near transit and getting rid of parking minimums.
September 27, 2016
More Evidence That Speed Cameras Work
The evidence is clear: Speed cameras save lives.
September 26, 2016
Why a Struggling Industrial City Decided Bikes Are the Way Forward
Reading, Pennsylvania, isn't your stereotypical biking mecca. It's a low-income, largely Latino, post-industrial city of almost 90,000 people.
September 26, 2016
Will US DOT’s Self-Driving Car Rules Make Streets Safe for Walking and Biking?
This week, U.S. DOT released guidelines for self-driving cars, a significant step as regulators prepare for companies to bring this new technology to market. Autonomous vehicles raise all sorts of questions about urban transportation systems. It's up to advocates to ensure that the technology helps accomplish broader goals like safer streets and more efficient use of urban space, instead of letting private companies dictate the terms.
September 23, 2016
Restrictive Housing Policies in a Few Cities Hurt the Whole U.S. Economy
It's no secret that major coastal cities are dealing with a housing shortage that's causing runaway rents. What's less well understood, however, is how low-density zoning not only limits the supply of housing but affects the U.S. economy more broadly.
September 23, 2016
The Threat of Racial Profiling in Traffic Enforcement
Can urban police forces with histories of racial profiling and brutality be entrusted to carry out traffic enforcement as part of Vision Zero initiatives? In a Twitter chat yesterday, the Safe Routes to School National Partnership asked how to ensure that "law enforcement doesn't profile or discriminate" when asked to uphold traffic laws.
September 22, 2016
What Can a Mileage Tax Tell Us That a Gas Tax Can’t?
Can taxes on driving mileage replace gas taxes as a source of transportation funds? Right now the state of Oregon is testing a mileage tax with an opt-in pilot program called "OreGo." Participants install a device that tracks their driving and pay 1.5 cents per mile, which is assessed from a special account.
September 21, 2016
How Transit Agencies Can Offer Better Paratransit Service at Lower Costs
Paratransit service for people with disabilities is a big part of what modern transit agencies do, and it's getting bigger all the time. As the population ages and more people rely on paratransit to get around, agencies need to get smart about how they provide the service -- or else rising costs will eat into their capacity to run buses and trains.
September 20, 2016
Where Walkability and Affordability Overlap in the D.C. Region
Neighborhoods that are walkable, affordable for lower-income households, and provide access to jobs for people without a car are far too rare.
September 20, 2016