Sarah Goodyear

Much of the Streetsblog Network seems to be distracted by the inauguration -- who isn't? -- but we've got some new stuff up there for you to think about if you can tear yourself away from the wall-to-wall coverage.

The Streetsblog Network is continuing to digest the draft of stimulus legislation that came out of the House Appropriations Committee yesterday. We're featuring a post from Design New Haven that offers a pretty tough evaluation:

A couple of hopeful pieces of news from the Pacific Northwest, courtesy of Streetsblog Network member Bike Portland. First off, their fair city has put some exciting bike/ped improvements in its stimulus package request, including the design and construction of a bike-and-pedestrian-only bridge, as well as Portland's first-ever cycle track. The plans call for starting the projects within the next 12 months.

Today on the Streetsblog Network, we're stepping back and taking a look at the big picture. Over at network member Worldchanging, Sarah Kuck writes about the ideas of environmental scientist and sustainability activist Peter Newman. Newman gave a talk in Seattle the other night promoting his forthcoming book, Resilient Cities: Responding to Peak Oil and Climate Change:

What are this society's transportation priorities? As Twin Cities Streets for People points out, the stimulus package is forcing governments and citizens across the country to confront that question. We've got their most recent post on the subject today on the Streetsblog Network.

Editor's Note: Streetsblog San Francisco will regularly post updates from the Streetsblog Network, a compendium of blogs and news websites dedicated to covering the crescendo of support across the country for sustainable tranportation, smart growth, and livable streets.

Think bike lanes are enough to get people biking? WalkBikeCT would have you think again. A post on this Streetsblog Network member site today says that a more comprehensive planning approach is necessary to make most people feel safe on two wheels:

The Wall Street Journal ran a piece this weekend by Conor Dougherty on the municipal move toward charging more for parking. It's available online to paid subscribers only, but here's a taste: