Irvin Dawid discovered Planetizen when a classmate in an urban planning lab at San Jose State University shared it with him in 2003. When he left San Jose State that year, he took with him an interest in Planetizen, if not the master's degree in urban & regional planning.
As a long-time environmental activist, he formed the Sustainable Land Use committee for his local Sierra Club chapter and served six years on the Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s Advisory Council from 2002-2008. He maintains his interest in air quality by representing Sierra Club California on the Clean Air Dialogue, a working group of the Calif. Environmental Dialog representing business, regulatory and public health/environmental interests.
Major interests include transportation funding, e.g., gas taxes, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) fees, road tolls and energy subsidies that lead to unlevel playing fields for more sustainable choices.
He hails from Queens (Bayside) and Long Island (Great Neck); received an AAS in Fisheries & Wildlife Technology from SUNY Cobleskill and a B.S. from what is now Excelsior College.
After residing for three years on California’s North Coast, he’s lived on the San Francisco Peninsula since 1983, including 24 years in Palo Alto. Home is now near downtown Burlingame, a short bike-ride to the Caltrain station.
He’s been car-free since driving his 1972 Dodge Tradesman maxi-van, his means to exit Long Island in 1979, to the junkyard in 1988.
Major forms of transportation: A 1991 'citybike' and monthly Caltrain pass, zone 2-2. "It's no LIRR, but it may be the most bike friendly train in America."
Irvin can be reached at [email protected]
Speculation Continues on the Death of the Brooklyn-Queens Streetcar
The New York Times transit reporter looks into the lack of progress on the $2.5 billion project proposed by Mayor Bill de Blasio in his 2016 State of the City speech. The mayor responds angrily to a Daily News article casting doubt on the project.
Bill to Toll Connecticut Interstates and Parkways Advances
A bill backed by Gov. Malloy that directs the Department of Transporation to prepare a plan to toll three interstates and two state parkways narrowly passed two legislative committees largely along party lines. It now advances to the full House.
A Subway Breakdown Causes Tolls to Skyrocket on 66 Express Lanes
An illustration of the intricate relationship between public transit and highways occurred on April 5 when two lines of the D.C. Metro broke down during the peak morning commute, sending many would-be riders to drive I-66 to D.C. instead.
Four TEXpress Lanes Open on I-35 West in Fort Worth Ahead of Schedule
Four miles of the 10-mile North Tarrant Express project opened to motorists on April 5. The $1.6 billion project, built by a public-private partnership working with TxDOT, includes rebuilding general purpose and frontage road lanes.
The Dilemma of Autonomous Vehicle Testing
Autonomous vehicles hold the potential to greatly reduce auto crashes. Advocates want them on the road as early as possible to reduce fatalities. Skeptics worry that the public will be guinea pigs during the testing—case in point: Elaine Herzberg.