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]
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Obama has compared the size of the stimulus package he wants to the 1956 National Highway Act. If the states have their way, it may be just that -- a new highway bill with little left for transit.
CEQA–Exemption: Schwarzenegger’s Bargaining Chip
Gov. Schwarzenegger wants the California Environmental Quality Act- a requirement for major transportation projects- waived if he is to sign the $18 billion Democratic package that balances the budget and is crafted to circumvent Republican approval.
Census Reveals Recession’s Effect On Migration
The U.S. Census Bureau released its report for the year ending July 1, 2008. It showed that the effect of the recession was to reduce domestic migration from the Northeast and Midwest to the West and Sunbelt. Utah was the fastest growing state.
Plunging Oil Prices May Do More Harm Than Good
The Financial Times analyzes the effects of the falling price of oil on energy markets and concludes that the short term economic gain for oil consumers will come back to bite them as investments in alternative fuels will cease as will conservation.
Budget And Credit Crises Halt California Infrastructure Projects
Infrastructure funding in California is grinding to a halt as two crises hit simultaneously: a political impasse unable to resolve a budget gap of $42 billion and a credit crisis leaving the state unable to sell its bonds.