Transportation

A nonprofit organization is promoting the idea of closing Manhattan's 42nd St. to traffic and putting in a 2.5 mile street level light rail line.

January 29, 2009 - The New York Times

Congress is expected to offer up to $16 million of stimulus money to the state of Idaho for transportation projects. But in the Treasure Valley -- home to Boise and a third of the state's population -- there aren't any projects that are ready to go.

January 29, 2009 - The Idaho Statesman

Plans for a new bridge over the Columbia River in Oregon have local officials in a debate over lanes, tolls and sprawl.

January 29, 2009 - The Oregonian

Many commuters still find buses, trains, and subways to be more cost-effective than driving. However, mass transit funds are drying up, and increased fees and decreased service may deter riders from sticking to mass transit.

January 28, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

"Level of service" is a ranking used by transportation engineers to assess the performance of roads. Streetsblog argues that LOS distorts the development of mobility infrastructure by prioritizing cars over people.

January 27, 2009 - StreetsBlog-SF

In a move that will disappoint auto manufacturers and labor but was met with great applause by the environmental community, Obama has taken the first step to granting CA's request for a waiver so it can set its own, stricter emission standards.

January 27, 2009 - CNN Politics

While the U.S. waffles over its stimulus package, China is two months into a grand countrywide transportation facelift, building high-speed rail, expanding freight capacity and generally beefing up the country's mobility.

January 26, 2009 - The New York Times

WebUrbanist brings together fifteen innovative, creative, and absurd experiments in parking, from VW's robot stacker to eco parking to parking meters on gravestones.

January 26, 2009 - WebUrbanist

The downturn in the economy has hurt the auto industry, leaving many cars unsold. Storage of these cars is becoming a problem for many automakers.

January 25, 2009 - Guardian

Wannado City in Sawgrass Mills, FL, is a model city in a warehouse that gives kids a chance to play at having jobs. Broward County Transit has chipped in a mini bus, which drives around the city introducing kids to public transit.

January 25, 2009 - The Miami Herald

This piece from Bloomberg architecture critic James Russell calls for a unified approach to building the nation's transportation infrastructure.

January 25, 2009 - Bloomberg

An obscure new rule pushed through the Federal Highway Administration requires public toll roads to collect 'fair market value' from drivers, rather than to serve the public interest.

January 24, 2009 - On The Commons

Boise's degrading air quality and the fear it may lead to a loss in federal transportation funding is causing local governments to improve public transit options to get commuters out of their cars. The alternative, smog testing of cars, is resisted.

January 24, 2009 - The New York Times

In a new twist of "managed lanes", this comic looks at ways to accommodate cell phone users so as not to affect those not using their cells.

January 23, 2009 - Go Comics

Granville Bridge was built in 1954 for a growing Vancouver, with giant cloverleaf offramps on each end. Today, the city has taken a different direction.

January 23, 2009 - Price Tags

Jon Zemke ponders the many possibilities for building a world-class transportation network throughout metro Detroit.

January 23, 2009 - Metromode

As the Federal government prepares to pour massive amounts of funding into road infrastructure, James Russell sends up a warning that the 'shovel-ready' projects may just be more bridges to nowhere.

January 23, 2009 - Bloomberg.com

John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism, believes that President Obama should reconsider committing stimulus funds to decades-old freeway expansion projects and take transportation policy in a new direction.

January 22, 2009 - John Norquist

In Oregon, transportation officials are set to vote on an ambitious list of transportation projects that they hope will garner funding when Congress allocates transportation money this year.

January 22, 2009 - The Oregonian

Hopes are fading from transit enthusiasts who wanted to see high speed rail and public transit profit from Obama's stimulus package. Even the road lobby is disappointed that infrastructure will get less than tax cuts and state bail-outs.

January 22, 2009 - The New York Times