Transportation
Caltrans scrambles to keep up with transportation trends
SNL’s “The Californians” pokes fun at the Golden State’s obsession with freeways and car culture, but the show’s writers may have to revise their scripts. Californians are walking and biking twice as much as they did ten years ago, according to the most recent household survey conducted by the California Department of Transportation. Caltrans, as […]
Florida DOT chief Ananth Prasad’s legacy
Florida Department of Transportation secretary Ananth Prasad will be leaving his office on January 2, announced Florida governor Rick Scott last week. “Secretary Prasad has been part of my administration since the very beginning, and he has been pivotal to making sure we could make a record investment of over $10 billion in our transportation […]
Philadelphia’s bicycle infrastructure falls behind those of sister cities, report finds
Of the country’s ten most populous cities, Philadelphia has the most bike commuters and enjoys more miles of bike lanes than any other place on the East Coast. All that may soon be a thing of the past if the city fails to recommit to improving its bicycle and other traffic infrastructure, according to a […]
Funding gaps threaten transportation projects of all sizes
The struggles of the federal Highway Trust Fund continue to affect states and regions throughout the United States. The fuel taxes that power the fund haven’t increased in two decades; here’s what a few state and local governments are reporting about their transportation finance situations. Texas Despite the passage of Proposition 1, which will funnel […]
How Amtrak is conquering the East Coast
‘Tis the season for travel. With the trifecta of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Americans are busy shuttling between the country’s major cities to visit friends and family — and trying to save time in the doing. Some interesting research from the University Transportation Research Center at CCNY show that train travel is outpacing […]
KPMG study: Say goodbye to the two-car family
The two-car family of American dreams is on the decline, according to a compelling study from KPMG, “Me, My Car, My Life.” The study identifies a number of the challenges and opportunities that come along with the changing automotive industry, and follows up on 2012’s “Self Driving Cars: The Next Revolution,” and last year’s “Self-Driving […]
Americans’ taxes subsidize congestion, study finds
The federal government is working at cross purposes with itself and local and state governments. In a study released last week by TransitCenter and Frontier Group, researchers discovered that federal tax subsidies are undermining transportation goals established by multiple levels of government. This discovery came through a review of commuter tax benefits. Currently, employers can […]
Transportation spending doesn’t fit public’s needs, study finds
We may be on the cusp of 2015, but transportation policies of state and federal governments are stuck in 2005, says the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (USPIRG). In a study released by the organization in September, researchers discovered that Americans drive no more in total than they did in 2005 and no more on […]
Is Houston the next great sustainability hub?
Houston, Texas, the country’s fourth largest city, an oil-powered metropolis known for its seemingly unstoppable urban sprawl and car-centric culture, is undergoing a promising evolution in environmental and planning policies. For one, Mayor Annise Parker was appointed to the president’s national Task Force on Climate Change. Additionally, Houston was named as a Climate Change Preparedness Pilot, […]
Gov. Christie tries to use Port Authority funds for NJ… again
This past week brought news of multiple transportation developments in New Jersey — some being squashed, others being floated. The first, as New York Yimby reports, is a plan to extend the PATH rapid transit network from New York’s Penn Station to New Jersey’s Newark Liberty International Airport that may be canceled. The second, as […]
Cyclist backlash against governors’ safety report
A recent report from the Governors Highway Safety Association is causing upheaval among cycling advocates. The GHSA, a nonprofit that represents state transit safety departments, issues regular reports about safety concerns and uses the data to advocate for stronger regulations on motorcycle helmet, distracted driving, and seatbelt use laws, Governing reports. Last week’s bike safety […]