Tag: Texas
How San Francisco & other ped-friendly cities are expanding sidewalks
The lunar New Year yesterday brought attention to an issue plaguing San Francisco’s crowded Chinatown: overflowing sidewalks. As the San Francisco Chronicle reported, city officials are working with Chinatown business owners to develop a plan to add much-needed space for pedestrians. “The challenge is that when you change one thing, there’s a ripple effect,” recently appointed […]
Slower than a speeding bullet: building American high-speed rail
90 minutes: That’s how quick a bullet train may travel between Houston and Dallas. A railway company in Texas is now firming up its plans to build a high-speed train network between the two cities, reports the Texas Tribune, with hopes to begin operations by 2021. Though this project plans to operate without federal funds, […]
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 […]
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, […]
Little support for Texan transit; even less for toll roads
The 410,000 who joined in last month’s may want to visit the Lone Star State. 38% of residents there believe public transit reduces congestion, but only 6% of Texans use it as their primary means of travel, according to a study released by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. Conducted in May, the study surveyed more than 5,000 residents […]
Austin considers protecting owners of electric vehicles
It happens regularly in Austin: owners of electric vehicles (EV) pulling up to a charging station on public property and finding it occupied by a gas guzzler. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but there are only 72 spots in the city where EV owners can charge up. “Cars that are habitually in the space, […]