Op-Ed: Learning from Nashville’s Failed Transit Measure
As Austin, Cincinnati, and San Antonio tee up similar measures, here are some pitfalls to avoid.
January 27, 2020
Welcome to the New and Improved Streetsblog
Our old site design had a good run, but it was clearly time to implement a modern interface better suited for the breadth of coverage that Streetsblog reporters and editors now produce.
December 14, 2016
Do Not Collaborate With Hatred
Last week, on the day after the election, I watched as Chuck Schumer and Andrew Cuomo, Democrats who represent my state, said they could find common ground with Donald Trump, with Cuomo specifically mentioning “infrastructure” as a potential area of collaboration. We responded with a post explaining why this was a strategic mistake in terms of transportation policy.
November 14, 2016
What Changed Yesterday, and What Didn’t
America just elected Donald Trump, who got a foothold in national politics by fanning a conspiracy about Barack Obama’s country of origin, who ran a campaign premised on a naked appeal to racist anger and resentment, who shredded every norm of conduct on his way to the presidency. He’s going to occupy the White House for at least the next four years, and for at least two years the Democratic opposition won’t control either house of Congress.
November 9, 2016
The Upside of Seattle’s Transit Expansion: High Capacity
The Seattle region's 62-mile transit expansion plan has some serious flaws. Namely, the city of Seattle, where the ridership needs are greatest, gets short shrift compared to suburban areas.
June 9, 2016
Before You Get Too Excited About Seattle’s Big Transit Expansion…
Read Doug Trumm’s post at the Urbanist about Sound Transit’s $50 billion, 25-year expansion plan, known as ST3, which the agency revealed yesterday. It’s ambitious in scope, but will the new lines meet the region’s most pressing transit needs?
March 25, 2016
Rescuing New Ideas From the Purgatory of Old Bureaucracy
Your city may have a complete streets policy. Your mayor may say all the right things about making streets work for walking, biking, and transit. But if the inner workings of government -- city budgets, agency protocols -- aren't set up to enable big street design breakthroughs, all you'll get are scattershot improvements.
March 4, 2016
It’s Happening: Construction of Maryland’s Purple Line Set to Start This Year
Yesterday, Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced that a contractor has been selected to build the 14-mile Purple Line light rail in DC's Maryland suburbs. It's a milestone and a major relief following Hogan's long history of brinkmanship with the project.
March 3, 2016
A Car-Free Downtown and Other Ideas From Portland’s Mayoral Debate
It's always interesting to see what mayoral candidates say about streets and transportation in a public debate. Who's done their homework on transportation policy? Who understands in their gut why better streets for walking, biking, and transit are good for the city? Which candidates are willing to take a stand on these issues while making their case to voters?
March 2, 2016
Northeast Ohio to State DOT: Road Expansions Getting Out of Hand
If you could point to one aspect of American transportation policy that's more disastrous than all the others, expanding highways and roads to the point of absurdity is probably it.
January 12, 2016