Streetsblog Network

Proponents of Buy America restrictions -- regulations that require American-made sourcing for transportation projects supported by the federal government -- may be well-meaning, but when applied to rail expansion, these rules can be pretty pernicious. There isn't a large domestic passenger rail market in the United States, so there isn't much of a domestic traincar manufacturing industry. When you throw Buy America into the mix, that can end up being a real problem for passenger rail projects.

How about a round of applause for Seattle? This spring, a group of activists calling themselves "Reasonably Polite Seattleites" installed a protected bike lane on Cherry Street. How did Seattle officials react? Well, this week the city made it permanent.

David Levinson lives just three blocks from St. Paul, Minnesota, but he almost never walks there. Standing in his way is a largely impassible highway and a series of sidewalk-deficient, glass-strewn streets.

When Montgomery County, Maryland, set out to develop a bus rapid transit system about five years ago -- they went big. The proposal that surfaced last year called for 10 routes totaling 92 miles, much of it built to a high standard with buses traveling in dedicated lanes.

If Ontario Street in Cleveland, Ohio, is any indication, a complete streets policy is no guarantee you'll get a safe place to ride a bike, or even a comfortable place to walk.

If there's a highway expansion debate raging in your community right now, here's a new item to add to the "con" column.

Last month the Portland mega-highway bridge project known as the Columbia River Crossing died unceremoniously on the floor of the Washington statehouse. But there was some question among project opponents about whether to consider it a victory for smart transportation policy. After all, suburban Republicans opposed to the inclusion of light rail were ultimately the straw that broke the camel's back.

Representative John Mica really hates Amtrak. When he's editorializing against his favorite foe, as he did yesterday, he loves to bust out a zinger about how it's a "Soviet-style" operation.

The latest sign that "innovative" bike infrastructure treatments are becoming more and more mainstream: Lincoln, Nebraska, is planning to add a protected bike lane near its downtown.