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House Transpo Bill Spells Trouble for Transit Projects Across America
A provision in the House GOP's new transportation bill threatens to upend how transit agencies fund major capital projects, delaying or killing efforts to expand and maintain rail and bus networks.
October 23, 2015
The Rebel Commissioner: “Start-Up City” Goes Behind the Scenes at CDOT
[This piece also runs in Checkerboard City, John’s transportation column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.]
October 20, 2015
Federal Funds Shifting To More Active Transportation Projects This Year
The next group of transportation projects that aim to improve air quality or reduce congestion and should receive federal funding has been approved by Chicagoland's regional planning organization. The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning evaluates requests for the funding from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement program. CMAQ has ensured for nearly two decades that bike lanes are built and new Chicago Transit Authority and Pace buses go out on the road, among other active transportation projects.
October 20, 2015
New TOD Ordinance Will Bring Parking-Lite Development to More of Chicago
Last Thursday, the Chicago City Council passed a transit-oriented development reform ordinance that dramatically more than doubles the distance around train stations where dense development can be built, and virtually eliminates the car parking minimums within these districts. The new legislation amends the city's original TOD ordinance, which passed in 2013 and has been highly successful in spurring new building projects.
September 28, 2015
The Expanded TOD Ordinance Will Likely Pass Tomorrow, With a Few Tweaks
Tomorrow’s the big day. On Monday, City Council’s Zoning Committee unanimously passed Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s proposed reforms to Chicago’s existing transit-oriented development ordinance. On Thursday, the full council will almost certainly approve the new legislation, paving the way for a new wave of dense, parking-lite development near train stations. However, the committee made three notable changes to the new ordinance.
September 23, 2015
Escalator of Life: O’Hare Stop Is Finally Back to Normal After Horrific Crash
Lazy air travelers rejoice! It took almost year and a half, but both escalators at the CTA’s O’Hare stop are finally operational after a catastrophic 2014 Blue Line crash. Although an ‘L’ train smashed into the escalator at high speed, miraculously, no one was killed. A single “up” escalator and the elevator have been operational in the interim.
September 22, 2015
North Carolina Lawmakers Try to Sabotage Durham-Orange Light Rail
State lawmakers in North Carolina launched a sneak attack this week on plans for light rail between Durham and Orange County -- and nobody's sure exactly who's behind it or why they did it.
September 17, 2015
High Speed Rail Association: Use Metra Tracks for O’Hare Express
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and aviation commissioner Ginger Evans stated earlier this year that creating an express train to O'Hare Airport is a priority for this administration. However, the Blue Line is already a fairly speedy way to get to the airport, which could easily be upgraded via a few short-term improvements. Therefore, the city might be wiser to invest in neighborhood transit projects, rather than creating a premium service for well-heeled travelers.
September 2, 2015
Dense Thinking: CNT Staffers Discuss the TOD Reform Ordinance
[This piece also appears in Checkerboard City, John's column in Newcity magazine, which hits the streets on Wednesday evenings.]
August 24, 2015