News: Mongolian BRT, More Women Take Transit, Charlotte Streetcar Politics, San Jose Zipcar Project
December 10, 2012
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Tracks News - In this section you'll find news from cities around the country as well as interviews and general reporting on issues. It might be from a newspaper or a blog, but it counts as news.
TRANSPORT
International: Polluted Mongolian City Turns to BRT
AFP
On the streets of Ulan Bator a people renowned for their horse riding skills have to contend every day with ever more Hummers, Land Cruisers and Range Rovers. Mongolia's vast open steppes and deserts stretch for hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres (miles), and it has the lowest population density of any country in the world. But with its economy rocketing on the back of a mining boom the capital is the planet's second most polluted city after Ahvaz in Iran, according to the World Health Organisation, and suffers from dire congestion....
On the streets of Ulan Bator a people renowned for their horse riding skills have to contend every day with ever more Hummers, Land Cruisers and Range Rovers. Mongolia's vast open steppes and deserts stretch for hundreds upon hundreds of kilometres (miles), and it has the lowest population density of any country in the world. But with its economy rocketing on the back of a mining boom the capital is the planet's second most polluted city after Ahvaz in Iran, according to the World Health Organisation, and suffers from dire congestion....
Reconnecting America Releases Report On Transit In Midsize Cities
December 6, 2012
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Reconnecting America today released a report that explores transit in midsize cities with a focus on best practices in transit planning, funding strategies, and outcomes.
Blogosphere: Traffic Engineering Fail, Light Rail & Freight Rail, KC Streetcar Plan, Infrastructure Cliff, Millennials & Suburbs
December 6, 2012
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Blogosphere - In this section you'll find commentary, opinion and editorials from blogs and newspapers around the country. The opinions expressed in these blogs do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Reconnecting America.
TRANSPORT
Blogosphere: Fundamental Failure of Traffic Engineering
Atlantic Cities
What if we designed cities for pedestrians and people on bicycles rather than engineering them for people in cars? What if a bike lane were as easy and intuitive to use as a chair, for instance, or a toothbrush, or a smartphone?..
Read On Blogosphere: City Likes SW LRT, Not Current Plan Minnesota Post
Nobody wants the freight…
What if we designed cities for pedestrians and people on bicycles rather than engineering them for people in cars? What if a bike lane were as easy and intuitive to use as a chair, for instance, or a toothbrush, or a smartphone?..
Read On Blogosphere: City Likes SW LRT, Not Current Plan Minnesota Post
Nobody wants the freight…
Midsize Cities On The Move: A Look At The Next Generation Of Rapid Bus, Bus Rapid Transit, And Streetcar Projects In The United States
December 6, 2012
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Introduction
Public transportation investments have helped to shape many of America’s cities. The largest metropolises typically have extensive rail and bus systems that provide mobility for commuters, residents, and visitors and serve as the backbone of the regional economy. The recent shutdown of the New York subway system as a result of Hurricane Sandy, and the crippling gridlock that resulted, demonstrates the extent to which such cities depend on their transit systems. The benefits of such systems are well documented; New York’s subway, the DC Metro, Chicago’s “L” trains, and other large systems have been the subject of numerous studies of their economic and environmental impact.
At the other end of the spectrum, transit systems in small towns and rural areas have also been the subject of recent research, including “Exploring the Role of Regional Transportation Projects as Rural Economic Drivers” by the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and…
News: Detroit Transit Vision, Texrail Project Map, Funding Colorado Fastracks, HOT Lanes Spreading, Charlotte Streetcar Caution
December 5, 2012
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Tracks News - In this section you'll find news from cities around the country as well as interviews and general reporting on issues. It might be from a newspaper or a blog, but it counts as news.
TRANSPORT
Twin Cities: Feds Given More Time to Assess SW LRT
Minneapolis Star Tribune
A relatively obscure federal agency has been awarded extra time to weigh in on the proposed Southwest Corridor light-rail line...
Read On Los Angeles: Transit Tax Measure Loses, Streetcar Wins KCET
Bittersweet news has hit Los Angeles transit advocates over the past two days. First, Measure J, the L.A. County November 6 ballot initiative to extend a sales tax dedicated to transportation projects by 30 years, lost by nearly…
A relatively obscure federal agency has been awarded extra time to weigh in on the proposed Southwest Corridor light-rail line...
Read On Los Angeles: Transit Tax Measure Loses, Streetcar Wins KCET
Bittersweet news has hit Los Angeles transit advocates over the past two days. First, Measure J, the L.A. County November 6 ballot initiative to extend a sales tax dedicated to transportation projects by 30 years, lost by nearly…
Blogosphere: LA Transpo Grade, Misunderstood Parking, Incomplete BRT, Adapting To MAP-21, Trams Without Wires
November 29, 2012
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Blogosphere - In this section you'll find commentary, opinion and editorials from blogs and newspapers around the country. The opinions expressed in these blogs do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Reconnecting America.
TRANSPORT
Blogosphere: LA Gives Itself High Grades on Transpo
LA Streetsblog
Last month, the Mayor's Office released a report ranking itself on how it achieved, or didn't achieve, its stated transportation goals over the last seven and a half years...
Read On Blogosphere: Parking, Misunderstood City Block
Let's take a trip up and down the Northeast Corridor and look at recent parking news. All three show some…
Last month, the Mayor's Office released a report ranking itself on how it achieved, or didn't achieve, its stated transportation goals over the last seven and a half years...
Read On Blogosphere: Parking, Misunderstood City Block
Let's take a trip up and down the Northeast Corridor and look at recent parking news. All three show some…
Blogosphere: Trampoline Sidewalk, Retailers & Parking, Paris Older Car Ban, Poverty & Transportation, Housing Supply & Price
November 27, 2012
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Blogosphere - In this section you'll find commentary, opinion and editorials from blogs and newspapers around the country. The opinions expressed in these blogs do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Reconnecting America.
TRANSPORT
Blogosphere: Russia's Trampoline Sidewalk
Architect's Newspaper
There are countless ways to get around cities these days-on foot, bike, or skateboard, by transit or car-but Estonian firm Salto Architects has imagined what could be the next dedicated lane to hit a street near you: the Fast Track trampoline sidewalk...
Read On Blogosphere: 4 Reasons Retailers Don't Need Parking The Atlantic Cities
A major rationale for the supply of parking spaces in city shopping centers is that…
There are countless ways to get around cities these days-on foot, bike, or skateboard, by transit or car-but Estonian firm Salto Architects has imagined what could be the next dedicated lane to hit a street near you: the Fast Track trampoline sidewalk...
Read On Blogosphere: 4 Reasons Retailers Don't Need Parking The Atlantic Cities
A major rationale for the supply of parking spaces in city shopping centers is that…
News: Colorado BRT Deadline, Parking & Business, Exxon Carbon Tax Support, SF Micro Apt Limit, Livability Literature Review
November 16, 2012
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Tracks News - In this section you'll find news from cities around the country as well as interviews and general reporting on issues. It might be from a newspaper or a blog, but it counts as news.
TRANSPORT
Colorado: RFTA Warned to Complete BRT Line On Time
Post Independent
The federal government is pressing the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority to complete a $46 million bus-rapid-transit project by a September deadline or face possible repercussions...
Read On Sacramento: City Lowers Parking Requirements Sacramento Bee
Hoping to chip away at its reputation for being a tough place to start a business, Sacramento has embraced a plan that business…
The federal government is pressing the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority to complete a $46 million bus-rapid-transit project by a September deadline or face possible repercussions...
Read On Sacramento: City Lowers Parking Requirements Sacramento Bee
Hoping to chip away at its reputation for being a tough place to start a business, Sacramento has embraced a plan that business…
News: Heated Bike Lanes, Bike Share Demographics, St. Paul Streetcar Concept, New Orleans Streetcar Revival
October 26, 2012
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Tracks News - In this section you'll find news from cities around the country as well as interviews and general reporting on issues. It might be from a newspaper or a blog, but it counts as news. The Chatter, commentary and opposition articles will be found towards the bottom.
TRANSPORT
International: Dutch Cities Consider Heating Bike Lanes
BBC (via @urbandata)
Towns in the Netherlands are considering a proposal to heat cycle lanes to encourage greater use of bicycles in winter. The scheme proposes to use geo-thermal energy to prevent ice forming...
Read On Denver: Bike Share Membership 90% White Transportation Nation
Denver's bike share users are overwhelmingly white. "Our demographic profile is nothing to be…
Towns in the Netherlands are considering a proposal to heat cycle lanes to encourage greater use of bicycles in winter. The scheme proposes to use geo-thermal energy to prevent ice forming...
Read On Denver: Bike Share Membership 90% White Transportation Nation
Denver's bike share users are overwhelmingly white. "Our demographic profile is nothing to be…
Interdivision Rivalry For Complete Communities On Monday Night Football
October 13, 2012
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Visit the Are We There Yet? home
The Denver Broncos and a resurgent Payton Manning take on a Chargers team Monday night. These division rivals have no love lost and will seek to keep each other further away from the post season with a win today.
In the realm of complete communities, unlike on the gridiron, San Diego and Denver compete in different divisions. San Diego competes with the heavyweights, with just over 3 million residents, while Denver falls in the middle division, where regions between 3 million and 500,000 population compete. That in part may explain why Denver brings home straight “A’s” in Living, Moving, Working, and Thriving, while San Diego has three “Cs” and a “B.” Denver’s competition isn’t generally as fierce as San Diego faces in the top tier.
In many cases, San Diego does a better job on individual metrics than Denver. San Diego has a higher share of households who live near…
