News: Transpo Bill Negotiations, A Driving Tax, Impact Of Clustered Development, National Highway Tolls, Romney & HUD, Urban Spatial Strategy
| 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 |
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National: More Quiet Cars on Commuter Trains USA Today Riders on New York's Long Island Railroad and Metro-North will have an easier time finding a quiet car now that the busiest commuter rail lines in North America increased the number of quiet spaces this month... Read On |
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National: Heritage Foundation Not Happy with Bill The Hill The conservative Heritage Foundation's political arm is warning its members about a negotiations between the House and Senate about a possible long-term highway bill now that Congress is back in town. .. Read On |
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New Jersey: Christie Lautenberg Feud Spoils Project New Jersey Times A year and a half ago, work was under way on two new commuter railroad tunnels under the Hudson River connecting New Jersey and New York City, with a scheduled completion date of 2018... Read On |
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National: The Driving Tax National Journal Transportation Experts Many policy analysts agree that a "vehicle-miles traveled" fee, a literal tax for actual road use, is an effective replacement for the current gas tax to pay for our roads and bridges. A penny-per-mile tax would raise enough to match the existing 18.4 cent-per-gallon fuel tax.. Read On |
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San Francisco: Caltrain to the Transbay Terminal San Francisco Chronicle In all the talk about high-speed rail, Caltrain electrification and construction of the Transbay Terminal, the long-desired downtown extension of Caltrain (which would be shared by high-speed rail) has seemed to remain in the shadows, ignored and forgotten... Read On |
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Research: Transport Impacts of Clustered Development Urban Studies Journal (Abstract) This research aims to inform the compact city discussion with a case study of Beijing, where urban planning has emphasized clustered suburban development in the past half-century... Read On |
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Research: Roadblocks & Avenues for Promoting Choice TRB TRIS Zoning authority is one of local government's most effective tools for promoting environmentally-friendly transportation. This article discusses how local governments can use zoning and land use controls to connect public transportation stations.. Read On |
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Denver: Aspen Rapid Bus Plan Breaks Ground Denver Post (via CCB) The Roaring Fork Transportation Authority officially broke ground Saturday on a $46.4 million project that it claims will revolutionize its bus service. RFTA is creating the first rural bus rapid transit system in the country with a combination of federal and local funds... Read On |
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National: Highway Tolls Weighed Charlotte Observer The federal interstate highway system is showing its age, and, faced with the cost of repairing all those bumps and cracks, some states want to ask motorists to pay tolls on roads that used to be free... Read On |
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NC Triangle: Half Cent for LRT Discussed Daily Tarheel Orange County Democrats jumped on board this weekend to support a sales tax increase that could determine the fate of a proposed light rail connecting Chapel Hill and Durham... Read On |
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Minneapolis: Debate Over Northside Streetcar Benefits Minnesota Daily This past fall, street resurfacing crews removed several city blocks of old streetcar rails along Riverside Avenue left behind from its glory days in the early 20th century... Read On |
| URBANISM/HOUSING/CITIES |
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Bay Area: Walnut Creek Shows Suburban Evolution San Francisco Chronicle From the day it opened in 1951, Walnut Creek's Broadway Plaza has embodied the evolving landscape of Bay Area suburbs. It debuted as middle-class shops along new streets, parking lots on all sides... Read On |
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Bay Area: Facebook Deal Will Give Menlo Park Millions San Jose Mercury News (via Transportationist) To get Menlo Park's approval of its expansion plan, Facebook has agreed to pay the city millions of dollars in the coming years, seed a community fund with a $500,000 donation, sponsor internship and job training programs, support efforts to boost local businesses, back affordable housing and improve bike and pedestrian pathways... Read On |
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National: Sims to Romney - HUD is Healthy for America Seattle Post Intelligencer Mitt Romney did not know two reporters were listening outside on the street in Palm Beach, Fla., Sunday night, as the Republican nominee-in-waiting talked about abolishing a Cabinet department once headed by his father... Read On |
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Pittsburgh: South Hills Village TOD Plans Pittsburgh Post Gazette The Port Authority is trying again to spur development of a vacant parcel next to its South Hills Village parking garage. Teaming with the Redevelopment Authority of Allegheny County, the agency has requested proposals from developers who are interested in leasing the property and building on it... Read On |
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Research: Unequal Earnings Growth in Canadian Cities Urban Studies Journal (Abstract) This paper investigates changes in the distribution of earnings across 87 metropolitan areas in Canada. It does so using micro data taken from the 20 per cent long-form sample of the census for the years 1996, 2001 and 2006... Read On |
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Research: Potential Effects of Spatial Strategy Urban Studies Journal (Abstract) Urban sprawl is one of the major issues regarding sustainable urban development. In response to concerns about sprawl, compact development strategies have been proposed to promote sustainable development. .. Read On |
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Research: Housing Densities and Consumer Choice Urban Studies Journal (Abstract) From 2001, the construction of flats and high-density developments increased in England and the building of houses declined. Does this indicate a change in taste or is it a result of government planning policies?.. Read On |
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National: Next American City's Next Move - Longform Fast Company For the past nine years, the nonprofit magazine Next American City has produced award-winning journalism covering urban development. But awards don't pay the bills, and putting out a print magazine is costly, particularly in the digital age... Read On |
