Blogosphere: SG Great Unless Causing Bubbles
Grist
Did land-use regulation contribute to the housing bubble? The idea is no comfort to Smart Growth fans, but it's the conclusion of new research [PDF] from a pair of economists...
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(July 30, 2010)
National: Slow Moving Fanny and Freddie Overhaul
Washington Post
The Obama administration on Tuesday tiptoed closer to overhauling Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, announcing a conference next month to begin a public discussion on how to remake the nation's system for funding home loans...
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(July 30, 2010)
Quote of the Day
USA Today
"I was a little nervous about taking the bus. Now, I wouldn't go back to driving."
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(July 27, 2010)
Pittsburgh: City Seeks BRT on Local Streets
Tribune Review
When the first of Pittsburgh's busways were built 33 years ago, they were the cutting edge of bus transit, slashing travel times to Downtown by taking buses out of regular traffic...
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(July 27, 2010)
Quote of the Day
Los Angeles Times (Commenter)
"At the end of the day, the people whining about traffic ARE the traffic, because they're whining from their cars."
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(July 26, 2010)
National: "Livability" Taken Out of Senate Bill
Land Lines Magazine
The Senate Appropriations Committee has advanced a federal spending bill without including President Obama's request to create an "office of livability." The definition of a "livable community" has been scrutinized since the issue was first proposed last year...
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(July 23, 2010)
Blogosphere: Commute Market Share Wrong Way to Go
Urbanophile
It's common to look at transit in terms of commuting market share. It's understandable why we do this, since, among other things, it is easy to get the data. But the generally low showing of transit on this metric I think misses the bigger picture. Chicago metro has a transit market share of 11.5%, for example...
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(July 23, 2010)
Houston: Metro Cancels Contract, Rehires Firm
Houston Metro
The Metropolitan Transit Authority board canceled a contract Thursday that gave a real estate firm commissions for all of the agency's land deals - even deals the firm had no part in closing. It then rehired the firm under terms that would pay it only for deals on which it works....
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(July 23, 2010)
TOD State & Local Policy Matrix
Reconnecting America is creating a matrix of funding programs and policies at the state,regional, and local level that provide assistance to developers in building transit-oriented developments. Bill is helping to complete the matrix by early August, and then help Sasha and Alia draft a paper that includes the matrix by mid-August.
(July 23, 2010)
Quote of the Day
FTA
"For millions of Americans, having a safe and reliable transit system is the difference between seeing their children before bed or not, making it to work on time or arriving late, or getting to a doctor's appointment or forgoing it."
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(July 22, 2010)
