Streetsblog Network
No, Driverless Cars Won’t Make Transit Obsolete
When driverless cars hit the market (which may not be as soon as advertised), nobody denies that they will change transportation planning. But let’s put one claim to rest: Driverless cars will not make transit obsolete, especially not high-capacity transit serving dense urban areas. Bryan Mistele, CEO of traffic data firm Inrix, recently placed a … Continued
July 14, 2016
Pokémon Go — Americans Are Walking Again Because of a Video Game
Hundreds of reporters — and all of your Facebook friends — are talking about Pokémon Go, the “augmented reality” game that lures people to go outside and explore in search of virtual critters. A zillion takes have been published about the game in the week since it was released, including some disturbing accounts of how … Continued
July 12, 2016
Milwaukee Bike-Share Teams Up With Housing Authority on System Expansion
As Milwaukee’s Bublr bike-share system expands, how well will it work for lower-income residents? The system launched two years ago with a mere 10 stations. But it is gradually expanding, and by the end of this year, officials are looking to have 58 stations in operation. With a $62,000 grant from People for Bikes’ Better … Continued
July 11, 2016
“Investigatory” Traffic Stops Need to End
The images are excruciating — Philando Castile, bleeding to death as his girlfriend and her 4-year-old daughter look on. A cafeteria supervisor in the St. Paul School District, Castile was pulled over by officer Jeronimo Yanez in the neighboring town of Falcon Heights for having a broken taillight. Yanez fatally shot Castile after he informed … Continued
July 8, 2016
Since 1960, Many Fast-Growing Cities Would Have Shrunk If Not For Sprawl
Every year Census data comes out revealing which cities are growing fastest. But what the numbers don’t tell us is what kind of growth is occurring and where. Yonah Freemark at the Transport Politic set out to get a better understanding of growth patterns in major cities. Looking at long-term changes since 1960, the big … Continued
July 7, 2016
Veering Right: A Cyclist on the Constant Sensation of Being in the Way
When she was a kid growing up in Minneapolis, biking was as natural to Alice Avidor as breathing the air. But as time went on, biking went from feeling carefree and empowering to something more like a hostile negotiation. Avidor writes at streets.mn about why she now finds herself veering to the right to avoid … Continued
July 6, 2016
Parking Takes Up More Space Than You Think
One of the biggest problems with a car-dependent transportation system is that cars are big space hogs. A single parking space occupies almost as much square footage as a small studio apartment. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. David Barboza at Network blog Straight Outta Suburbia points out that you have to factor … Continued
July 5, 2016
New Jersey Runs Out of Transportation Money, Christie Halts All Projects
New Jersey Governor Chris Christie ordered all transportation construction in the state to be halted today after the state’s Transportation Trust Fund went bankrupt last night. Despite Christie’s attempts to point fingers, he really has no one to blame but himself. After the State Senate shot down a belated effort to raise New Jersey’s gas … Continued
July 1, 2016
Portland Tells Builders: Give Pedestrians and Cyclists Safe Detours
When construction projects occupy sidewalks and bike lanes, many cities don’t do anything to compensate — forcing people to walk and bike in traffic or take long, unrealistic detours. But it’s not that hard to put up safe, convenient alternate routes. Yesterday, the Portland City Council voted to require better detours for pedestrians and cyclists … Continued
June 30, 2016
The More People Live and Work in Central Philly, the Less Parking They Use
Here’s a great example of a “virtuous cycle” in action: Center City Philadelphia has seen the number of parking spaces decline recently as population and jobs continue to rise at a healthy clip. You might expect one result to be a downtown parking crunch, but that’s not the case at all, reports Jim Saksa at … Continued
June 29, 2016