Streetsblog Network

Cleveland is finally getting around to establishing guidelines to foster walkable development around rail stops — which is in very short supply. Some stations are surrounded by little more than vacant industrial space or parking lots. (One of the stops on the underused Waterfront Line, called “Muni Parking,” is in the middle of the enormous City … Continued

When advocating for a street redesign that will take some space away from cars, it’s common to run up against this classic brush-off from your local transportation agency: The federal government won’t allow it. Well, the Federal Highway Administration recently went on the record to shoot down that excuse. The FHWA doesn’t require states and … Continued

When cyclists and pedestrians are injured in traffic crashes in D.C., there’s a big legal obstacle standing in the way of justice. That obstacle is a legal standard called “contributory negligence.” Now the City Council is poised to strike down that rule and replace it with the more widely used and fairer “comparative fault” standard, … Continued

A change to D.C.’s zoning code will allow homeowners to build and rent out a basement apartment, or an apartment over the garage, without the long, expensive hassle of obtaining special permission. Advocates in many high-rent cities, like Austin, have fought for this kind of legislation. It not only helps alleviate the housing crunch, it also creates better … Continued

Boston’s 4.7-mile Green Line extension is supposed to bring light rail service to some of the nation’s most densely populated neighborhoods, but skyrocketing construction costs have threatened to sink the project. After the price tag ballooned to $3 billion last year, about a 50 percent increase, the project was in danger of being cancelled altogether. Yesterday, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation … Continued

It’s been almost six months since Paris held its big car-free day, a jubilant event that temporarily cleared the air of poisonous diesel emissions and imparted a sense of how great streets could be without the constant roar of motor vehicles. Now Mayor Anne Hidalgo is moving to make “open streets” a monthly event. Richard … Continued

Yesterday was national Bike to School Day, an event that shows kids what it’s like to power their own way to school. The fact that we have a special day to promote what used to be part of the daily routine for many children also speaks to the way biking and walking have been marginalized … Continued

Everyone’s paying tribute to Jane Jacobs today, on what would be the pioneering urbanist’s 100th birthday. Jacobs’ classic critique of mid-century American urban planning dogma, The Death and Life of Great American Cities, is probably the most influential book ever written about planning. But her legacy is also contested, and her ideas still go unheeded … Continued

Right now, the Seattle region is hashing out how to spend $50 billion to expand transit. The project list, known as ST3, is tilted heavily toward the suburbs, not the urban core where ridership would be higher. Included with all those suburban stations will be thousands of new parking stalls, which each cost tens of thousands of dollars to build. Interestingly, Josh … Continued