After just a 20 minute turn from #335, Hiawatha #338 heads back to Chicago with a heavy load of passengers. Photo by David Johnson and NARP After losing money for the better part of the decade — even with generous government subsidies and protection — airlines returned to profitability over the last couple of years, … Continued
Thousands of people jam a light-rail station near I-485 Saturday afternoon. ©TODD SUMLIN Charlotte Observer Click for the slideshow from the Observer We noted a few weeks ago that Charlotte voters renewed their committment to transit by an overwhelming margin, nixing the attempt by some anti-government types to scuttle a half-cent tax that funds transit … Continued
While many news stories have carefully followed the price of oil over the last few weeks and months, many have missed the distinction that unlike the late 70’s, this price spike results from overwhelming demand, rather than an unnatural crimp in supply, as was the case with the embargo — the last time we saw … Continued
I noticed this through a comment left on our WalkScore post from a a few months ago. Apparently, the popular for sale by owner (FSBO) website Fizber has launched a new service in the vein of WalkScore called DriveScore. Actually, “in the vein of” is a bit of a misnomer as DriveScore appears to be … Continued
Richard Layman beat me to posting this video, but a Bay Area expat living in Beijing named Luke Mines sent us this video about the opening of the new “5”subway line in Beijing and the rise of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) there. BRT has been implemented in a limited scale in the U.S., but the … Continued
Thanks to a Board of Supervisors elected in 1999 that basically bent over backwards to let any and all growth come to Loudoun County, Va., this formerly rural county on the fringe of Washington, DC quickly become one of the fastest growing counties in America. But the growth came with a great cost as poorly … Continued
I’ve seen this photo in a handful of places this week. It’s an illustration from the city of Munster, Germany, and can be found on the city’s website: As you may be able to tell, it’s a visual illustration of how much roadway space the same number of travelers take up in individual cars, a … Continued
Oregon voters decided Tuesday that they went too far in 2004, with 62 percent of voters approving Measure 49, a partial fix to the mess created by Measure 37 three years ago. Though billed in 2004 as a way for families to build a few houses on their land, Measure 37 basically removed the last … Continued
Voters decided on a handful of ballot measures related to transit and transportation funding yesterday, but it’s worth pointing out two specific cases here from opposite sides of the country. Charlotte: Transit funding upheld An overwhelming 70 percent of Charlotte voters renewed their commitment to the city’s ambitious transit plans, upholding a half-cent tax that … Continued
A news release from us here at Smart Growth America. Download the full release here: WASHINGTON, D.C. – After eight years as the founding executive director and CEO of Smart Growth America (SGA), Don Chen has accepted a leadership appointment at the Ford Foundation, the country’s second largest philanthropy. Chen will be joining Ford as … Continued