Eliminating the gas tax?

The situation: Bridges are falling down, traffic congestion is worsening, gains in fuel efficiency are reducing gas tax revenues, worthwhile transit projects are sitting on the shelf, and the Highway Trust Fund — funded by the 18.5 cents a gallon gas tax that is already inadequate for funding transportation investments — is about to run … Continued

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Measuring the true cost of housing: location, location, location

It’s not just gas prices that make transportation expensive… Yesterday, The Center for Neighborhood Technology, an SGA coalition member, along with the Brookings Institution, released a new web-based tool to measure housing affordability — by also measuring the transportation costs inherent in a home’s location. Traditionally, affordability is measured at 30% or less of a … Continued

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NYC's farsighted congestion pricing plan dead

As you may have read this morning in numerous other outlets, New York City’s plan to implement congestion pricing in Manhattan was defeated last night without reaching a vote on the floor. [NYT] The plan would have charged most cars $8 and trucks $21 to enter traffic-choked Midtown and Lower Manhattan during busy hours on … Continued

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But can "we" solve it without addressing where we live?

“We” love the “we” campaign, but it has some glaring omissions Many of you may have seen the hopeful television commercials over the last week with pictures of windmills, solar panels, and all things “green.” Former Vice President Al Gore launched a three-year, $300-million dollar campaign last week, officially called The Alliance For Climate Protection,” … Continued

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Letter to the We Campaign

Kinds folks at the We Campaign. I love what you’re doing, and am excited about the campaign. But to look through your site, and see nary a decent mention or section explaining the energy/emissions ramifications of where we choose to live is really disheartening.  We’re never going to radically lower our emissions unless we begin … Continued

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Growing Cooler: "I just wanted my life back"

As we’ve highlighted this week, Growing Cooler: The Evidence on Urban Development and Climate Change is out in its final, sharp-looking book form. Released in a preliminary technical form last fall, the book has been revised, updated, and published as a beautiful hardcover book, replete with informative graphics, pictures and illustrations. The crux? It will … Continued

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