October 17, 2010

Cargo Bike
Dutch cargo bicycle in NYC
(Photo courtesy NY Daily News)


Highlights

  • Boston to bicyclists: Ride responsibly or get ticketed (Boston Globe, BU Bikes)
    The Menino administration today is cracking down on bicyclists who ignore highway rules while riding on Commonwealth Avenue near the Boston University bridge in Boston. By this afternoon [Sep 23], 75 bike riders have been cited by Boston police for traffic violations as the city tries to make bike riding in Boston safe. In a statement, the administration said the crackdown was fueled by a series of crashes involving vehicles and bicyclists.
  • MBTA "Real-Time" Information: Subways (MassDOT Blog, Universal Hub, NECN, Boston Globe, Boston Metro, WHDH)
    Lieutenant Governor Timothy P. Murray today announced the availability of real-time train location and arrival information for the MBTA's Orange, Red, and Blue Lines.  Lieutenant Governor Murray made the announcement after riding the Orange Line to Ruggles Station. Following the successful release of real-time information for all 187 MBTA bus routes, today's announcement expands the Administration's award-winning open data initiative to hundreds of thousands of daily subway riders.
  • September 30: Distracted Driving Law Takes Effect (MassDOT Blog, Boston Globe, Cambridge Chronicle, BU Daily Free Press)
    MassDOT and Public Safety officials remind Massachusetts drivers that new laws banning texting while driving and cell phone use while driving by 16 and 17 year old drivers go into effect at midnight Thursday, September 30. MassDOT and Executive Office of Public Safety officials joined law enforcement, legislators and safety and injury prevention organizations and advocates in Weymouth today [Sep 29] for a demonstration of the dangers of texting while driving and heard moving testimonials from victims of distracted driving.
  • Christie Halts Train Tunnel, Citing Its Cost (New York Times)
    By Patrick McGeehan -- The largest public transit project in the nation, a commuter train tunnel under the Hudson River to Manhattan, was halted on Thursday by Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey because, he said, the state could not afford its share of the project’s rising cost. Mr. Christie’s decision stunned other government officials and advocates of public transportation because work on the tunnel was under way and $3 billion of federal financing had already been arranged — more money than had been committed to any other transit project in America.
    Related: Editorial: The End of the Tunnel (New York Times)
    Related: Elections Have Consequences (Transport Politic)
  • Why an additional road tax for bicyclists would be unfair (Grist)
    By Elly Blue -- "Should cyclists pay a road tax?" That was printed on the side of one of Portland, Ore.'s MAX light rail trains as it sailed back and forth across the region for six months in 2009. The question was designed to provoke, and it did. "We already do!" I would grumble every time I saw it. It's true. And, fair being fair, we overpay. Say you own a car. You're shelling out an average of $9,519 this year, according to the American Automobile Association (most other estimates are higher). Some of those costs -- a percentage of gas, registration, licensing, and tolls -- go directly to pay for roads. And it hurts. You doubtless feel every penny. The thing is, that money only pays for freeways and highways. Or it mostly pays for them -- a hefty chunk of change for these incredibly expensive, high maintenance thoroughfares still comes from the general fund.
  • VIDEO: Traffic Calming: Postcards from London (Streetfilms)
    By Elizabeth Press -- Judging by recent comments from some local pols, you'd think the addition of pedestrian spaces and bikeways in New York City has somehow thrown our streets out of whack. But what would our streets look like if we really did balance everyone's needs and made them safe and functional for pedestrians, cyclists, and motorists?

"Streets"

Walking

Bicycling

Transit

Cars/Parking

Transportation financing/Government

Parks

  • On the popular Minuteman Bikeway, crowds and towns are part of its charm (Boston Globe)
  • Fells plan calls for fewer trails, more cooperation (Boston Globe, Boston Globe)
  • Building to welcome visitors to Emerald Necklace (Boston Globe)
  • Boston Common sponsorship --
    • Letter: Park won't crumble with corporate names on a few brass plaques (Boston Globe)
    • Letter: Undue alarm over group's search for fiscal support (Boston Globe)
    • Branding Boston Common (Radio Boston)
  • Greenway Carousel Community Meeting Report (NorthEndWaterfront.com)
  • Editorial: City Hall Plaza should go for the green -- as in grass (Boston Globe)
  • Blackstone Valley Bike Path Moves Forward (MassDOT Blog)
  • Cambridge city councilor wants to ban smoking from parks, public spaces (Cambridge Chronicle)
  • State seeks upgrade to Charles footbridge (Boston Globe)
  • Belmont bike path to be completed by November (Boston Globe)
  • Critics eye Greenway spending $300G on program for 9 teens (Boston Herald)
  • Bridge Boosts Northampton Rail Trail (MassDOT Blog)

Development projects

  • Filene's Development --
  • Harbor Garage Development --
  • Keeping tabs on Assembly Square redevelopment (Boston Globe)
  • Pol: Build up waterfront and they will come (Boston Herald)
  • Revere likes the odds on beach, casino (Boston Globe)
  • Builders say work on apartments to start in spring if city OK's increase (Boston Globe)
  • BRA board approves MGH Museum & History Center (Beacon Hill Times)
  • Trying Again on Parcel 7 & 9; RFP Guidelines Meeting #2 (NorthEndWaterfront.com)
  • Boston Landmarks Commission scopes Commonwealth Ave. building adjustments (Allston-Brighton TAB)
  • To Help Plan Allston's Future, Harvard Hires Two Consulting Firms (Harvard Crimson)
  • Letter: Harvard has flimsy grasp of Allston partnership (Boston Globe)
  • Hancock Village developers to present updated 466-unit proposal for Brookline within two months (Brookline TAB)
  • CHS Pedestrian Plan -- on NED's terms (Newton Streets and Sidewalks)
  • Seaport Square --
    • Seaport Square to Enhance City's Innovation District (BRA)
    • Letter: Waterfront project leans too heavily toward vehicle traffic (Boston Globe)
    • Letter: Why can't Chiofaro get the love that the city is showering on Seaport Square? (Boston Globe)
  • Editorial: On Chelsea Creek, city should pursue jobs amid conservation (Boston Globe)
  • Montebello Rd. residents oppose development (Jamaica Plain Gazette)
  • Revised Roxbury project to mix, museum, office, retail, housing (Boston Herald)

Land Use/Planning

Out-of-state

National trends

  • Do We Really Need Traffic Lights? (Fox Business News)
  • Giving Traffic Lights a Minds of Their On Can Reduce Congestion (Popular Science)
  • Cities for People: A Q&A With Architect Jan Gehl (Fast Company)
  • VIDEO: MIND THE GAP - URBAN BIKING: Overcoming Your Fears (VIMEO)
  • Bike-sharing programs spin across U.S. campuses (USA TODAY)
  • BoltBus, RedCoach, other bus lines go for business travelers (USA TODAY)
  • Republican Wave Could Spell Trouble for High-Speed Rail Projects from Coast to Coast (Transport Politic)
  • American Lung Association: smart growth saves lives, improves health (T4America)
  • Almost a quarter of major urban roads are in poor shape (USA TODAY)
  • Want to Get Away With Murder? Just Run Over A Bicyclist (AltTransport)
  • APTA: Public Transit Up For The First Time Since Late 2008 (Transportation Nation)
  • Target to test smaller stores in urban markets (Boston Globe)
  • Applications for TIGER II Funding Overwhelm What U.S. DOT Can Dish Out (Streetsblog DC, Progressive Railroading)
  • Why an additional road tax for bicyclists would be unfair (Grist)
  • Pedal-Powered Shweeb Monorail System Wins $1.05 Million in Google Innovation Contest (Popular Science)
  • Right-Turn Signal: Privatizing Our Way Out of Traffic (New York Times)
  • Texting bans for drivers not putting a dent in accident rates (Ars Technica)
  • Preserving Affordable Housing Near Transit: Case Studies from Atlanta, Denver, Seattle and Washington DC (Reconnecting America)
  • New Orleans, Honolulu Rocket Up the Bike Commute Charts (Streetsblog, LAB)
  • Are We Building New Roads and Highways Based on Incorrect Data? (Infrastructurist, The New Republic)
  • A chat with Earl Bulmenauer about livable communities and right-wing paranoia (Grist)
  • Is high-speed rail on track in the U.S.? (USA TODAY)
  • As two-wheeled commutes grow in popularity, buyers look for bike-accessible homes (Washington Post)
  • Failing U.S. transportation system will imperil prosperity, report finds (Washington Post)
  • Transit Agencies to Get $776 Million to Upgrade Bus Service (Wall Street Journal)
  • Plan to Expand Rail Service Imperiled at State Level (New York Times)
  • State of Good Repair awards to provide safer, more reliable rides to transit passengers across America (USDOT Blog)
  • A Lot More People Are Biking To Work (WIRED)
  • The Folding Bike Goes Cool (Wall Street Journal)
  • Editorial: Will Electric Cars Finally Succeed? (New York Times)
  • Highly charged motoring: Electric cars, though a welcome development, are neither as useful nor as green as their proponents claim (Economist)
  • New report shows how smart technology can ease traffic congestion, improve transportation options and strengthen global competitiveness (T4America)

International news

  • Do we still need one way streets in Vancouver? (re:place Magazine)
  • VIDEO: Copenhagen Cargo Bikes (Streetfilms)
  • Greece promotes sustainable transportation during European Mobility Week (NewsyStocks.com)
  • Moscow stuck in traffic jams on Car-Free Day (RIA Novosti)
  • Ottawa looking to Europe for cycling ideas (CBC News)
  • Cycling to Success: Lessons from the Dutch (Citiwire)
  • VIDEO: Traffic Calming: Postcards from London (Streetfilms)
  • $20 Billion per year needed for Australia's public transport (Dynamic Business)
  • Motorists in Dubai caught in traffic snarls again (Gulfnews.com)
  • Bikes vs. cars: Who pays their fair share? (Vancouver Sun)
  • In Arabian Desert, a Sustainable City Rises (New York Times)
  • In London, Bike Sharing Just Got Even More Efficient (The City Fix)
  • How to Make Biking Mainstream: Lessons from the Dutch (Yes!)
  • World traffic deaths falling, particularly in developed nations (Detroit News)
  • VIDEO: Copenhagen - We Love Bikes (Copenhagenize.com)
  • Avoiding urban sprawl could reduce pollution, boost economy: report (Vancouver Sun)
  • Paris to Launch Electric Car-Sharing Program Next Year (TreeHugger)
  • An Alternative to Congestion Pricing: Roadway Traffic Restraint (Transport Politic)
  • Speed cameras do cut traffic injuries and deaths: study (Reuters)
  • Bike lane raises more chatter than future transit link (Vancouver Province)