March 25, 2010

20 MPH Zone
20 mph zone in London
(Photo courtesy Streetsblog)

Highlights

  • Cambridge Looks at [Western Ave/River St] Bridge Project (CCTV)
    Cambridge Vice-Mayor Henrietta Davis’s comment summed up many local concerns about the proposed rehabilitation of the city’s historic bridges at River Street and Western Avenue. Bikers, pedestrians and cars have to share space on the bridges, as in this photo taken at the intersection of the Western Avenue bridge and Memorial Drive. The bridges are part of the $3 billion state-wide Accelerated Bridge Program (ABP) administered by the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (DOT). The program involves 189 of the state’s 305 bridges. It is to be finished by 2016.
    Learn more about LivableStreets Charles River Bridge Campaign

  • Arlington parents wrestle with idea of kids biking to school (Boston Globe)
    By Kathleen Burge -- If one were to name some particularly bike-friendly suburbs of Boston, Arlington might be first on the list. No corner of the town is more than a few miles from the Minuteman Bikeway, the most popular bike path in the country. The town is home to two bicycle stores and a bike club whose members set off on long rides every Saturday and Sunday morning. A bicycling committee advises town leaders on bike issues. And yet, until recently, school officials informally banned children from biking to school.
  • Commuter rail head selected to run MBTA (Boston Globe, Commonwealth Conversations)
    By Brian MacQuarrie -- In a move that state officials hope infuses the MBTA with new direction and increased efficiency, Governor Deval Patrick has recommended that the head of its commuter-rail operations become general manager of the often-troubled transit agency. The state Department of Transportation board is scheduled to vote this week on the nomination of Richard A. Davey as the new T chief. “It’s getting back to the core: being on time,’’ said Davey, who has been general manager at the Massachusetts Bay Commuter Railroad, the private company that operates and maintains the MBTA’s commuter rail.
  • LaHood: "This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized" (LAB)
    By Darren Flusche -- When the Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood stood on a table at the National Bike Summit to thank the crowd  and show his support for bicycling and walking, he was just getting started. Today, he announced his new Policy Statement on Bicycle and Pedestrian Accommodation Regulations and Recommendations. It is simply the strongest statement of support for prioritizing bicycling and walking ever to come from a sitting secretary of transportation.
    Related: In Surprise Appearance, Ray LaHood Caps Off National Bike Summit (Streetsblog, USDOT)
    Related: VIDEO: Voices From The National Bike Summit (Streetfilms)
  • Gridlock May Not Be Constant, but Slow Going Is Here to Stay (New York Times)
    By Michael Grynbaum -- If you are thinking of driving in Manhattan on a Wednesday, perhaps to take in a Broadway matinee, think again: it is the most congested day of the week. Pretty much all of November is a slog, too. And when the United Nations is in session in September? Forget it. Rainfall, parades and motorcades — they all have their effect on traffic. And when calamity and Wednesdays collide, watch out: July 29, a Wednesday, was among the 25 worst traffic days last year.
  • Woonerf: It's Dutch for smart-city building (Toronto Star)
    By Christopher Hume -- The really big news in Toronto right now is that woonerfs are coming to town. In case you don't speak Dutch or happen to be a planner, woonerfs are streets designed for cars and people, but with precedence given to the latter. "The idea is to give pedestrians priority," explains Waterfront Toronto's vice-president of planning, Christopher Glaisek. "Woonerfs are a new street typology. They won't look like anything we've seen in Toronto."

"Streets"

Walking

Bicycling

Transit

Cars/Parking

Transportation financing/Government

  • Stimulus money to help build healthier Hub (Boston Globe)
  • From the Big Dig to the Turnpike Authority, what a long, strange trip it's been (Boston Globe)
  • Patrick says 'no' to gas tax hike (Boston Globe)

Parks

  • Brookline developing new plan for town's parks, open spaces (Brookline TAB)
  • Luring tasty, fresh food to parched Greenway (Boston Globe, Greenway Blog)
    • Editorial: The Greenway: Equal treatment for greasy snacks (Boston Globe)
    • Letter: A light repast in the park? How about just a bite to eat? (Boston Globe)
    • Letter: The Greenway is still finding itself -- we'll find it too (Boston Globe)
  • Guest commentary: Cambridge riverfront gets planning attention (Cambridge Chronicle)
  • Second 'Esplanade 2020' meeting focuses on design group findings (Back Bay Sun)
  • Segway tour operator says he'll defy Greenway ban (Boston Globe)

Development projects

Land Use/Planning

Out-of-state

  • National Bike Summit --
    • In Surprise Appearance, Ray LaHood Caps Off National Bike Summit (Streetsblog, USDOT)
    • Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) Pedals a Pedicab at the League's National Bike Summit (LAB)
    • VIDEO: Voices From The National Bike Summit (Streetfilms)
    • LaHood: "This is the end of favoring motorized transportation at the expense of non-motorized" (LAB)
    • Republicans Ridicule Bike Lanes (Courthouse News Service)
  • Pennsylvania Avenue cycle track slated for May (WashCycle)
    • VIDEO: The Capitol's Colossal Contraflow Cycle Track (Streetfilms)
  • After You: Considering the Four-Way Stop (New York Times)
  • A Time to Consider Local Fuel Fees [San Francisco] (New York Times)
  • MTA Considers Wireless Internet For Trains (NY1, NYPOST)
  • Why L.A.'s New One Block Railway Is a Sign of Things to Come (True/Slant)
  • A Regional Gas Tax Surcharge to Sponsor Infrastructure Investment (Transport Politic)
  • Houston Leaders Fear Too Large, Too Quick a Commitment to Light Rail (Transport Politic)
  • Newsom Christens New Mojo Cafe "Parklet," Pledges More to Come (Streetsblog SF)
  • VIDEO: Making Muni Faster and More Reliable by Speeding Up Boarding (Streetfilms)
  • His Offense: Taking 2 Seats on a Nearly Empty Train (New York Times)
  • Gridlock May Not Be Constant, but Slow Going Is Here to Stay (New York Times)

National trends

International news