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November 15, 2009

Marquette Interchange
Marquette Interchange, Milwaukee
(Photo courtesy New York Times)

Highlights

  • Taking a walk shouldn't be a contact sport (Boston Globe)
    By Derrick Z. Jackson -- Although many pedestrians might not think so, the Boston metropolitan area is the second-safest for pedestrians out of 52 cities of a million or more residents, according to a new report released Transportation for America, the coalition that advocates for less dependence on cars. Before you laugh, it really is much worse elsewhere, especially in the South. Orlando, Tampa, Miami, and Jacksonville are, in order, the most dangerous. In suburban Tampa, where my sister lives, it is as if planners viewed walking as a communicable disease and jogging as cancer.
  • Brookline merchants call for end to free parking (Brookline TAB)
    By Neal Simpson -- Brookline’s two main merchant groups are calling on the town to end its annual tradition of turning off town parking meters every Saturday during the holidays, saying it should keep the meters running instead. “In doing so, we think the town will see a higher revenue return and the merchants will see a higher rate of turnover, which will hopefully keep their shops full,” said Jonathon Stearns, president of the Brookline Chamber of Commerce.
  • Guest commentary: Riding into the future (Cambridge Chronicle)
    By Lizzi Weyant -- The recently released independent report on the state of the MBTA commissioned this summer by Governor Patrick was sobering, but it certainly wasn’t surprising. After an outcry from transit advocates and riders opposing fare hike and service cut proposals, the Governor commissioned the top-to-bottom review of the agency, which was conducted by former John Hancock executive, David D’Alessandro.
  • Stimulus $$ to give life to new bike path connector in Cambridge (Cambridge Chronicle)
    By Gila Babich -- Federal stimulus money will help jumpstart the construction of a Minuteman Bike Path Connector spanning Cambridge, Somerville and Arlington. The project is among 12 Boston-area projects on Gov. Deval Patrick’s list of priorities to receive federal stimulus funds, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation announced last month. The multi-use linear park, designed by the state’s Department of Conservation and Recreation, will begin near the Alewife T station in Cambridge, extend along the Alewife Brook through Arlington and end in Somerville.
  • Which cities are safest for pedestrians? Which are dangerous? (Christian Science Monitor)
    Some of the most dangerous places for pedestrians, according to a new report, are cities in the South – in areas that built streets mainly for automobiles. Not surprisingly, the safest cities have many miles of bike lanes or sidewalks.
    By Ron Scherer -- Some of the most dangerous places to walk or ride a bicycle in America are in the South – in fast-growing metropolitan areas that have built their streets mainly for automobiles. In fact, four of the five worst metro areas for walking or biking are in Florida: Orlando-Kissimmee, Tampa-St. Petersburg, Miami-Fort Lauderdale, and Jacksonville. The other metro area in this group of five is Memphis, Tenn.
  • VIDEO: William Lind: A Conservative Voice For Public Transportation (Streetfilms)
    By Elizabeth Press -- At the 2009 Rail-Volution conference in Boston, Streetfilms was able to grab a few moments with the political conservative, transit advocate, William Lind.  Lind aims to provide "liberal transit advocates" the language to build bipartisan support for public transportation (okay, just rail) in terms that conservatives can relate to. Some of Lind's arguments don't reflect our views here at Streetfilms, especially his disdain for buses (which we don't cover in this video), but he makes a thought-provoking case for transit investment.

"Streets"

  • Brookline roadwork delayed after confusion over what was supposed to be built (Brookline TAB)
  • Patrick pushes for cameras to catch red-light violators (Boston Globe)
  • Starts & Stops: T finance report renews questions on transportation pick; Going carless doesn't save what it used to; Earmarks are rarely a boon for bad bridges (Boston Globe)
  • Report shows many intersections south of Boston among state's most dangerous (Boston Globe)

Walking

  • For the Kraft's Patriot Place, a golden gateway (Boston Globe)
  • Taking a walk shouldn't be a contact sport (Boston Globe)

Bicycling

  • Bikes: Bright idea vs. human nature (Boston Globe)
  • Warren Towers Loses 12 Car Parking Spots to 447 Swipe Access Bike Parking Spots (BU Bikes)

Transit

Cars/Parking

Transportation financing/Government

Parks

Development projects

Land Use/Planning

Out-of-state

  • San Francisco Cyclists Facing Backlash for Flouting Rules of the Road (New York Times)
  • Grand Plans for Rail in Denver Hit a Wall of Fiscal Realities (New York Times)
  • VIDEO: Bicycling is UP again in the Big Apple! (Streetfilms)
  • Removing a Barrier [Providence, RI] (New York Times)
  • City Prepares for Law Allowing Bikes in Buildings (New York Times)
  • New Yorkers choosing bicycle lane over car lane - more than ever (NY Daily News)
  • Some Bay Area Developers Ditch the Extra Parking Space for More Units (Streetsblog SF)
  • Montgomery draws a car-free blueprint for growth (Washington Post)

National trends

  • Sidewalks become battlegrounds (USA Today)
  • At CNU, Former Rep of Texas Legislature says "No Road Pays for Itself" (Streetsblog SF)
  • Graceful Interchanges, Now Doubling as Civic Structure (New York Times)
  • Which cities are safest for pedestrians? Which are dangerous? (Christian Science Monitor)
  • Group Seeks Pedestrian-Friendly Roads (NPR)
  • Chrysler drops three electric vehicles despite having touted them to get billions in government bailout cash (USA Today)
  • Revolutionary Road (New York Times)
  • Fare's Fair? (New York Times)
  • VIDEO: William Lind: A Conservative Voice For Public Transportation (Streetfilms)

International news