Government / Politics

Many commuters still find buses, trains, and subways to be more cost-effective than driving. However, mass transit funds are drying up, and increased fees and decreased service may deter riders from sticking to mass transit.

January 28, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

With the fate of Canada's conservative government at stake, details are leaking regarding the proposed federal budget, including billions of dollars in new infrastructure spending.

January 27, 2009 - The Globe and Mail

"Level of service" is a ranking used by transportation engineers to assess the performance of roads. Streetsblog argues that LOS distorts the development of mobility infrastructure by prioritizing cars over people.

January 27, 2009 - StreetsBlog-SF

Too important to fail? Victorville and Norco, CA have approved loans to local car dealers to keep them afloat.

January 27, 2009 - The Wall St. Journal

A proposal for a comprehensive green stimulus plan, backed by a powerful group of environmentalists, unions, and associations, was submitted to Canada's Prime Minister Harper last week.

January 27, 2009 - The Tyee

In a move that will disappoint auto manufacturers and labor but was met with great applause by the environmental community, Obama has taken the first step to granting CA's request for a waiver so it can set its own, stricter emission standards.

January 27, 2009 - CNN Politics

L.A. is at war with outdoor advertising. Though activists have urged the city to make moves to block video billboards, it's not really clear which side is winning the war, according to this piece from Design Observer.

January 26, 2009 - Design Observer

A new review of Oregon's land use system calls for a reworking of the state's policies to allow counties and regions to make more focused and appropriate decisions.

January 25, 2009 - The Oregonian

This piece from Bloomberg architecture critic James Russell calls for a unified approach to building the nation's transportation infrastructure.

January 25, 2009 - Bloomberg

An obscure new rule pushed through the Federal Highway Administration requires public toll roads to collect 'fair market value' from drivers, rather than to serve the public interest.

January 24, 2009 - On The Commons

Jon Zemke ponders the many possibilities for building a world-class transportation network throughout metro Detroit.

January 23, 2009 - Metromode

John Norquist, President and CEO of the Congress for the New Urbanism, believes that President Obama should reconsider committing stimulus funds to decades-old freeway expansion projects and take transportation policy in a new direction.

January 22, 2009 - John Norquist

Secretary of Transportation appointee Ray LaHood spoke to the Senate today about Amtrak, toll roads, and sustainability.

January 22, 2009 - Grist

In Oregon, transportation officials are set to vote on an ambitious list of transportation projects that they hope will garner funding when Congress allocates transportation money this year.

January 22, 2009 - The Oregonian

Hopes are fading from transit enthusiasts who wanted to see high speed rail and public transit profit from Obama's stimulus package. Even the road lobby is disappointed that infrastructure will get less than tax cuts and state bail-outs.

January 22, 2009 - The New York Times

This editorial suggests three strategies to make the American auto fleet more efficient: renewing the hybrid tax credit program (many credits have been exhausted), pursuing a "cash for clunkers program", and increasing the gas tax to supplement CAFE.

January 22, 2009 - The New York Times

The line between suburb and city blurs as suburbs struggle with the problems of the cities' past. But there's hope, say this article's authors, who make a case for regionalism and government's active role in reinventing such struggling places.

January 22, 2009 - Newsweek

Municipalities are increasingly ready to meet the rising demands by residents who want to raise their own chickens for food.

January 22, 2009 - NPR

On Tuesday, over a million Americans made it to Washington, D.C. to attend President Obama's inauguration. Christopher Hawthorne relates the nation's refreshed optimism to an impending revival of urbanism and public space.

January 22, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

Outdoor signs, some of them quite large, have gone up around Los Angeles despite a 90-day moratorium on them. Tenants of buildings with such multistory "supergraphics" draped over their windows share their grief.

January 21, 2009 - Los Angeles Times