Car-Centric Planning

TxDOT Approves I-45 Widening Despite Local Opposition
Despite every manner of local opposition, the Texas Department of Transportation is pushing forward with a plan to widen Interstate 45 north of the city of Houston, demolishing and displacing thousands of homes, businesses, and community facilities.

Notes on the Buttigieg Confirmation Hearing
Takeaways from last week's Senate confirmation hearing for the nominee to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

What Are Parking Requirements?
Parking requirements determine by law the amount of parking developers must include when building new developments. Though a standard of zoning and development codes nationwide, parking requirements are undergoing a process of reform.

Parking Induces Driving, Study Says
New research published in the Urban Studies journal does the difficult work of connecting the dots between parking and driving.

Report: Ride-Hailing Drastically Increases Vehicle Miles Traveled
New research published in Transport Policy finds that ride-hailing companies increase vehicle miles traveled of users by 97 percent in Chicago, 114 percent in New York City, and 118 percent in San Francisco.

Where the Pandemic Has Scrambled Traffic Patterns
The map of metropolitan areas that drive least, and thus emit fewer greenhouse gas emissions, has been completely redrawn by the pandemic, according to a recent report.

Pedestrian-Friendly Makeover of a Busy Toronto Street Stops Short of the Car-Free Ideal
The yongeTOmorrrow project is heading toward the finish line with widespread support from advocates, but a few want the plan to go one step further.

U.S. Car Prices Cross the $40,000 Threshold
Car prices have been going for a while, but even by recent standards a December jump in car prices is likely to be an outlier.

Resources for Safe, Convenient Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure
Despite the stated goals of state and federal agencies to encourage active modes of transportation, there's still a long way to go to make sure that all cities and communities have safe, convenient sidewalks and bike lanes.

Fifth Ward Residents Oppose Houston's Interstate Expansion
The downtown freeway expansion will displace thousands of housed and unhoused residents and hundreds of small businesses.

Economic Justice Includes Highway Removals
A $435 billion "economic justice" bill proposed by Democrats in the U.S. Senate includes $10 billion for projects that remove highways and build community-oriented assets in their place.

What Will California's Commutes Look Like After COVID-19?
As the pandemic begins to wind down, Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority's Deborah Dagang speculates on the future of commuting, traffic, and public transit as Californians slowly return to their travel routines.

Maryland's Highway Expansion Project Out to Bid
Vocal opposition hasn't slowed the Maryland Department of Transportation's progress of the I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project.

Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies
The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.

Lawsuit Challenges PennDOT's NEPA Process on Erie Bayfront Parkway
Despite 80% of survey respondents wanting a reduction in volume on Erie's waterfront parkway and improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the city's waterfront, PennDOT plans instead to double traffic as part of a $120 million high-speed bypass.

2019 Crash Fatality Data Reveals Relative Calm Before the Storm
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's latest crash fatality data for 2019 showed improving safety conditions for road users from the year prior. That progress is likely to vanish when the data for 2020 are complete.

L.A. Metro Plans for an Equitable Recovery
The pandemic has forced difficult confrontations with inequities that existed long before the novel coronavirus. L.A. Metro planners are responding by charting a path toward a transportation system that reverses and improves those previous realities.

Automobile Dependency: An Unequal Burden
Automobile-dependent planning has changed automobiles from a luxury into a necessity. Excessive vehicle costs leave many households without money to purchase essential food, shelter and healthcare. They need more affordable transportation options.

Opinion: Proposed Parking Tax Reduction Would Do More Harm Than Good
Recent investigations into the conditions facing workers in private parking lots in Philadelphia has produced a series of legislation reforms, but one idea, to lower the city's parking tax, isn't going to fly with this opinion writer.

Cities Double Down on Car-Centric Services During the Pandemic
The pandemic has created even more obstacles to participation in society for those without a car.
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