Apparently, transit is popular: In 2013, Americans made almost 10.7 billion public transit trips. Around the country, transit agencies are taking note. In San Francisco, Muni plans to increase service by 10%. Closer to home, Community Transit will increase service by 20% over the next 6 years.
Apparently, driving is not: The USDOT’s travel demand estimates are still abysmally wrong. Traffic on the Alaskan Way Viaduct is collapsing. And the viaduct itself might collapse any day now. In the words of Dominic Holden, “tear down the damn viaduct already!”
Not just for cars: Self-driving buses could change the way we think about transit.
The sharing economy: What could be better than sharing a car trip with a stranger? How about sharing it with two strangers?
Unsung heroes: The Seattle DOT is making SW Roxbury Street safer, and building neighborhood greenways in Lake City and the U-District.
Too big to climb: Before there were elevators, there were mid-rise buildings. Over at Planetizen, Robert Freedman argues that “cheek-to-jowl” mid-rise construction is still an excellent way to provide density at a human scale.
Aleksandra (Aleks) is a software engineer who moonlights as a writer and copy editor. Aleks's love of cities started as a child, when she would ride the commuter rail into Boston with her family for day trips. Her mission is to share that love with the world, by ensuring that our cities have a place for everyone. Aleks primarily writes about transportation and land use. She is also the webmaster.