Slow down: The evidence continues to build that speed cameras are effective at slowing drivers down.
Yesler infill: Residential and mixed-use projects planned for the Yesler Terrace area faced design review this week.
Connected: Mayor Ed Murray’s proposed budget would fund the Center City Connector for the streetcar and create a task force to develop safety recommendations surrounding bikes and tracks.
HOT air: The wisdom of HOT lanes is questionable at best and probably negative in the long-run (hello induced sprawl!).
Commercial affordability: Seattle’s business task force looked at a lot of issues, but commercial rent control didn’t make the list.
New RTIS: Seattle’s transportation department is >improving real-time arrival information kiosks on Third Avenue.
A living rent: London is looking at a “living rent” plan to tackle the global city’s affordable housing woes.
Tone it down: The American Medical Association issues a health warning for LED street lights, recommending cities use less intense models.
Penn reborn: They may have torn down the idyllic New York Penn Station and threw Madison Square Garden on top, but a plan to bring it back as part of the mega-Moynihan Station project is turning its wheels.
Remold the force: How Seattle could increase diversity of the local police department.
Transit not enough: It’s not enough to have good transit, the pedestrian environment matters, too.
In hy-drive: Germany will soon launch the world’s first hydrogen-powered passenger trains, which is created from electricity.
A bitter farewell: A memorial walk will be held Sunday for Capitol Hill resident Max Richards who died after being hit in a neighborhood crosswalk.
Seineful: 3.3 kilometers of road will be closed along Paris’ Seine River permanently and go to park and open space use.
Filling vacancies: Parts of Chicago have high vacancies and it varies greatly a block-by-block level, but there has been substantial success by local programmes to cut the vacancies in recent years.
High riding: Austin, Texas will study an eight-mile long aerial gondola line as a form of public transit.
Pine-rise: A 48-story tower planned for residential and hotel space could find its way to Eighth Avenue and Pine Street.
Sculptured: A new sculpture has been at E Union St and 23rd Ave E as part of corridor improvements.
Map of the Week: Seattle’s bike map got some nice improvements.
Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.