April « 2010 « The Transport Politic

Merging Transportation and Land Use Planning at the Federal Level

April 27th, 2010 |

» The federal government must ensure that its investments in housing and transportation align. The newly cooperative Departments of Transportation and Housing and Urban Development may improve that prospect.

Roosevelt Island lies in the middle of the East River, a 2-mile-long stick of an island between Manhattan and Queens. Even before its first apartments opened in 1973, New York City officials for years understood the place’s potential — its amazing views and fantastic location would have made it a business bonanza had its land been sold off to private developers. Unlike many of the neighborhoods that had been bulldozed by

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Edmonton Expands Light Rail Service South to Century Park

April 26th, 2010 |

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» Completion of city’s first transit expansion program since 1992 emphasizes attracting a suburban clientele.

Rapid transit systems can promote a variety of differing goals, from increasing the number of commuters choosing to ride public transportation during the peak hour to allowing for the multiplication of zones of walkable urbanism.

Many commuter rail systems have the stated purpose of pulling suburbanites into downtown business districts and often include hundreds of parking spots at stations to allow people who live in sprawling neighborhoods to drive right up to the station then jump on the train to make the final hop to work.

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Weekend Links

April 24th, 2010 |

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» This Week’s Big News. Open Thread.

Follow my Twitter account (@ttpolitic) to get news in real time.

Update: Feel free to use the comments section as an open thread — as long as the discussion is transportation-related.

On the Transport Politic:

Is the U.S. Ready for a Sustained High-Speed Rail Funding Source?
Can Vancouver Afford to Abandon SkyTrain for Its Broadway Route?
Its Big System Plans Now Stretched Too Thin, Dallas Considers Ways to Cut Back
East Bay Bus Rapid Transit Receives Support from Oakland as Berkeley Hesitates
Australian Greens Promote High-Speed Rail for Melbourne-Sydney Link

Policy

As smart phones become more popular, thefts become a major

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Australian Greens Promote High-Speed Rail for Melbourne-Sydney Link

April 23rd, 2010 |

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» Long-studied project would cost upwards of A$40 billion and connect the country’s two largest cities in less than four hours. Though ruling Labor Party supported the project, it may not follow through with funding.

Among the long list of countries now moving towards high-speed rail (most recent adherent: Sudan), Australia is remarkable for the number of years it has been seriously considering an investment but repeatedly pulled away because of worries about cost, a dubious distinction perhaps shared only by its Anglo-Saxon peers in the U.S. and Canada.

Repeatedly pinpointed as the nation’s most promising route for fast trains, a

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