August « 2010 « The Transport Politic

Weekend Links

August 21st, 2010 |

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» This week’s big news. Open thread in the comments.

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On The Transport Politic:

U.S. Announces $8.5 Billion in Requests for High-Speed Funds; $2.3 Billion Available
Can Bike Sharing Work in Cities With Monofunctional Job Centers?
Chicago’s Parking Fiasco Fails to Stem Calls for Privatization of Infrastructure
Chicago’s Plans for a High-Speed Airport Link Revived Thanks to Investor Interest

A note on the last article: In discussing the matter of access between Chicago’s downtown and its airport, I neglected to mention two important issues about such links that generally apply to places throughout the country.

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Chicago’s Plans for a High-Speed Airport Link Revived Thanks to Investor Interest

August 20th, 2010 |

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» Mayor Richard Daley hopes for a fully privately funded project connecting downtown with O’Hare Airport, but the city should be sure not to give away too much in the process.

Chicago, perhaps like no other city in the United States, has set itself apart as a center of trade, and recently that has been expressed in the growth of its two airports, O’Hare and Midway. With the resurgence of passenger rail promoted by the Obama Administration, it may be able to reassert its dominance in that field; it will sit at the confluence of three upgraded intercity rail lines

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Chicago’s Parking Fiasco Fails to Stem Calls for Privatization of Infrastructure

August 19th, 2010 |

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» As the United Kingdom encourages investors to pony up billions of pounds for its High-Speed 1 route, Chicago’s sell-off of parking assets comes back to bite.

Who knew an investment in public infrastructure could be so profitable? Or rather, are government entities being bamboozled out of the value of their own property?

About two years ago, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley sold off the rights to 75 years of his city’s public parking meters for $1.15 billion to a partnership of private companies led by Morgan Stanley. Mayor Daley pushed the city council to approve the deal, since it would mean

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Can Bike Sharing Work in Cities With Monofunctional Job Centers?

August 18th, 2010 |

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» London’s experience may provide a useful example for American cities looking to introduce large bike sharing systems.

Bike sharing is growing rapidly as the transportation mode du jour; not only have the standardized bikes and their docking stations invaded most major cities across Europe, but they’re now headed towards introduction in a number of American cities as well. Before investing full-scale in the purchase of thousands of new bikes and the installation of hundreds of docks, U.S. planners should be looking closely at previous experience to determine best practices in system design.

Last month, I laid out my concerns that

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