January 23rd, 2010
» Candidate Rocco Rossi suggests banning bikes from major roadways and halting implementation of ambitious light rail program.
With 75 miles of light rail service in planning and two major subway extensions soon to begin construction, Toronto has one of North America’s largest transit construction schemes in the works, much thanks to the work of outgoing Mayor David Miller, who has been in office since 2003.
Depending on its outcome, the mayoral election this fall might put those projects in question.
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January 20th, 2010
» The loss of the Democratic Senate supermajority will make any attempt at developing a new transportation funding source all the more difficult.
Republican Scott Brown’s win over Democrat Martha Coakley in yesterday’s Massachusetts special election for the Senate seat formerly held by Ted Kennedy could not have come at a worse time for Democrats already perplexed by their inability to come together to pass a health care bill — despite their large majorities in both houses of Congress. The loss of the 60th seat in the Senate keeps the party in decisive control of the legislature, but what has become
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December 14th, 2009
» Running for U.S. Senate, Lieutenant Governor Daniel Mongiardo makes a push for better rail-based transportation.
Though choices about investing in transportation frequently plays a role in mayoral and gubernatorial races, rarely do candidates lay out specific plans for new systems that have not before been suggested by state officials or transit proponents. Yet that’s exactly what Daniel Mongiardo is attempting in his effort to win one of Kentucky’s U.S. Senate seats in
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November 16th, 2009
» While livable cities advocates might suggest that their cause is a nonpartisan one, reality suggests otherwise.
American politics are quite unique compared to those in other countries because of the practical obsession on the part of members of both parties of achieving “bipartisan” or “nonpartisan” policy objectives. In most countries, when a party wins a landslide election, the winning group pursues its objectives, with little or no consideration of losing parties not taking part in a governing coalition. In the next election, policy differences are clarified and voters can make a choice. In the United States, on the other hand,
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November 3rd, 2009
» Third in a series of three articles on today’s elections. The first considered governor’s races; the second reviewed ballot measures.
In six big cities across the country — Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Miami, New York, and Seattle — transportation is playing a role in the mayoral race being decided today. With the economic crisis front and center, however, transit isn’t anyone’s biggest priority.
Mayor of Atlanta, GA
Mary Norwood vs. Kasim Reed vs. Lisa Borders (front-runners in a nonpartisan race)
Update: Mary Norwood, with 46%, and Kasim Reed, with 36%, have moved
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November 3rd, 2009
» Second in a series of three articles on today’s elections. The first reviewed governor’s races; the third considered mayoral contests.
Though there are several referendums being considered today in which transportation plays a major role, two in the Midwest stand out as particularly interesting. Voters in Cincinnati and Northern Indiana will be deciding whether they want rail systems in the future.
Ballot Measure — Rail in Cincinnati
Update: Voters roundly rejected the ballot measure, providing a boost to streetcar advocates. Transit proponent Mark Mallory wins a second term in the mayor’s seat.
If the NAACP
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Yonah Freemark | 
January 23rd, 2010 | 
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