Tag: Transportation

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Will Janette Sadik-Khan and Amanda Burden form their own urban planning policy institute?

Will Janette Sadik-Khan and Amanda Burden form their own urban planning policy institute?.

New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg not only brought his huge stack of cash with him when he took control of the nation’s largest city in 2002, he also brought a high-powered administration with him. One of the most successful and popular of those has been Bloomberg’s transportation chief Janette Sadik-Khan and planning head Amanda Burden. Both are rumored to be looking for new gigs. More from Crain’s Business:

The city’s transportation chief, Janette Sadik-Khan, and planning czar, Amanda Burden, are close friends who share a passion for creating vibrant, sustainable cities. They have been travel companions—to India, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Copenhagen—and even sat next to each other at a recent benefit gala honoring Ms. Sadik-Khan.

And when the Bloomberg administration draws to a close this year, the powerful pair could go into business together, spreading their brand of urban planning across the globe. Several former Bloomberg administration sources confirmed that the two have been in discussions about forming their own urban-planning policy institute, either as an offshoot of Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s foundation or as a stand-alone entity. Another source said they were angling to open a global consulting firm.

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Secretary Foxx poised to continue LaHood’s multi-modal legacy

Secretary Foxx poised to continue LaHood’s multi-modal legacy.

While Congress continues to be totally inept and unable to pass a comprehensive transportation bill, the new Secretary of Transportation is getting settled into his new role. It appears as though Anothony Foxx will pursue a similar multi-modal agenda as his predecessor. More from Streetsblog Capitol Hill:

The effect of federal dithering over funding isn’t lost on Foxx, but the administration just isn’t ready to make any concrete proposals. While he said sequestration was a “blunt instrument” that has dealt a “tough blow” to the transportation sector, he didn’t offer a revenue solution that would allow more spending without deficit spending.

And though you may not have heard much about it from the administration lately, Foxx insisted that high-speed rail is as high a priority as ever. As evidence, he mentioned the new freight policy council, stating that “high-speed rail is not just passenger-focused; it is freight-focused.” He didn’t elaborate further on that, though he may have been referring to the benefit to freight when passenger trains run on their own dedicated tracks.

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CitiBank’s investment in New York City’s bikeshare is paying off

CitiBank’s investment in New York City’s bikeshare is paying off.

Columbus launched Ohio’s first bikeshare this week. Cincinnati, meanwhile, continues to work on developing its own bikeshare system. While the movement starts takes root in the Buckeye State, New York City’s new CitiBike system has been seen as a massive success. This has not only been for those using the system, but also for CitiBank as it has been looking for a way to rebuild its brand identity following the financial crisis years ago. More from The Daily Beast:

In recent months one bailed-out, much-hated bank has found salvation through an unorthodox, low-affect marketing method. We’re talking, of course, about Citi’s sponsorship of the wildly popular, just-launched New York City bikesharing program—Citibike…Instead of forcing people to watch another soporific spot before guffawing at that clip of The Daily Show online, or getting lost in the hundreds of ads disrupting people trying to watch The Voice, Citibike offers a rolling testimonial to the brand. Every day, about 25,000 times, someone saddles up on a Citibike, which has the company’s name plastered on it prominently, and rides around Manhattan or Brooklyn, usually with a smile on her face.

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Better Streets are Better Public Places

Better Streets are Better Public Places

As many communities start to require a complete streets approach to roadway planning it is important for cities such as Cincinnati to remember the elements of good street planning or face the consequences of the STROAD. Kaid Benfield highlights the ingredients to creating a great pedestrian friendly street that serves as a place to visit instead of a way to pass through. Read more at the NRDC Switchboard:

But, when I say that a street is not just a “street,” I mean that it is not just a surface for motorized travel.  It is also the sidewalk, the curb, the trees and “street furniture” that line it; the facings of the shops, homes, and other buildings and uses along the way.  It is not just about transportation, but also about civic definition and social and commercial interaction.  It is a system, at a minimum, and should at least aspire to becoming a place, as Victor asserts.

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After 20 years of results, it turns out that transit skeptics in St. Louis were wildly wrong

After 20 years of results, it turns out that transit skeptics in St. Louis were wildly wrong.

Hamilton County residents voted on a half-cent sales tax in 2002 that would have transformed the region’s transportation options. Through that new funding, the region would have completely rebuilt and restructured its bus service, built five light rail lines, and several streetcar lines. Much skepticism, touted by opponents and not unlike what St. Louis voters experienced in their own public vote 20 years ago. The difference is that St. Louis voters approved their measure while Cincinnatians did not. It turns out that the opponents and skeptics in St. Louis were wrong…wildly wrong. More from the St. Louis Post Dispatch:

To say there were doubters that the fledgling MetroLink light-rail service would catch on with riders back in 1993 would be a monumental understatement…Costello also recalled how Washington “bean counters” assured locals that “there is no way that you will meet your ridership numbers.” By contrast, he said, MetroLink exceeded the projected 10-year levels within two years.

Nations recalled how a 1987 report predicted light-rail ridership in St. Louis would be about 3 million by 2000. That year, he said, people boarded trains more than 14 million times…MetroLink now logs more than 17 million boardings a year — many of them commuters and students. Regional leaders also credit light rail with spurring residential and commercial development near stations.