transportation
American Cities’ Biggest Transportation Innovation is Decidedly Low-Tech
[By Paul Goddin for Mobility Lab]
American cities are adding bus and bike lanes, implementing bikeshare systems, and creating public plazas and miniature parks at a rapid pace.
Urban streets, long the domain of automobiles, are increasingly being reclaimed by and for the people, a change that amounts to the biggest transportation innovation in recent years, according to a new report by TransitCenter.
“A People’s History of Recent Transportation Innovation” details how strong alignment among local civic organizations, city leadership, and transportation agencies has yielded enduring changes in regional transportation systems.
D.C. Housing May be Less Expensive than the Suburbs
[By Paul Goddin for Mobility Lab]
The conventional wisdom is that living in the city is much more expensive than living outside of it.
Taxes, entertainment, and groceries all add up to a slightly higher cost of living in the city. Housing, though, is the expense that tips the scales decidedly in favor of the suburbs. Or does it?
With car payments and car costs at their highest levels ever, transportation costs can rebalance the scales in favor of the city. Unfortunately, most people don’t consider the cost of transportation when deciding where to live.
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The George Washington Bridge in New York City, owned by the Port Authority of NY and NJ. This photo was a happy accident.
How Much Should Uber be Regulated?
[By Paul Goddin for Mobility Lab]
Sharing-economy companies like Uber, Lyft, and AirBnB continue to disrupt industries as they create services that are incredibly appealing to consumers.
Whatever your opinion on these companies, the decision regarding if, and how much, they should be regulated is important. It will help determine the speed of technological innovation in the U.S. and the direction our economy takes.
At one end of the spectrum are states and cities that remain suspicious of these for-profit companies, and continue to crack down on them. Uber and AirBnB, the argument goes, skirt existing regulations, operate with an unfair advantage, and run the risk of ultimately endangering consumers.
Gridlock: Not Just for Washington D.C. Politics
[By Paul Goddin for Mobility Lab]
File this one under “lists you don’t want to appear on.”
Consumer finance website NerdWallet has released a list of the top 10 Worst Cities for Car Drivers. Washington D.C., number two on the list, proves once again that the term “gridlock” doesn’t just apply to the city’s politics.
NerdWallet gave Washington poor scores because, compared with other major cities, “Washington, D.C. drivers waste the most time in delays: 67 hours each year.” NerdWallet also cited hefty car-insurance premiums and tourists who are “often lost on the city’s confusing traffic circles and one-way streets.”
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Washington D.C.’s infamous traffic circles, designed by L’Enfant, are conveniently navigated by residents but are fairly troublesome for tourists and visitors.
