If you’re looking for a good example of thoughtful, place-based planning for transit-oriented development (TOD) in a location not yet known for it, you could do a lot worse than Connecting El Paso, a 264-page tour de force vision for parts of…
Why Republicans Try to Kill Public Transport (Despite its Economic Benefits)
Republicans, many of them, would have public transportation funding cut despite the clear economic, financial (for citizens), quality of life, and environmental benefits. Why? Yonah Freemark of the Transport Politic finds some answers and shares them in Understanding the Republican…
Obama State of the Union Address 2011 [VIDEO]
![Obama State of the Union Address 2011 [VIDEO]](http://zacharyshahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/025.jpg "Obama State of the Union Address 2011 [VIDEO]")
Obama’s 2011 State of the Union address (full text) is important to us all because it is not only a critical reflection on where we stand today, but also on where we’re going, where we need to go, and how…
Public Transportation Saves U.S. 785 Million Hours a Year
I reported earlier that riding public transportation can save you approximately $10,000 a year. Well, even for those who don’t ride public transit, you are benefiting form it. Of course, you are benefiting because of the cleaner environment you get…
Is the U.S. Now a Nation of Incrementalists?
The U.S. is known for being big, having big visions, having big plans and projects. But has that all changed in the past few decades? Karrie Jacobs of The Infrastructurist delves into this matter in great deal and concludes: “Apparently…
Save $9,656 a Year, Ride Public Transit
Well, that’s how much you’ll save if you’re the average American. Could be a little less or a little more depending on where you live. The point of the matter is, however, you can save a ton by riding your…
Fighting Bike Theft with GPS in Holland
When I lived in the Netherlands, I was told that it’s common to have your bike stolen about once a year. They make jokes like, “your bike lock needs to be more expensive than your bike.” Well, the Dutch police…
Traffic Congestion Increasing as Economy Improves
In the most comprehensive analysis of U.S. traffic congestion imaginable, the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University just released its 2010 Annual Urban Mobility Report. Due to considerable technological advancements, the Institute said this report provided “much better and more…
New Study Looks at Hidden Environmental Costs of Parking
The price of free parking keeps going up. One cost is painful urban congestion, which is made worse bydrastically under-priced street parking. Another is a relative cost to the environment, which occurs when the near-certain prospect of free (or cheap)…
China’s High-Speed Trains [VIDEOS]
![China’s High-Speed Trains [VIDEOS]](http://zacharyshahan.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/024.jpg "China’s High-Speed Trains [VIDEOS]")
We’ve written on China’s world-record-setting high-speed trains in the past, but I recently ran across these videos and thought they were worth a share. The first one walks you through a ride on one of the country’s bullet trains. Here’s…