Florida - Greater Greater Washington Posts with the tag Florida. http://greatergreaterwashington.org/tag/Florida/ en-us America's most efficient city is... Miami? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18491/americas-most-efficient-city-is-miami/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/chrisdp/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Chris Dickersin-Prokopp</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">DC may be tops when it comes to green roofs, but the region stands out less on a more impactful environmental indicator: how efficiently our infrastructure is laid out. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><div class="blog_image" style="width:500px; text-align: center; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="/image.cgi?src=201304/efficientmetros.png&ref=18491" style="color: black"><img src="http://greatergreater.com/images/201304/121511-1.jpg" style="border: 0"></a></div> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The purpose of infrastructure is to connect people, goods, information, and services. When people live close together, less infrastructure is needed to make these connections. Consider one type of infrastructure, perhaps the most representative from an urban planning perspective: roads. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Roads cost money to build and maintain. Movement along those roads creates pollution and costs the users time. All else equal, it is more efficient to build, use, and maintain fewer roads per person. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Which of the 12 statistical areas in the United States with more than 5 million inhabitants has the greatest number of people per mile of arterial roads? That honor goes to the Miami Metropolitan Area, perhaps not by choice but rather by geographic necessity, tightly bound by ocean to the east and the Everglades to the west. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><style type="text/css">.simple_table td, .simple_table th { line-height: 120%; padding: 3px 5px }</style><script type="text/javascript" src="scripts/sorttable.js"></script><table class="sortable simple_table"><tr><th>Statistical area<th>2010 population<th>Miles of primary road<th>People per road mile<tr><td>Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach, FL Metro Area<td>5,564,635<td>1,462<td>3,807<tr><td>New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA CSA<td>22,085,649<td>8,060<td>2,740<tr><td>San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland, CA CSA<td>7,468,390<td>2,951<td>2,531<tr><td>Chicago-Naperville-Michigan City, IL-IN-WI CSA<td>9,686,021<td>3,838<td>2,524<tr><td>Los Angeles-Long Beach-Riverside, CA CSA<td>17,877,006<td>7,663<td>2,333<tr><td>Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV CSA<td>8,572,971<td>3,950<td>2,170<tr><td>Philadelphia-Camden-Vineland, PA-NJ-DE-MD CSA<td>6,533,683<td>3,349<td>1,951<tr><td>Houston-Baytown-Huntsville, TX CSA<td>6,051,363<td>3,127<td>1,935<tr><td>Boston-Worcester-Manchester, MA-RI-NH CSA<td>7,559,060<td>4,229<td>1,788<tr><td>Detroit-Warren-Flint, MI CSA<td>5,218,852<td>3,011<td>1,733<tr><td>Dallas-Fort Worth, TX CSA<td>6,731,317<td>4,127<td>1,631<tr><td>Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Gainesville, GA-AL CSA<td>5,618,431<td>4,048<td>1,388 <br> </table><div class="caption">Click on a column header to sort the table.</div> <p style="margin-top: 1em">In contrast, the Atlanta Combined Statistical Area (CSA), the most sprawling of the 12 regions, has roughly the same population as Miami, but its roads total a distance nearly 3 times as long. Wouldn't it be great if we could spend all the money that goes to maintaining those unnecessary miles of road on something more productive? <p style="margin-top: 1em">The DC-Baltimore-Northern Virginia CSA ranks right in the middle, at number six, just behind Los Angeles, a fact that local environmentalists probably won't find especially comforting. At least we have both Houston and Dallas beat. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami is the only one of the largest metro areas not to have multiple Metropolitan Statistical Areas making up one larger CSA. Does that account for the change? No; even if you look at <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://greatergreater.com/files/2013/efficientmetros.xlsx', '18491')" href="http://greatergreater.com/files/2013/efficientmetros.xlsx" style="color: black">the individual Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas</a> that make up those 11 CSAs, Miami's still has the most people per road mile. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The gap between the Miami metro area and the second place, New York-Northern New Jersey-Long Island, NY-NJ-PA, is closer, and without Ventura County and the Inland Empire, the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, CA metro area jumps to #3, but otherwise little changes in the calculation. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><i>Cross-posted at <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://ruseriousingme.blogspot.com/2013/04/sprawl.html', '18491')" href="http://ruseriousingme.blogspot.com/2013/04/sprawl.html" style="color: black">R.U. Seriousing Me?</a></i><p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/18491/americas-most-efficient-city-is-miami/#comments">25 comments</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=18491 Mon, 15 Apr 2013 10:57:00 EDT States opt back in to trail funding http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/16412/states-opt-back-in-to-trail-funding/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/tbell/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Thaddeus Bell</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Florida and Kansas, which previously had <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/10/09/florida-and-kansas-reverse-course-on-spurned-trails-funding/', '16412')" href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2012/10/09/florida-and-kansas-reverse-course-on-spurned-trails-funding/" style="color: black">opted out of federal recreational trail funding</a>, have now joined the 48 other states in welcoming the funds. Kansas even increased its funding towards trails. (Streetsblog)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/16412/states-opt-back-in-to-trail-funding/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12814/ddot-working-to-improve-trail-maintenance/ style="color: black">DDOT working to improve trail maintenance</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 18, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13618/montgomery-and-dc-inaction-threatens-the-met-branch-trail/ style="color: black">Montgomery and DC inaction threatens the Met Branch Trail</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 6, 2012)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12392/all-states-are-donees-when-it-comes-to-highways/ style="color: black">All states are "donees" when it comes to highways</a> <span class="nw">(Oct 13, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15301/tiger-grant-funds-anacostia-trail-extension/ style="color: black">TIGER grant funds Anacostia trail extension</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 22, 2012)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9705/walk-or-bike-along-the-anacostia-but-only-business-hours/ style="color: black">Walk or bike along the Anacostia, but only business hours</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 17, 2011)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=16412 Wed, 10 Oct 2012 08:32:00 EDT States keep trails funding http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/16111/states-keep-trails-funding/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/tbell/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Thaddeus Bell</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">All but 2 states, Florida and Kansas, <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://blog.tstc.org/2012/09/10/ny-nj-ct-seize-federal-trails-funding/', '16111')" href="http://blog.tstc.org/2012/09/10/ny-nj-ct-seize-federal-trails-funding/" style="color: black">have chosen to keep their trail funding</a>. The recent federal transportation bill let states instead transfer this money to other purposes, including highways. (Mobilizing the Region)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/16111/states-keep-trails-funding/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12392/all-states-are-donees-when-it-comes-to-highways/ style="color: black">All states are "donees" when it comes to highways</a> <span class="nw">(Oct 13, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13581/house-gop-moves-to-decimate-transit-funding/ style="color: black">House GOP moves to decimate transit funding</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 2, 2012)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5442/federal-bureaucracy-delays-wmata-dedicated-funding/ style="color: black">Federal bureaucracy delays WMATA "dedicated funding"</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 7, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/853/oberstar-tweaks-transits-federal-funding-formula/ style="color: black">Oberstar tweaks transit's federal funding formula</a> <span class="nw">(May 20, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2692/staa-tuned-transportation-bill-leaves-funding-question-hanging/ style="color: black">STAA tuned: Transportation bill leaves funding question hanging</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 23, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=16111 Wed, 12 Sep 2012 08:58:00 EDT Convention, meet city http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15908/convention-meet-city/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/syates/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Steven Yates</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">As Republicans get ready to hold their convention in Tampa, they will find a city that <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.salon.com/2012/08/18/tampa_americas_hottest_mess/', '15908')" href="http://www.salon.com/2012/08/18/tampa_americas_hottest_mess/" style="color: black">reflects many of their ideals for a city</a> with low-density sprawl and little investment in infrastructure. (Salon)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15908/convention-meet-city/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/714/convention-center-plans-nice-except-for-skybridges/ style="color: black">Convention center plans nice except for skybridges</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 17, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/192/which-came-first-the-city-or-the-liberal/ style="color: black">Which came first, the city or the liberal?</a> <span class="nw">(Jul 4, 2005)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=15908 Mon, 20 Aug 2012 08:37:00 EDT Ad cites GGW on driverless cars http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15874/ad-cites-ggw-on-driverless-cars/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">A political attack ad in Florida <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUuBXCEWOhc', '15874')" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUuBXCEWOhc" style="color: black">cites Greater Greater Washington</a>. The ad takes a somewhat luddite stance against a Republican state senator for a bill to legalize driverless cars.<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15874/ad-cites-ggw-on-driverless-cars/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=15874 Wed, 15 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EDT Private rail in Florida? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15822/private-rail-in-florida/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/syates/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Steven Yates</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">After Gov. Rick Scott turned down federal HSR money, a private company proposal could bring <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/08/us-usa-florida-rail-idUSBRE8771MS20120808', '15822')" href="http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/08/08/us-usa-florida-rail-idUSBRE8771MS20120808" style="color: black">high quality rail service</a> connecting Orlando and Miami in a little over three hours. (Reuters, H Street LL)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15822/private-rail-in-florida/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=15822 Fri, 10 Aug 2012 08:41:00 EDT And... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15752/and/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/syates/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Steven Yates</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">You can now <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://criticalmiami.com/2012/07/30/riding-metrorail-to-the-new-miami-intermodal-center-and-the-airport', '15752')" href="http://criticalmiami.com/2012/07/30/riding-metrorail-to-the-new-miami-intermodal-center-and-the-airport" style="color: black">take the train</a> from Downtown Miami to the Miami Airport. (Critical Miami, Kevin) ... Buying housing <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/where-we-live/post/buying-beats-renting-after-35-years-in-washington-metro-region/2012/08/01/gJQArUiEQX_blog.html', '15752')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/where-we-live/post/buying-beats-renting-after-35-years-in-washington-metro-region/2012/08/01/gJQArUiEQX_blog.html" style="color: black">takes 3.5 years to break even</a> against renting in the DC area. (Post) ... Maryland will also <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/2/maryland-gets-fema-funds-derecho-recovery', '15752')" href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/aug/2/maryland-gets-fema-funds-derecho-recovery" style="color: black">get disaster money</a> for derecho cleanup. (WT)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/15752/and/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=15752 Fri, 03 Aug 2012 08:16:00 EDT Quality beats quantity in transit http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14888/quality-beats-quantity-in-transit/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Broward County, Florida has rather low density but rather high transit usage <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/05/what-really-matters-increasing-transit-ridership/2059/', '14888')" href="http://www.theatlanticcities.com/commute/2012/05/what-really-matters-increasing-transit-ridership/2059/" style="color: black">thanks to a system</a> that tries to give the county high-quality service where it can, rather than low-quality service everywhere. (Atlantic Cities)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14888/quality-beats-quantity-in-transit/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1263/still-the-one-outlier/ style="color: black">Still the one (outlier)</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 29, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/604/maryland-worried-about-new-transit-hostile-fta/ style="color: black">Maryland worried about new transit-hostile FTA</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 8, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/606/new-partners-frustrating-transit-administrators/ style="color: black">New Partners: Frustrating Transit Administrators</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 8, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2176/dc-youth-employment-programs-should-focus-on-quality-not-quantity/ style="color: black">DC youth employment programs should focus on quality, not quantity</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 28, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6818/walkscore-now-includes-transit-score/ style="color: black">WalkScore now includes Transit Score</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 16, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=14888 Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:00 EDT The cul-de-sac tower http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14890/the-cul-de-sac-tower/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami has the densest neighborhoods south of New York, but <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.transitmiami.com/urban-planning/miamis-suburbs-in-the-sky', '14890')" href="http://www.transitmiami.com/urban-planning/miamis-suburbs-in-the-sky" style="color: black">everyone drives between towers</a> and neighbors hardly know each other. Are these just vertical cul-de-sacs? Density doesn't always make good communities. (Transit Miami)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14890/the-cul-de-sac-tower/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2194/torontos-tower-renewal-could-point-the-way-for-east-county-high-rises/ style="color: black">Toronto's "tower renewal" could point the way for East County high rises</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 29, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/830/save-our-sprawl-in-brookland/ style="color: black">"Save our sprawl" in Brookland</a> <span class="nw">(May 12, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/431/saving-a-neighborhood-in-order-to-destroy-it/ style="color: black">"Saving" a neighborhood in order to destroy it</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 29, 2007)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=14890 Tue, 22 May 2012 08:54:00 EDT Parks from parking lots http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14628/parks-from-parking-lots/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/dedmondson/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Edmondson</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami-Dade wants a park within "strollable distance" for <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/17/2754342/on-the-great-park-summit-agenda.html', '14628')" href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/04/17/2754342/on-the-great-park-summit-agenda.html" style="color: black">everyone in the county</a>. To help, they're considering making worn-down strip malls into parks and paying for it with future development on the rest of the site. (MiamiHerald)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14628/parks-from-parking-lots/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8313/noma-has-no-parks-thanks-to-flawed-upzoning/ style="color: black">NoMA has no parks thanks to flawed upzoning</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 29, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/524/local-parks-need-local-government/ style="color: black">Local parks need local government</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 2, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/996/fairfax-fills-open-space-between-strip-malls-with-another-strip-mall/ style="color: black">Fairfax fills open space between strip malls with another strip mall</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 26, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/796/dont-call-it-a-park/ style="color: black">Don't call it a park</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 28, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/889/open-space-versus-parks/ style="color: black">Open space versus parks</a> <span class="nw">(May 30, 2008)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=14628 Tue, 01 May 2012 08:53:00 EDT Did sidewalks add to Trayvon tragedy? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14446/did-sidewalks-add-to-trayvon-tragedy/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/syates/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Steven Yates</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The design of Sanford, Florida, makes <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-07/opinion/31299204_1_sidewalk-lanes-private-property', '14446')" href="http://articles.boston.com/2012-04-07/opinion/31299204_1_sidewalk-lanes-private-property" style="color: black">anyone who is walking seem like a suspicious character</a>. With good sidewalks and places to walk, there might have been "eyes on the street" that would have prevented Trayvon Martin's death. (Boston Globe, Ben Ross)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/14446/did-sidewalks-add-to-trayvon-tragedy/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6694/arlingtons-missing-sidewalks/ style="color: black">Arlington's missing sidewalks</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 3, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13255/walk-up-windows-are-good-urbanism/ style="color: black">Walk-up windows are good urbanism</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 5, 2012)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1981/missing-sidewalks-stir-debate/ style="color: black">Missing sidewalks stir debate</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 7, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9023/bridge-sidewalks-need-to-be-plowing-priority/ style="color: black">Bridge sidewalks need to be plowing priority</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 28, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11508/closed-sidewalks-force-pedestrians-into-dangerous-spots/ style="color: black">Closed sidewalks force pedestrians into dangerous spots</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 3, 2011)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=14446 Mon, 16 Apr 2012 08:41:00 EDT And... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13641/and/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/syates/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Steven Yates</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Mayor Vince Gray gave his <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-mayor-gray-seeks-to-shift-public-focus-away-from-stumbles-to-new-economy/2012/02/07/gIQAENRnxQ_story.html', '13641')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/dc-politics/dc-mayor-gray-seeks-to-shift-public-focus-away-from-stumbles-to-new-economy/2012/02/07/gIQAENRnxQ_story.html" style="color: black">State of the District speech</a> last night. (Post) ... Prince George's County is <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post_now/post/prince-georges-paves-way-for-5-cent-bag-tax/2012/02/07/gIQATPh5wQ_blog.html', '13641')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post_now/post/prince-georges-paves-way-for-5-cent-bag-tax/2012/02/07/gIQATPh5wQ_blog.html" style="color: black">closer to a 5&cent; bag fee</a>. (Post) ... A form-based zoning code is <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5874', '13641')" href="http://archpaper.com/news/articles.asp?id=5874" style="color: black">slowly transforming Miami</a>. (Architect's Newspaper)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13641/and/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=13641 Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:54:00 EDT Florida HSR would have been profitable http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13629/florida-hsr-would-have-been-profitable/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Governor Rick Scott canceled Florida's high-speed rail a year ago and refused $2 billion in federal funds. But, a new analysis shows, if he had accepted the money <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2012/feb/06/high-speed-rail-would-have-been-profitable-state-r-ar-355492/?referer=http://t.co/ZjXJUV41&shorturl=http://tbo.ly/yJ68gC', '13629')" href="http://www2.tbo.com/news/politics/2012/feb/06/high-speed-rail-would-have-been-profitable-state-r-ar-355492/?referer=http://t.co/ZjXJUV41&shorturl=http://tbo.ly/yJ68gC" style="color: black">the line would have run a surplus</a>. (TBO)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13629/florida-hsr-would-have-been-profitable/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10390/northeast-california-win-big-in-high-speed-rail-grants/ style="color: black">Northeast, California win big in high speed rail grants</a> <span class="nw">(May 9, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1675/stimulus-compromise-wont-cut-transit/ style="color: black">Stimulus compromise won't cut transit</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 7, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10072/fy11-budget-threatens-national-high-speed-rail-network/ style="color: black">FY11 budget threatens national high-speed rail network</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 14, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2566/lahood-biden-meet-with-governors-on-high-speed-rail/ style="color: black">LaHood, Biden meet with governors on high-speed rail</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 3, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/468/the-federally-tilted-playing-field-on-transportation/ style="color: black">The federally tilted playing field on transportation</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 10, 2007)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=13629 Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:40:00 EDT When sprawl isn't sprawl http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13504/when-sprawl-isnt-sprawl/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/dedmondson/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Edmondson</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Development of 23,000 homes outside of any city and with no infrastructure <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/os-farmton-sprawl-ruling-20120125,0,2234146.story', '13504')" href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/volusia/os-farmton-sprawl-ruling-20120125,0,2234146.story" style="color: black">is not legally sprawl</a> in Florida, ruled a judge. Under Gov. Rick Scott, most controls on sprawl have been weakened to meaninglessness. (Orlando Sentinel)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13504/when-sprawl-isnt-sprawl/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12042/school-capacity-tests-make-sprawl-worse/ style="color: black">School capacity tests make sprawl worse</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 14, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/982/breakfast-links-transportation-across-the-nation-edition/ style="color: black">Breakfast links: transportation across the nation edition</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 23, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8090/would-mortgage-tax-reform-slow-sprawl-and-gentrification/ style="color: black">Would mortgage tax reform slow sprawl and gentrification?</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 12, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/123/the-sprawl-lovers/ style="color: black">The sprawl lovers</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 11, 2005)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2462/sprawl-is-the-only-option-at-the-planning-board/ style="color: black">Sprawl is the only option at the Planning Board</a> <span class="nw">(May 27, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=13504 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 09:42:00 EDT Florida's almost-rail http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13358/floridas-almost-rail/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/dedmondson/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Edmondson</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Florida Governor Rick Scott nearly took <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/203887-report-fla-gov-rick-scott-considered-accepting-obama-administration-rail-money', '13358')" href="http://thehill.com/blogs/transportation-report/railroads/203887-report-fla-gov-rick-scott-considered-accepting-obama-administration-rail-money" style="color: black">federal high-speed rail funding</a> but rejected it because the feds were unwilling to also pay for dredging Florida's ports. The money ultimately was distributed elsewhere. (The Hill)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/13358/floridas-almost-rail/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10390/northeast-california-win-big-in-high-speed-rail-grants/ style="color: black">Northeast, California win big in high speed rail grants</a> <span class="nw">(May 9, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10072/fy11-budget-threatens-national-high-speed-rail-network/ style="color: black">FY11 budget threatens national high-speed rail network</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 14, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2566/lahood-biden-meet-with-governors-on-high-speed-rail/ style="color: black">LaHood, Biden meet with governors on high-speed rail</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 3, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/791/va-wants-more-rail-needs-money/ style="color: black">VA wants more rail, needs money</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 26, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1691/high-speed-rail-here-we-come/ style="color: black">High-speed rail, here we come</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 12, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=13358 Sat, 14 Jan 2012 09:49:00 EDT And... http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12638/and/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The 30-year-old New Urbanism showpiece, Seaside, Florida, <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/?p=2699', '12638')" href="http://montgomeryplanning.org/blog-design/?p=2699" style="color: black">shapes many communities today</a>. (The Straight Line) ... Cars are now <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://wtop.com/?nid=109&sid=2617097', '12638')" href="http://wtop.com/?nid=109&sid=2617097" style="color: black">less likely to get booted</a> in DC. (WTOP) ... New York debates <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/11/02/council-committee-endorses-residential-parking-permits-over-dot-objections/', '12638')" href="http://www.streetsblog.org/2011/11/02/council-committee-endorses-residential-parking-permits-over-dot-objections/" style="color: black">implementing residential parking permits</a>, despite objections from the city DOT. (Streetsblog) ... The feds <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-snow-policy-for-feds-shelter-in-place/2011/11/01/gIQAfnvwfM_story.html?wprss=rss_local', '12638')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/new-snow-policy-for-feds-shelter-in-place/2011/11/01/gIQAfnvwfM_story.html?wprss=rss_local" style="color: black">try to avoid gridlock</a> from sending people home in a snowstorm. (Post)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12638/and/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/621/nyc-discusses-blank-walls/ style="color: black">NYC discusses blank walls</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 16, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10423/wells-would-keep-circulator-fare-expand-cabi-and-more/ style="color: black">Wells would keep Circulator fare, expand CaBi, and more</a> <span class="nw">(May 11, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11872/neighborhood-based-prices-could-fix-dcs-residential-parking/ style="color: black">Neighborhood-based prices could fix DC's residential parking</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 8, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/357/closing-the-bowtie/ style="color: black">Closing the bowtie</a> <span class="nw">(Oct 12, 2006)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/535/uft-disappoints-on-parking/ style="color: black">UFT disappoints on parking</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 8, 2008)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=12638 Thu, 03 Nov 2011 08:10:00 EDT Miami Park(ing) Day organizer arrested http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12103/miami-parking-day-organizer-arrested/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">A Park(ing) Day event in Miami, with the support of the local parking authority, went well... until a police officer <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.transitmiami.com/parking/miami-parking-day-a-success-co-sponsor-arrested', '12103')" href="http://www.transitmiami.com/parking/miami-parking-day-a-success-co-sponsor-arrested" style="color: black">arrested one of the organizers</a> for not cleaning up fast enough after. (Transit Miami via Streetsblog)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/12103/miami-parking-day-organizer-arrested/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11027/shocking-video-shows-serious-park-police-disregard-for-rights/ style="color: black">Shocking video shows serious Park Police disregard for rights</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 23, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/3585/parking-day-reminds-us-how-society-shapes-public-space/ style="color: black">Park(ing) Day reminds us how society shapes public space</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 22, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10667/park-police-arrest-people-for-dancing-at-jefferson-memorial/ style="color: black">Park Police arrest people for dancing at Jefferson Memorial</a> <span class="nw">(May 30, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11496/park-service-rules-stifle-neighborhood-events-in-dupont/ style="color: black">Park Service rules stifle neighborhood events in Dupont</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 1, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11524/park-police-hassle-driver-who-stops-at-gw-parkway-crossing/ style="color: black">Park Police hassle driver who stops at GW Parkway crossing</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 2, 2011)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=12103 Tue, 20 Sep 2011 08:28:00 EDT Floridians run for their lives http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11748/floridians-run-for-their-lives/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/ericfidler/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Eric Fidler</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">With its wide arterial roads and shortage of sidewalks, <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/us/16pedestrians.html?_r=1', '11748')" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/16/us/16pedestrians.html?_r=1" style="color: black">walking in Florida can be a harrowing experience</a>. Bus riders are especially vulnerable when they disembark at stops lacking sidewalks and crosswalks. (NYT)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11748/floridians-run-for-their-lives/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1981/missing-sidewalks-stir-debate/ style="color: black">Missing sidewalks stir debate</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 7, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4029/crossing-the-street-often-unsafe-in-fairfax/ style="color: black">Crossing the street often unsafe in Fairfax</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 12, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1724/seniors-testify-about-vital-pedestrian-needs/ style="color: black">Seniors testify about vital pedestrian needs</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 23, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4982/prince-georges-must-ensure-pedestrian-and-rider-safety/ style="color: black">Prince George's must ensure pedestrian and rider safety</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 22, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7129/struck-in-dc-this-week-6-pedestrians-4-cyclists/ style="color: black">Struck in DC this week: 6 pedestrians, 4 cyclists</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 14, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=11748 Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:04:00 EDT Judge tosses charges for cyclist-assaulting driver http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11395/judge-tosses-charges-for-cyclist-assaulting-driver/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">A Miami driver <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-07-21/news/miami-beach-vigilante-biker-ken-bereski-gets-driver-charged-with-felony-assault/', '11395')" href="http://www.miaminewtimes.com/2011-07-21/news/miami-beach-vigilante-biker-ken-bereski-gets-driver-charged-with-felony-assault/" style="color: black">intentionally swerved into a cyclist</a>, who caught the incident on video. Prosecutors brought felony assault charges, but a judge threw them out, saying the cyclist should have ridden in a different spot that's actually illegal. (Miami New Times)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11395/judge-tosses-charges-for-cyclist-assaulting-driver/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9126/ped-bike-safety-enforcement-stories-part-3-charles-schwartz/ style="color: black">Ped/bike safety enforcement stories, part 3: Charles Schwartz</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 9, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4660/cyclist-treatment-mpd-1-moco-police-0/ style="color: black">Cyclist treatment: MPD 1, MoCo police 0</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 20, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1161/mpd-not-interested-in-investigating-cyclist-intimidation/ style="color: black">MPD not interested in investigating cyclist intimidation</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 26, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10619/assaulting-a-police-officer-may-not-mean-what-you-think/ style="color: black">"Assaulting a police officer" may not mean what you think</a> <span class="nw">(May 26, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1755/bus-driver-assaults-cyclist-mpd-uninterested/ style="color: black">Bus driver assaults cyclist, MPD uninterested</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 4, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=11395 Sat, 23 Jul 2011 15:14:00 EDT Mica's district hates his plan http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11008/micas-district-hates-his-plan/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">House Transportation Chair John Mica has proposed eliminating dedicated funding for bike and ped projects, but counties and cities in his own northeastern Florida district <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/21/bike-ped-defunding-proposal-sparks-mutiny-in-micas-home-district/', '11008')" href="http://dc.streetsblog.org/2011/06/21/bike-ped-defunding-proposal-sparks-mutiny-in-micas-home-district/" style="color: black">have condemned the idea</a>. (Streetsblog)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/11008/micas-district-hates-his-plan/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1677/nobody-walks-or-bikes-because-there-are-no-paths-so-paths-are-a-waste-of-money/ style="color: black">Nobody walks or bikes because there are no paths, so paths are a waste of money</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 8, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2692/staa-tuned-transportation-bill-leaves-funding-question-hanging/ style="color: black">STAA tuned: Transportation bill leaves funding question hanging</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 23, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1629/nadler-transit-amendment-passes-on-voice-vote/ style="color: black">Nadler transit amendment passes on voice vote</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 28, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2641/oberstar-bill-includes-more-money-for-transit-complete-streets/ style="color: black">Oberstar bill includes more money for transit, complete streets</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 18, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6104/being-outside-a-state-has-its-advantages/ style="color: black">Being outside a state has its advantages</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 7, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=11008 Fri, 24 Jun 2011 08:52:00 EDT Metro areas ranked by pedestrian safety http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10597/metro-areas-ranked-by-pedestrian-safety/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The DC area is <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/', '10597')" href="http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign2011/" style="color: black">34th most dangerous for pedestrians</a>, 2 spots better than Baltimore but far worse than Boston, Cleveland, New York, Pittsburgh and Minneapolis. The 4 worst are all in Florida. That's not just because of its many seniors, but <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.npr.org/2011/05/24/136585282/as-seniors-increase-a-push-to-make-streets-safer', '10597')" href="http://www.npr.org/2011/05/24/136585282/as-seniors-increase-a-push-to-make-streets-safer" style="color: black">pedestrian safety will become even more important</a> as the numbers of seniors and people with disabilities grows. (T4America, NPR)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10597/metro-areas-ranked-by-pedestrian-safety/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2867/ddots-pedestrian-safety-improvements-forget-the-part-that-protects-pedestrians/ style="color: black">DDOT's pedestrian safety improvements forget the part that protects pedestrians</a> <span class="nw">(Jul 13, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/787/fairfax-pg-worst-for-pedestrian-safety/ style="color: black">Fairfax, PG worst for pedestrian safety</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 23, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/976/pedestrian-safety-fines-lights-two-way-streets/ style="color: black">Pedestrian safety: Fines? Lights? Two-way streets?</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 20, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1724/seniors-testify-about-vital-pedestrian-needs/ style="color: black">Seniors testify about vital pedestrian needs</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 23, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4029/crossing-the-street-often-unsafe-in-fairfax/ style="color: black">Crossing the street often unsafe in Fairfax</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 12, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=10597 Wed, 25 May 2011 11:14:00 EDT Northeast, California win big in high speed rail grants http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10390/northeast-california-win-big-in-high-speed-rail-grants/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/dan/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Dan Malouff</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The federal government today <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot5711.html', '10390')" href="http://www.dot.gov/affairs/2011/dot5711.html" style="color: black">announced $2 billion in new grants for high-speed passenger rail</a> projects around the country. $800 million will go to rail improvements along the Northeast Corridor, and $300 million for high-speed rail in California. <div class="blog_image_right" style="width: 199px; float: right; font-size: 8pt;"><a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.flickr.com/photos/redarrow101/4726039624/in/photostream/', '')" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/redarrow101/4726039624/in/photostream/" style="color: black"><img src="http://greatergreater.com/images/201105/091214.jpg" style="border: 0"></a><br>Photo by jpmueller99 on Flickr.</div><p style="margin-top: 1em">The funds are left over from $2.4 billion which had been originally allocated to Florida, but which governor Rick Scott <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/16/2069844/florida-gov-rick-scott-rejects.html', '10390')" href="http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/02/16/2069844/florida-gov-rick-scott-rejects.html" style="color: black">returned to the Federal government</a>. Congress rescinded $400 million as part of the recent budget deal, leaving $2 billion to allocate to new recipients. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Despite ideological opposition from a number of Republican governors, there was no shortage of states interested in using the money. USDOT received 98 applications for the funds from 24 states plus the District of Columbia, totaling approximately $10 billion. Clearly there continues to be more demand for passenger rail funding than Congress can keep up with. <p style="margin-top: 1em">As expected, the <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011/05/09/a-last-gasp-for-the-initial-intercity-rail-grants/', '10390')" href="http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2011/05/09/a-last-gasp-for-the-initial-intercity-rail-grants/" style="color: black">big winners</a> are the Northeast Corridor and the California high-speed rail project, each of which were given hundreds of millions of dollars. In a little bit of surprise, the Midwest Chicago-hub was also a big winner, with major improvements funded on several corridors. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The Washington region didn't receive any funds directly, although we will benefit from some of the projects to the north and south. The District applied for but did not receive money. Maryland <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.afro.com/sections/local/md_government/story.htm?id=668', '10390')" href="http://www.afro.com/sections/local/md_government/story.htm?id=668" style="color: black">applied for $415 million</a> and received $22 million that will go to planning for a new Susquehanna River bridge. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Ironically, Virginia <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post_now/post/virginia-wont-pursue-high-speed-rail-funds/2011/04/07/AF6KbXuC_blog.html', '10390')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post_now/post/virginia-wont-pursue-high-speed-rail-funds/2011/04/07/AF6KbXuC_blog.html" style="color: black">didn't apply</a> for any money but received some anyway, as part of a North Carolina-led application to perform environmental planning work on proposed upgrades to the Richmond-Raleigh corridor. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The Northeast Corridor will benefit from the $450 million devoted to catenary and signal improvements in central New Jersey. This funding will pay for installation of constant-tension catenary over a 24-mile section of track, raising the top speed from 135 to 160 miles per hour. Other Corridor improvements will result in minor trip time improvements and reduction in bottlenecks. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The complete breakdown of grant recipients is shown in the table below. The acronym "NEPA", which appears a number of times, refers to the <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/', '10390')" href="http://www.epa.gov/compliance/nepa/" style="color: black">National Environmental Policy Act</a> requirement for environmental planning approval of federally-funded projects. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><table class="simple_table closer_lines"><tr><td align=left valign=top><B>Location</b></td><td align=left valign=top><B>Amount</b></td><td align=left valign=top><B>Purpose</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top colspan=3><b>NORTHEAST CORRIDOR</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>New Jersey</td><td align=left valign=top>$450m</td><td align=left valign=top>Power, signal, track, catenary improvements supporting 160mph service.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>New York</td><td align=left valign=top>$295m</td><td align=left valign=top>Bypass tracks for high-speed trains in NYC area.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Rhode&nbsp;Island</td><td align=left valign=top>$25m</td><td align=left valign=top>Bypass tracks for high-speed trains in Kingston area.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Maryland</td><td align=left valign=top>$22m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA to replace Susquehanna River bridge.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Rhode Island</td><td align=left valign=top>$3m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA for renovations for Providence station.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top colspan=3><b>NORTHEAST (NON-NEC)</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>New York</td><td align=left valign=top>$58m</td><td align=left valign=top>Track, station, signal upgrades to Empire corridor, including replacement of Schenectady station and 4th track at Albany-Rennsselaer station bottleneck.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Pennsylvania</td><td align=left valign=top>$40m</td><td align=left valign=top>Track & signal upgrades to Harrisburg-Philadelphia line.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Connecticut</td><td align=left valign=top>$30m</td><td align=left valign=top>Double track New Haven-Springfield line.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Mass.-Maine</td><td align=left valign=top>$21m</td><td align=left valign=top>Double track Wilmington-Andover line.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>New York</td><td align=left valign=top>$1m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA for new Rochester station.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top colspan=3><B>MIDWEST</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Non-specific</td><td align=left valign=top>$268m</td><td align=left valign=top>48 railcars and 7 locomotives for 8 Amtrak corridors in the Midwest.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Michigan</td><td align=left valign=top>$197m</td><td align=left valign=top>Track & signal upgrades on Chicagao-Detroit line between Kalamazoo and Dearborn, allowing 110 mph service for 235 miles of corridor.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Illinois</td><td align=left valign=top>$186m</td><td align=left valign=top>Track upgrades on Chicago-Saint Louis line between Joliet and Dwight, IL allowing 110 mph service for 220 miles of corridor.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Missouri</td><td align=left valign=top>$14m</td><td align=left valign=top>Design for new Mississippi River bridge on Chicago-Saint Louis corridor.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Minnesota</td><td align=left valign=top>$5m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA for new 110mph service from Minneapolis to Duluth.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Michigan</td><td align=left valign=top>$3m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA for new Ann Arbor station.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top colspan=3><B>SOUTH</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Texas</td><td align=left valign=top>$15m</td><td align=left valign=top>Planning & NEPA for new Dallas-Houston corridor.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>N.C.-Virginia</td><td align=left valign=top>$4m</td><td align=left valign=top>NEPA for 110mph upgrades to Richmond-Raleigh corridor.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top colspan=3><b>WEST COAST</b></td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>California</td><td align=left valign=top>$300m</td><td align=left valign=top>20 miles of track construction near Fresno for the 220mph California high speed rail project.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>California</td><td align=left valign=top>$68m</td><td align=left valign=top>15 railcars and 4 locomotives for existing California Amtrak routes.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Washington</td><td align=left valign=top>$15m</td><td align=left valign=top>Track grade separation at the Port of Vancouver, near Portland, OR.</td></tr><tr><td align=left valign=top>Oregon</td><td align=left valign=top>$2m</td><td align=left valign=top>Study of service and capacity needs near Eugene.</td></tr></table> <p style="margin-top: 1em"><a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=2660', '10390')" href="http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=2660" style="color: black"><img src="http://greatergreater.com/images/201105/091218.png" border=0 style="vertical-align: top; margin-right: 1em; border: 0"></a><i>Cross-posted <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=2660', '10390')" href="http://beyonddc.com/log/?p=2660" style="color: black">at BeyondDC</a>.</i><p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10390/northeast-california-win-big-in-high-speed-rail-grants/#comments">65 comments</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8822/post-unfairly-criticizes-california-high-speed-rail/ style="color: black">Post unfairly criticizes California high-speed rail</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 13, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/10072/fy11-budget-threatens-national-high-speed-rail-network/ style="color: black">FY11 budget threatens national high-speed rail network</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 14, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2566/lahood-biden-meet-with-governors-on-high-speed-rail/ style="color: black">LaHood, Biden meet with governors on high-speed rail</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 3, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7344/hsr-could-get-you-to-boston-in-3-hours-but-its-pricey/ style="color: black">HSR could get you to Boston in 3 hours, but it's pricey</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 29, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4942/tiger-funds-bus-corridors-not-k-street-or-bike-sharing/ style="color: black">TIGER funds bus corridors, not K Street or bike sharing</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 17, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=10390 Mon, 09 May 2011 14:14:00 EDT Bikesharing hot in hot places http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9879/bikesharing-hot-in-hot-places/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/erikw/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Erik Weber</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Tel Aviv, Israel and Doha, Qatar have <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/2011/02/middle-east-is-also-hotbed-for-bike.html', '9879')" href="http://bike-sharing.blogspot.com/2011/02/middle-east-is-also-hotbed-for-bike.html" style="color: black">recently added bike sharing programs</a>. (The Bike-sharing Blog) ... Miami Beach <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/miami-beach-unveils-sexiest-bikesharing-scheme-yet-2256308.html', '9879')" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/miami-beach-unveils-sexiest-bikesharing-scheme-yet-2256308.html" style="color: black">opened its new DecoBike</a> system, which is priced in a conspicuously different fashion from CaBi. (The Independent)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9879/bikesharing-hot-in-hot-places/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9653/capital-bikeshare-introduces-new-5-day-pass/ style="color: black">Capital Bikeshare introduces new 5-day pass</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 14, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8300/georgetown-anc-debates-additional-cabi-stations-tonight/ style="color: black">Georgetown ANC debates additional CaBi stations tonight</a> <span class="nw">(Nov 29, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7194/capital-bikeshare-launching-today-will-change-everything/ style="color: black">Capital Bikeshare, launching today, will change everything</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 20, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7295/use-your-phone-to-find-cabi/ style="color: black">Use your phone to find CaBi</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 27, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7541/readers-finding-success-bridging-metro-gap-with-cabi/ style="color: black">Readers finding success bridging Metro gap with CaBi</a> <span class="nw">(Oct 10, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=9879 Wed, 30 Mar 2011 08:48:00 EDT Senators ask for Florida HSR money http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9471/senators-ask-for-florida-hsr-money/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/erikw/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Erik Weber</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Senators from states on the Northeast Corridor, including both of Maryland's, have asked USDOT Secretary LaHood <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://transportationnation.org/2011/02/28/senators-to-florida-you-gonna-eat-those-hsr-funds/', '9471')" href="http://transportationnation.org/2011/02/28/senators-to-florida-you-gonna-eat-those-hsr-funds/" style="color: black">to reallocate Florida's high-speed rail money</a> toward improving service in the northeast. But 2 Florida state senators have <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://transportationnation.org/2011/03/01/breaking-florida-high-speed-rail-lawsuit-state-senators-say-gov-has-exceeded-constitutional-authority/', '9471')" href="http://transportationnation.org/2011/03/01/breaking-florida-high-speed-rail-lawsuit-state-senators-say-gov-has-exceeded-constitutional-authority/" style="color: black">filed a lawsuit</a> to force Governor Rick Scott not to reject the money. (Transportation Nation)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/9471/senators-ask-for-florida-hsr-money/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1517/lahood/ style="color: black">LaHood?</a> <span class="nw">(Dec 18, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2566/lahood-biden-meet-with-governors-on-high-speed-rail/ style="color: black">LaHood, Biden meet with governors on high-speed rail</a> <span class="nw">(Jun 3, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1675/stimulus-compromise-wont-cut-transit/ style="color: black">Stimulus compromise won't cut transit</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 7, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/804/gas-prices-obama-still-gets-it-friedman-slams-clinton/ style="color: black">Gas prices: Obama still gets it; Friedman slams Clinton</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 30, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7344/hsr-could-get-you-to-boston-in-3-hours-but-its-pricey/ style="color: black">HSR could get you to Boston in 3 hours, but it's pricey</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 29, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=9471 Tue, 01 Mar 2011 15:33:00 EDT Take transit or bikeshare to visit Miami Beach's new parking garage http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8947/take-transit-or-bikeshare-to-visit-miami-beachs-new-parking-garage/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami Beach has <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/us/24garage.html?partner=rss&emc=rss', '8947')" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/24/us/24garage.html?partner=rss&emc=rss" style="color: black">a $65 million parking garage</a> that's so architecturally distinctive that people are visiting it just to see it and someone had a wedding there. The main complaints? Some people gripe about the price of parking. (NYT)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8947/take-transit-or-bikeshare-to-visit-miami-beachs-new-parking-garage/#comments">Comment</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4811/dc-usa-garage-to-offer-daily-and-monthly-parking/ style="color: black">DC USA garage to offer daily and monthly parking</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 3, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/636/is-the-1000-space-garage-in-columbia-heights-a-good-investment/ style="color: black">Is the 1,000 space garage in Columbia Heights a good investment?</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 21, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4927/parking-garage-not-the-answer-for-cleveland-park/ style="color: black">Parking garage not the answer for Cleveland Park</a> <span class="nw">(Feb 16, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5221/bethesda-weekend-parking-still-free-still-too-crowded/ style="color: black">Bethesda weekend parking: Still free, still too crowded</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 17, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1743/long-beach-legislator-proposes-parking-reform-menu/ style="color: black">Long Beach legislator proposes parking reform menu</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 2, 2009)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=8947 Mon, 24 Jan 2011 08:17:00 EDT Weekend video: The bike bus http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7716/weekend-video-the-bike-bus/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">A group of high school students in Orlando started riding to school in a big caravan, making the ride to school fun, healthy and sustainable. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><div class="embed"><object width="500" height="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0lfqShrRlE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/F0lfqShrRlE?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="500" height="400"></embed></object></div> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Tip: Jeff.<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7716/weekend-video-the-bike-bus/#comments">6 comments</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/815/nj-school-discourages-bicycling/ style="color: black">NJ school discourages bicycling</a> <span class="nw">(May 6, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1150/nh-ave-bike-sting-continues/ style="color: black">NH Ave bike sting continues</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 21, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8489/join-ggw-gabe-klein-and-others-next-tuesday-for-a-holiday-bike-ride-and-happy-hour/ style="color: black">Join GGW, Gabe Klein and others next Tuesday for a holiday bike ride and happy hour</a> <span class="nw">(Dec 14, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5937/halsey-veers-from-bike-tragedy-to-ethnic-generalizations/ style="color: black">Halsey veers from bike tragedy to ethnic generalizations</a> <span class="nw">(May 24, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6663/photo-of-the-week-yes-it-is/ style="color: black">Photo of the week: Yes, it is</a> <span class="nw">(Jul 24, 2010)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=7716 Sat, 23 Oct 2010 12:47:00 EDT Looking down on the suburbs http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7398/looking-down-on-the-suburbs/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/erikw/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Erik Weber</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">26 overhead images, artfully and analytically juxtaposed, <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/09/human_landscapes_in_sw_florida.html', '7398')" href="http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2010/09/human_landscapes_in_sw_florida.html" style="color: black">provide a visual critique of suburban development</a> and the housing bust in Southwest Florida. One area once planned as the largest subdivision in the U.S. became a state forest instead when the development failed. (Boston Globe, Pinkshirt)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/7398/looking-down-on-the-suburbs/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=7398 Fri, 01 Oct 2010 08:30:00 EDT Weekend reading: "Taking my talents to South Beach" http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6583/weekend-reading-taking-my-talents-to-south-beach/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alexblock/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">Alex Block</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The inescapable news in the sports world last week was LeBron James' <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/08/AR2010070806865.html', '6583')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/08/AR2010070806865.html" style="color: black">decision on where to play</a> professional basketball. James spurned his current (and hometown) team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, in favor of joining forces with multiple, talented free agent players in Miami. <div class="blog_image_right" style="width: 199px; float: right; font-size: 8pt;"><a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.flickr.com/photos/x_mrswarhol/3692242661/', '')" href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/x_mrswarhol/3692242661/" style="color: black"><img src="http://greatergreater.com/images/201007/171633.jpg" style="border: 0"></a><br>"We are all witnesses." Photo by partie traumatic on Flickr.</div><p style="margin-top: 1em"><a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2434/', '6583')" href="http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2434/" style="color: black">The hoopla</a>, as well as James' decision to leave his hometown for greener pastures raises several interesting points about sports, place, labor mobility, and the economic benefits from professional sports and athletes. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>Talent migration</strong>: <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/07/13/lebrons-location-decision/', '6583')" href="http://www.creativeclass.com/creative_class/2010/07/13/lebrons-location-decision/" style="color: black">Richard Florida takes note</a> of how LeBron and his compatriots took control of their situation in picking a new location to showcase their talents, framing the decision as an entrepreneurial coup in the controlled world of professional sports. The decision, he argues, isn't all that different than the ones that many talented and skilled workers go through<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>minus the media circus.<blockquote><i>Most people attempt to optimize their interests within the constraints imposed by their existing environment<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>what the great economist Joseph Schumpeter dubbed the typical "adaptive response." But at critical junctures, certain kinds of entrepreneurs step outside the bounds of what is given and undertake to shape and actively construct an new environment of their own<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>what Schumpeter called the "<a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.jstor.org/pss/2113338', '6583')" href="http://www.jstor.org/pss/2113338" style="color: black">creative response</a>." <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami offered the best place where these three savvy, talented, and surpassingly entrepreneurial young men could create their own kind of space<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>a more open-ended space, where they could realize their ambitions and dreams.</i></blockquote> <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>Teams tied to place: </strong>Florida's argument, however, doesn't do much to dispute the common criticisms of LeBron's decision (including <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/sports/basketball/10cavaliers.html', '6583')" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/sports/basketball/10cavaliers.html" style="color: black">one from the Cavaliers owner</a>) that it was selfish and about ego more than anything else. While professional athletes may be individuals free to chose between teams, the teams themselves are rooted in place. Teams profit from their connection and emotional bonds with local fans. It's no surprise that fans see this as a <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.cleveland.com/sportsnetwork/index.ssf/2010/07/cleveland_bloggers_react_to_le.html', '6583')" href="http://www.cleveland.com/sportsnetwork/index.ssf/2010/07/cleveland_bloggers_react_to_le.html" style="color: black">direct insult</a> to their <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/sports/basketball/10rhoden.html', '6583')" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/10/sports/basketball/10rhoden.html" style="color: black">sense of place</a>. In Richard Florida's context, they are the ones attempting to optimize their interests within given constraints. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The narrative that ties teams and cities together is extraordinarily strong. The recent passing of New York Yankees owner <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steinbrenner', '6583')" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Steinbrenner" style="color: black">George Steinbrenner</a> offered a chance to <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/nyregion/14about.html', '6583')" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/14/nyregion/14about.html" style="color: black">reflect on that complex connection</a> between city, fans, team, and players:<blockquote><i>The life of George Steinbrenner is a ramp across modern New York, a bridge that spans the whirlpool of one man's spinning psyche and the transformation of America's biggest, baddest city... He championed ordinary New Yorkers, then took them for every last penny... <p style="margin-top: 1em">He remembered the elation of the city when the Yankees won the World Series in 1978, a troubled time. "We put the trophy in the rotunda at City Hall," [<a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch', '6583')" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch" style="color: black">former Mayor</a> Ed] Koch said. "I knew, as the Romans knew, that the people require circuses and theatrics."</i></blockquote><strong>Economic impacts:</strong> Perhaps George Steinbrenner's crowning achievement as owner of the Yankees has been the creation of <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Stadium', '6583')" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Stadium" style="color: black">New Yankee Stadium</a>, on the backs of substantial public subsidy. Plenty of economists consistently argue that stadium subsidies are <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://americancity.org/columns/entry/2394/', '6583')" href="http://americancity.org/columns/entry/2394/" style="color: black">not wise investments</a>, but the emotional connection between team and city is difficult to quantify. <p style="margin-top: 1em">Likewise, there is a question of geography. Sports teams might not have an impact <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/07/lebrons-limited-economic-impact/59485/', '6583')" href="http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2010/07/lebrons-limited-economic-impact/59485/" style="color: black">at the metropolitan scale</a>, but many in Cleveland have seen a direct impact from LeBron James in the area immediately adjacent to the arena. A similar narrative exists for <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Abe-Pollin-72822622.html', '6583')" href="http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/sports/Abe-Pollin-72822622.html" style="color: black">DC's Verizon Center</a> and the subsequent revitalization of Chinatown. <p style="margin-top: 1em">However, accurately calculating all the costs and benefits of the intangible, emotional connection between a city and their team might be next to impossible. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>There is no 'Next Big Thing': </strong>Aaron Renn uses LeBron's departure from the Midwest to take a long, hard look at the <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.newgeography.com/content/001672-%E2%80%9Cjames-drain%E2%80%9D-hits-cleveland', '6583')" href="http://www.newgeography.com/content/001672-%E2%80%9Cjames-drain%E2%80%9D-hits-cleveland" style="color: black">strategic decisions behind the move and the reaction</a>:<blockquote><i>In a sense though, Cleveland's disappointment was inevitable. LeBron James was never going to turn around the city. No one person or one thing can. Unfortunately, Cleveland has continually pinned its hopes on a never-ending cycle of "next big things" to reverse decline. This will never work. As local <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.newgeography.com/content/00553-cleveland-part-ii-re-constructing-comeback', '6583')" href="http://www.newgeography.com/content/00553-cleveland-part-ii-re-constructing-comeback" style="color: black">economic development guru Ed Morrison put it</a>, "Overwhelmingly, the strategy is now driven by individual projects....This leads to the 'Big Thing Theory' of economic development: Prosperity results from building one more big thing."</i></blockquote>The 'Big Thing' theory has usually been applied to things like sports stadiums and arenas, not the individual players that use them. Nevertheless, the comparison is illustrative. The push to keep a team or even a player by giving them a new stadium might not make economic sense, but losing that player can be painful. And even though a new stadium might not make economic sense for a metropolitan region, that doesn't mean the team itself<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>despite being deeply rooted in a single place<wbr>&mdash;<wbr>can't also migrate to greener pastures and better opportunities. Unfortunately for Cleveland, that's <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Browns_relocation_controversy', '6583')" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cleveland_Browns_relocation_controversy" style="color: black">something they also know far too well</a>. <p style="margin-top: 1em">There are a few other items of note, only semi sports-related: <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>LeBron likes bikes: </strong>One thing <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.transitmiami.com/2010/07/08/lebron-and-bicycles/', '6583')" href="http://www.transitmiami.com/2010/07/08/lebron-and-bicycles/" style="color: black">LeBron does like</a> is bikes. He's a <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4151005-1.html', '6583')" href="http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-miscellaneous/4151005-1.html" style="color: black">partial owner of Cannondale</a> and hosts a <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.thegrio.com/top-stories/lebron-pops-a-wheelie-for-the-kids.php', '6583')" href="http://www.thegrio.com/top-stories/lebron-pops-a-wheelie-for-the-kids.php" style="color: black">bike-a-thon for kids</a> in his hometown of Akron, OH. Given the negative reaction in Cleveland to his professional decision to play basketball in Miami, it's unclear what will happen to events like this. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>New York and Barcelona are boring: </strong>Mayor Bloomberg and others were on hand to see the final push of the tunnel boring machine for <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Subway_Extension', '6583')" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/7_Subway_Extension" style="color: black">New York's 7 line extension</a>. Second Avenue Sagas <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/07/16/a-tale-of-two-tunnel-boring-machines/', '6583')" href="http://secondavenuesagas.com/2010/07/16/a-tale-of-two-tunnel-boring-machines/" style="color: black">notes the challenges of urban tunneling</a>, even with the advanced technology available today. A few weeks ago, The Transport Politic took an <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/06/29/barcelonas-metro-continues-its-expansion-at-a-relatively-cheap-price/', '6583')" href="http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/06/29/barcelonas-metro-continues-its-expansion-at-a-relatively-cheap-price/" style="color: black">in-depth look at Barcelona</a>'s massive subway expansion, also making extensive use of tunnel boring machines operating in dense urban environments. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><strong>Paris, automated: </strong>Jarret Walker, of the Human Transit blog, <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.humantransit.org/2010/07/paris-the-new-old-m%C3%A9tro-line-1.html', '6583')" href="http://www.humantransit.org/2010/07/paris-the-new-old-m%C3%A9tro-line-1.html" style="color: black">offers some observations</a> from Line 1 of the Paris Metro. The line is in the midst of an upgrade to fully automatic, driverless operation. That's no small feat for a line initially built in 1900. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><em>Cross-posted at <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.alexblock.net/blog/?p=1680', '6583')" href="http://www.alexblock.net/blog/?p=1680" style="color: black">City Block</a>.</em><p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6583/weekend-reading-taking-my-talents-to-south-beach/#comments">24 comments</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/527/can-nyc-build-me-a-personal-garage-too/ style="color: black">Can NYC build me a personal garage too?</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 2, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/689/dc-versus-new-york/ style="color: black">DC versus New York</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 6, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8882/dc-united-eyeing-buzzard-point-florida-market/ style="color: black">DC United eyeing Buzzard Point, Florida Market</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 19, 2011)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/3114/youth-sports-and-the-automobile/ style="color: black">Youth sports and the automobile</a> <span class="nw">(Aug 4, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/8940/a-dc-united-stadium-is-likely-to-be-truly-urban/ style="color: black">A DC United stadium is likely to be truly urban</a> <span class="nw">(Jan 24, 2011)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=6583 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:45:00 EDT Banned for life for following the law http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6415/banned-for-life-for-following-the-law/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Miami Metro security officers <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://carlosmiller.com/2010/07/01/we-were-permanantly-banned-from-the-miami-dade-metrorail-for-taking-photos', '6415')" href="http://carlosmiller.com/2010/07/01/we-were-permanantly-banned-from-the-miami-dade-metrorail-for-taking-photos" style="color: black">accosted and then banned "for life"</a> two photographers trying to take pictures. They had a printout of an email from Miami-Dade Transit assuring them photography was legal on the Metro. (Photography Is Not a Crime, Matt')<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/6415/banned-for-life-for-following-the-law/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=6415 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:43:39 EDT Posting stats boosts safe driving http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5429/posting-stats-boosts-safe-driving/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Gainesville has a novel approach to <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100405/ARTICLES/100409725?Title=GPD-tracks-percent-of-cars-yielding-to-pedestrians', '5429')" href="http://www.gainesville.com/article/20100405/ARTICLES/100409725?Title=GPD-tracks-percent-of-cars-yielding-to-pedestrians" style="color: black">getting drivers to yield to pedestrians</a>: Posting performance statistics. Each week, observers measure compliance at select locations and the city posts the percentages on large signs. The program increased the rate to 52%; the article doesn't say what the rate was before. (Gainesville Sun via <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-it-really-true-that-what-gets.html', '5429')" href="http://urbanplacesandspaces.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-it-really-true-that-what-gets.html" style="color: black">RPUS</a>)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5429/posting-stats-boosts-safe-driving/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=5429 Tue, 06 Apr 2010 10:09:00 EDT $8 billion, high-speed http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4754/8-billion-high-speed/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">The Obama administration <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/01/28/high-speed-rail-grants-announced-california-florida-and-illinois-are-lucky-recipients/', '4754')" href="http://www.thetransportpolitic.com/2010/01/28/high-speed-rail-grants-announced-california-florida-and-illinois-are-lucky-recipients/" style="color: black">awarded $8 billion for high speed rail</a>, primarily to California, Tampa-Orlando, and the Midwest. <p style="margin-top: 1em">The Washington region got some <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://docs.google.com/gview?url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/hsr_awards_summary_public.pdf', '4754')" href="http://docs.google.com/gview?url=http://www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/rss_viewer/hsr_awards_summary_public.pdf" style="color: black">smaller grants</a>, like $75 million for <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/012010/01292010/524103', '4754')" href="http://fredericksburg.com/News/FLS/2010/012010/01292010/524103" style="color: black">a third track in Prince William and Stafford Counties</a> and various small projects on the Northeast Corridor. (The Transport Politic, Fredericksburg.com, Scott, Gavin Baker, mcs)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4754/8-billion-high-speed/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4754 Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:28:00 EDT Don't walk in Florida http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4014/dont-walk-in-florida/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">A <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/', '4014')" href="http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/" style="color: black">new report</a> by Transportation for America ranks metropolitan areas by pedestrian safety, weighing both the fatality rate and the numbers of people walking. The <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/09/AR2009110902217.html?hpid=moreheadlines', '4014')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/09/AR2009110902217.html?hpid=moreheadlines" style="color: black">Post article</a> has good quotes from local groups and notes that the Washington area <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/table-1/', '4014')" href="http://t4america.org/resources/dangerousbydesign/table-1/" style="color: black">comes in around the middle</a> of large metros, the four worst of which are in Florida. Generally, post-WWII auto-centric areas especially in the Southeast rank worst, while older cities do better by pedestrians. (merarch)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/4014/dont-walk-in-florida/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=4014 Tue, 10 Nov 2009 09:16:00 EDT Valet park for class? http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2709/valet-park-for-class/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em">Florida Atlantic University is <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/06/the-view-from-your-recession.html', '2709')" href="http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2009/06/the-view-from-your-recession.html" style="color: black">instituting a valet parking service</a>, which costs $5 per hour or $20 per day. Is this a way to "extract surplus" from the students who are late to class? Soak richer students? Ideally, they's use the money to <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/04/28/0428fau.html', '2709')" href="http://www.palmbeachpost.com/localnews/content/local_news/epaper/2009/04/28/0428fau.html" style="color: black">improve transit access to the campus</a>. (Marginal Revolution)<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2709/valet-park-for-class/#comments">Comment</a></p> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=2709 Thu, 25 Jun 2009 08:49:00 EDT Weekend reading: taxes, fees, and the effect of bad planning http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1402/weekend-reading-taxes-fees-and-the-effect-of-bad-planning/ by <a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/alpert/" style="color: black"><span class="byline_name">David Alpert</span></a> <p style="margin-top: 1em"><div class="blog_image_right" style="width: 140px; float: right; font-size: 8pt;"><a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://flickr.com/photos/kmacke/2561956934/', '')" href="http://flickr.com/photos/kmacke/2561956934/" style="color: black"><img src="http://greatergreater.com/images/200811/091003.jpg" style="border: 0"></a><br>Port Huron, Mich. Photo by k.l.macke on Flickr.</div><b>Gas tax comeback?</b> Congressman-elect Gerry Connolly (D-Fairfax) suggested <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1513175', '1402')" href="http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=25&sid=1513175" style="color: black">raising the gax tax</a> to close huge budget gaps. With Mary Peters and her seemingly-irrational opposition to the gax tax in all forms on the way out, gas prices low, and budget deficits high, this makes some sense. (WTOP) <p style="margin-top: 1em"><b>Not going to help:</b> <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://parkingtoday.typepad.com/parking_blog/2008/10/not-this-again.html', '1402')" href="http://parkingtoday.typepad.com/parking_blog/2008/10/not-this-again.html" style="color: black">Port Huron, Michigan</a> and <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://parkingtoday.typepad.com/parking_blog/2008/11/they-do-it-at-t.html', '1402')" href="http://parkingtoday.typepad.com/parking_blog/2008/11/they-do-it-at-t.html" style="color: black">Hollywood, Florida</a> are both removing all parking meters to boost flagging. Parking Today thinks that's a mistake: employees will take up most of the spaces, parking still won't be more attractive than at the mall, and the cities won't even have money to use to improve downtown. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><b>Greening our "unnecessary garages":</b> Today's Post <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110703393.html?nav=rss_print/editorialpages', '1402')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110703393.html?nav=rss_print/editorialpages" style="color: black">prints an op-ed by Ingrid Specht</a> endorsing lower parking minimums for DC. "In fact, employees should receive benefits for not driving to work." Specht suggests the Columbia Heights garage could be better utilized if it stayed open later for restaurant goers, filled in some of the empty space with bicycle parking, or added Zipcar spaces, "rather than hoping they are someday filled with personal vehicles, promoting pollution." Tip: Michael P. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><b>Paleolithic road planners:</b> Dr. Gridlock considers a right-turn lane on Georgia Avenue at Spring Street (probably not a good diea) and reveals some ongoing old-fashioned traffic thinking at the Maryland State Highway Administration: "Their goal, [SHA traffic planners] say, is to get the most vehicles through the area in the most predictable way possible." Even pedestrians aside, the goal should be to get the most people through the area, not the most vehicles. It's an important distinction, since one bus carries as many people as a whole lane of cars. <p style="margin-top: 1em"><b>And...</b> The NOAA headquarters in College Park <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://dcmetrocentric.com/2008/11/06/weather-finds-a-new-home/', '1402')" href="http://dcmetrocentric.com/2008/11/06/weather-finds-a-new-home/" style="color: black">is indeed transit-unfriendly</a>; Great Streets and the 11th Street Bridges <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110702312.html', '1402')" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/11/07/AR2008110702312.html" style="color: black">may be on the budgetary chopping block</a>; a Welsh translation attempt leads to a <a target="_blank" onClick="return countClick('http://www.planetizen.com/node/35875', '1402')" href="http://www.planetizen.com/node/35875" style="color: black">hilarious result</a>.<p style="margin-top: 1em"><a href="http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1402/weekend-reading-taxes-fees-and-the-effect-of-bad-planning/#comments">13 comments</a></p><div><span class="related_posts_title">Related posts:</span><ul style="margin: 0"><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/2027/balance-the-flow-shorten-the-leg/ style="color: black">Balance the flow, shorten the leg</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 14, 2009)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1246/free-parking-near-the-navy-yard-given-away-to-commuters/ style="color: black">Free parking near the Navy Yard given away to commuters</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 17, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/5477/pay-by-phone-for-parking-in-dc-starting-monday/ style="color: black">Pay by phone for parking in DC starting Monday</a> <span class="nw">(Apr 9, 2010)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/736/nps-considers-less-traffic-an-adverse-effect/ style="color: black">NPS considers less traffic an "adverse effect"</a> <span class="nw">(Mar 31, 2008)</span><li><a href=http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post/1256/show-me-the-performance-parking-money/ style="color: black">Show me the (performance parking) money!</a> <span class="nw">(Sep 18, 2008)</span></ul></div> http://greatergreaterwashington.org/post.cgi?id=1402 Sun, 09 Nov 2008 10:03:18 EDT