Center for Neighborhood Technology

Miami Herald The proposed cuts to Tri-Rail service defy common sense. Ridership on the three-county commuter rail is way up, and there is no sign that will change as the recession drags on and gas prices edge up again.
Yet the three county commissions that fund the train -- Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach -- are cutting their annual appropriations in October. The other cause for the drastic service cuts is that the Legislature this year failed to approve a dedicated revenue source for the train... Read On

Seattle Post Intelligencer Enduring a 90-minute wait to cost the U.S.-Canada border on Tuesday, Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson had time to reflect on the need to link Northwest cities with fast, frequent rail service. "Today, we drove. If there were a train, we'd have been on it: High-speed rail is a no-brainer for me," Robertson told a small Seattle dinner that night. Read On

Human Transit Neil Freeman recently posted a great collection of rail rapid transit maps, all drawn to scale, and all at the same scale. Read On  

Transport Politic There’s been a lot of talk in transportation circles recently about ensuring that the federal commitment to transit projects is as strong as that to the national highway program. Such a policy change would require a sea change in Washington, principally because it would necessitate a radical transformation of the transportation legislation, which defines how funding is distributed. In addition to more funding allocated to new corridors in general, the federal government must reform the manner in which it determines its share of total construction costs. Read On

Star Tribune Bus rapid transit could be the next big thing in Twin Cities' transit. But it's not clear that what commuters will get -- for years to come -- is what they're being promised. And that's creating a danger of a public relations fiasco. Read On

Greater Greater Washington Montgomery County is barreling blindly down a path to create a huge new pocket of sprawl outside Gaithersburg. Dubbed "Science City," the county envisions 20 million square feet of new biotechnology research and development on 900 acres near Rockville and Gaithersburg. However, as currently proposed, "Science City" is no city. The Board recently rejected two proposals, one to increase its density to something more city-like, and the other to transfer density to a better location. Creating sprawl is familiar and easy, but harmful. Unfortunately, it's the easier and safer choice for the Planning Board. Read On

Daily Journal of Commerce The Lents neighborhood in Southeast Portland has a lot riding on the new MAX green line. One- and two-story buildings dot Lents' barren streets. Some residential side streets aren't even paved. The neighborhood, which has a median income among the lowest in the city, has for years needed considerable redevelopment, said Jess Laventall, president of the Lents Neighborhood Association. Read On