Tanya Snyder
Tanya became Streetsblog's Capitol Hill editor in September 2010 after covering Congress for Pacifica Radios Washington bureau and for public radio stations around the country. She lives car-free in a transit-oriented and bike-friendly neighborhood of Washington, DC.
Recent Posts
Anthony Foxx Confirmed Unanimously as U.S. Secretary of Transportation
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After a remarkably smooth and uncontentious process, Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx has just been confirmed by the full Senate as the 17th U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Not a single senator voted against — or even abstained from — his confirmation. Coming to the position as the mayor of a major southern city, Foxx brings with […]
APTA Goes After Transit-Harassing Patent Troll
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For years, transit agencies and other companies have been harassed by a patent troll seeking to extort them for “settlements” when they use real-time vehicle tracking technologies. ArrivalStar and Melvino Technologies, offshore firms led by one Martin Kelly Jones, claim to hold the rights to those ideas. Jones has been picking off agencies one by one […]
Has America Already Hit “Peak Car”?
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In 1901, there were 10,000 motor vehicles in the United States. It took five years to multiply that number by 10. The next 10-fold increase took seven years, reaching one million vehicles by 1913. Just eight years later, it was 10 million. From there, it took 47 years to get to the next milestone: America became […]
Q & A With a Military Architect of the Smart Growth Revolution
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We’ve spent this week exploring the ways in which the Department of Defense is overhauling its master planning procedures to turn their sprawling military bases into compact, walkable communities with mixed-use development and town centers. They’re hoping to bring back some of the people who have moved off base in recent decades, with the promise […]
The Defense Department’s Embrace of Livability Will Save Money — and Lives
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On Tuesday, we wrote about the Defense Department’s new rules for the design of their bases and installations. These rules make smart growth the law of the land on hundreds of vast military installations in the U.S. and abroad. There’s more to the story: In this post we examine how a smart growth development model […]
“The Twilight of the Appropriations Process”: House GOP Gets Its Knives Out
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Constrained by Paul Ryan’s budget and the sequester, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and HUD passed a $44 billion spending bill for 2014 – 15 percent lower than 2013 enacted levels. The bill contains $15.3 billion in discretionary appropriations for the Department of Transportation, also 15 percent below enacted 2013 levels and amounting to […]
New Pentagon Mandate: Make Military Bases Livable, That’s an Order!
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This article is the first in a series about the U.S. military’s new embrace of smart growth planning. “The largest redevelopment opportunity in the world is at the Department of Defense.” Rep. Earl Blumenauer wasn’t exaggerating when he uttered those words to an audience of smart-growth developers earlier this month. While U.S. DOT, the EPA, […]
AAA: Hands-Free Devices Don’t Solve Distracted Driving Dangers
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Distracted driving killed 3,331 people on American streets in 2011, yet car manufacturers continue to outdo each other to add more infotainment distractions in their vehicles. These systems are expected to increase five-fold by 2018, according to AAA. Carmakers seek to show their commitment to safety by making their distractions – onboard dinner reservation apps […]
Why Isn’t Smart-Growth Pioneer Gina McCarthy Running the EPA Yet?
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It’s been six months since Lisa Jackson announced she was stepping down as chief of the Environmental Protection Agency, but there’s still no replacement. President Obama nominated Gina McCarthy to be Jackson’s successor in early March, and the Senate EPW Committee confirmed the nomination almost a month ago – albeit by a party-line vote of […]
In California Cities, Drivers Want More Bike Lanes. Here’s Why.
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Whenever street space is allocated for bicycling, someone will inevitably level the accusation that the city is waging a “war on cars.” But it turns out the people in those cars want separate space for bicycles too, according to surveys conducted in two major California metropolitan areas. Bike lanes make everyone feel safer — even […]
Bi-Partisan Lawmakers Push Permanent Tax Equality for Transit Commuters
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Right now, transit riders get the same commuter tax benefits as drivers: $245 a month in pre-tax income to spend to get to work. But next year, straphangers might go back to second-class status, getting just $125 for their ride. Four members of Congress, two Democrats and two Republicans, have stepped up to make sure […]
We Need Your Help Today to Keep Streetsblog Going
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This is the last time I’ll ask. If you haven’t already donated to our spring pledge drive, please let us know you’re out there and you care about what we do. If you have donated, thank you – and feel free to donate again! Our Parking Madness tournament in March shone a harsh light on […]