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
The Case for a Highway Teardown in Dallas
| | No Comments
IH-345 in Dallas looks like a perfect candidate for a highway teardown. The 39-year-old, 1.4-mile elevated highway is nearing the end of its useful life, and it’s taking up valuable real estate just outside downtown. Patrick Kennedy at Network blog Walkable Dallas Fort Worth estimates the teardown would cost as little as $60 million, while […]
It’s Official: LaHood Is Out
| | 10 Comments
After a few false alarms, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood has finally come out and said it: He’s leaving the administration. In a letter sent to U.S. DOT staff and contractors this morning, he listed the accomplishments of the last four years: We have put safety front and center with the Distracted Driving Initiative and a rule […]
Wisconsin Over-Invests in New Roads Destined for Underuse
| | 2 Comments
Scott Walker, maybe we would respect your decision to pull the plug on high-speed rail in your state a little more if you weren’t such a hypocrite about transportation spending. The Wisconsin governor refused to pony up an estimated $4.7 million a year to provide 21st century intercity rail service to his constituents. But he’s only […]
How Mayor Mick Cornett Fought Oklahoma City’s Brain Drain and Weight Gain
| | 14 Comments
Part One of this interview was posted yesterday. Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett (R) has made it his mission to make his city healthier and less obese, in part by improving its walkability. The city lost a million pounds during his weight-loss campaign — and then they took a freeway out of the middle of downtown […]
Oklahoma City Mayor Mick Cornett: We Have to Build This City For People
| | 6 Comments
On the last day of 2007, Mick Cornett, the Republican mayor of Oklahoma City — ranked as one of the fattest cities in the country — stood in front of the elephants at the zoo and announced he was going on a diet, and taking the rest of the city with him. Oklahoma City lost a million pounds, 37 of […]
Confronted With Congestion Pricing, People Clamor for Transit, Gas Tax
| | 3 Comments
Could a congestion pricing program work in the DC region? Maybe. But first, officials would need to get the public on board — no easy task. A report on the conclusions from five public forums, held in the region between October 2011 and January 2012, suggest that more and better transportation options need to be […]
Today’s Transit Dreams May Come True — 78 Years From Now
| | 1 Comment
By the looks of it, my humble hometown of Washington, DC is winning the transit space race. The region currently has 45 transit projects either planned or underway — and one that’s stalled. You may have heard of the Silver Line to Dulles Airport, but a new map from Reconnecting America proves that that’s just […]
FTA Grapples With Likely Funding Cuts
| | 2 Comments
After fighting to maintain reasonable funding levels in the transportation bill – and for the inclusion of dedicated transit funding in the first place – the Federal Transit Administration now finds itself up against almost certain funding cuts that imperil rail and bus expansion projects, as well as the agency’s own staffing. The fiscal cliff deal hasn’t […]
Outgoing AASHTO Director: Assess Gas Tax By the Dollar, Not By the Gallon
| | 2 Comments
When the federal gas tax was set at 18.4 cents per gallon, it represented 17 percent of the cost of a gallon of gas. Now it’s barely 5 percent. That was 20 years ago. Some say the answer for today isn’t just to raise the gas tax but to re-imagine it. John Horsley, executive director […]
Pro-Bike Republican Tom Petri to Chair Key House Transpo Panel
| | No Comments
The Republican co-chair of the Congressional Bicycling Caucus is getting a leadership position with some real gravitas. Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI) was just named the new chair of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee in the House — the epicenter of the chamber’s surface transportation legislation. The list of Republicans who support active transportation is pretty short […]
Biking Uphill Is Satisfying, and Other Bicycle Research From TRB 2013
| | 11 Comments
Today is Day Three of the Transportation Research Board’s annual conference. Interested in pavement composition and performance? There are 200 workshops with your name on them. Interested in bicycling? There’s quite a bit for you too. Yesterday, 13 scholars presented their research on cycling. Here are a few highlights: Take Your City Engineer to Copenhagen. Cortney […]
Today in Foreign Policy: American Interests Demand Walkable Communities
| | 2 Comments
If you’ve had your head stuck inside street design manuals or engineering guides – if you’ve been thinking at the level of the bulb-out or the bollard – I’ve got a present for you. I wouldn’t have expected to find it in Foreign Policy magazine, but last week, Patrick Doherty of the New America Foundation […]