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
Don’t Forget the Third Party Candidates!
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In recent posts, we’ve explored the impact President Obama has had on transportation and land-use policy, and we’ve tried to square Candidate Mitt Romney’s oil-soaked rhetoric with Governor Mitt Romney’s smart growth record. We don’t want anyone protesting outside our offices, so our coverage of the presidential election must include the third party candidates. Green […]
Which Mitt Would Shape U.S. Transpo Policy: The Governor or the Candidate?
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Tomorrow, Americans will decide who will be President of the United States for the next four years. On Friday, we took a look at the last four years of White House transportation policy under President Barack Obama. Today we review the record and the platform of former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney. Streetsblog does not endorse candidates. […]
What Has President Obama Done to Improve American Transportation Policy?
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With the election just days away, it’s a good time to reflect on what the Obama administration has done with transportation policy – and what a Romney administration might have in store. Streetsblog does not endorse candidates. This is an overview of their respective records and a look back at what we know of these […]
Why Recovery Aid Is Getting to Roads Faster Than Transit
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As we reported yesterday, MAP-21 went into effect just in time for Hurricane Sandy, allowing the Federal Transit Administration similar emergency grant-making authority as FHWA. But Adam Snider at Politico reminded us this morning that the change is easier said than done. While U.S. DOT released $13 million yesterday to New York and Rhode Island […]
San Diego Chooses Between Two Bicycle Boosters For Mayor
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The election is less than a week away. Americans have a choice between a) a president who has overseen notable transportation and land use innovations but failed to provide leadership when the national transportation bill could have been reformed, and b) a former governor who enacted a progressive, pro-smart-growth agenda but who has renounced those […]
Who Should Foot the Bill for Sandy’s Damage to Tracks and Train Tunnels?
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As the East Coast surveys the damage from Hurricane Sandy, cities are still struggling to get their transit systems back up and running. In New York City, there is no firm timetable for restoring subway service after train tunnels were flooded with a surge of saltwater, in what New York MTA Chair Joe Lhota has called the […]
Infographic: The Many Connections Between Transportation and Health
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The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation launched their “New Public Health” website last year with the goal of meeting community members where they are to talk about public health. A lot of those conversations happen online, and they explore the connections between public health and policy decisions related to everything from education to transportation. Last week, they published an interview with U.S. […]
At NACTO Conference, LaHood Delivers Straight Talk on MAP-21
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After a rousing opening speech from NYC Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood took the stage at the “Designing Cities” conference of the National Association of City Transportation Officials yesterday. Streetsblog stringer Dani Simons was there and briefed us on the highlights. LaHood said: We’ve made amazing progress in cities in the past […]
Not a Word About Transit in Obama Jobs Plan
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President Obama released a blueprint for his second term yesterday, a 20-page booklet focused on job creation [PDF]. Let’s be clear: This came from his campaign machine, not the White House. In the booklet, called “The New Economic Patriotism: A Plan For Jobs and Middle-Class Security,” Obama touts his success at keeping the American auto […]
FHWA Helps Cities and Towns Land Bike/Ped Funding
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American cities and towns should get a leg up on using federal funds to make streets safer for biking and walking, thanks to rules enacted yesterday by the Federal Highway Administration. MAP-21, the current transportation law, was passed hurriedly enough that not all the i’s could be dotted and t’s could be crossed — and […]
DIY Urbanism: No Permits, No Red Tape, No Going Back
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You have dreamed about striping your own bike lane on your most-traveled routes. You got your street closed off for a block party. Maybe you even spent the afternoon feeding the meter on Park(ing) Day. You just may be the next tactical urbanist to join the ranks of those who make it their business to […]
Biden, Ryan Trade Automobile Horror Stories, Talk Up Car Jobs in VP Debate
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The vice presidential debate last night took an unexpected turn toward traffic safety, amid a lot of predictable chest-thumping about saving Detroit. After Vice President Joe Biden said what is by now a standard favorite in the administration repertoire — “Romney said, let Detroit go bankrupt” — Rep. Paul Ryan countered with this: “Mitt Romney’s a car […]