Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Economics

Transpo’s Losses in First Round of Spending Cuts Look Worse Than They Are

By Tanya Snyder | Mar 7, 2011 | 2 Comments

The two houses of Congress were so much at odds over the Republicans’ proposed spending cuts that they needed two more weeks to bicker about it. So last week, they pushed off a little longer final passage of the budget for a fiscal year that started five months ago. But in order to even pass […]

Get Rich While Reducing Emissions: Smart Growth Keeps Looking Smarter

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 21, 2011 | 8 Comments

Just when you may have been looking for ways to counter that Pew report which poo-pooed the environmental impacts of transit and smart growth, here’s more evidence that reducing driving has an essential role to play in meeting economic and environmental goals: A new report from the Center for Clean Air Policy concludes that compact […]

Combat Joblessness, Stripe a Bike Lane

By Tanya Snyder | Jan 7, 2011 | 1 Comment

A bummer of a jobs report came out today, showing that although unemployment dropped to its lowest point in 19 months, it’s still way higher than economists had hoped. But here’s some good news: according to the League of American Bicyclists, bike infrastructure creates more jobs for the money than roads. How can that be, […]

New Report Examines the Media’s Role in the Gas Tax Debate

By Elana Schor | May 26, 2010 | 6 Comments

(Chart: University of Vermont Transportation Research Center) The success of state-level plans to increase gas taxes is tied to the media’s portrayal of the proposals in question, with narratives tied to "crumbling infrastructure" and "economic progress" showing more success than those emphasizing long-term transportation budget gaps, according to a new report released by the University […]

Tracing the Fault Lines Between Public and Private Transit Operators

By Elana Schor | May 25, 2010 | 7 Comments

Should private transit companies enjoy the same federal gas tax exemption that many public operators receive? How does the existence of private inter-city bus service affect the government’s development of new high-speed rail lines? And does it matter that private transit firms are eligible for public subsidies, even if at a much smaller rate than […]

Dems, Obama Pushing Back Against Car Dealers’ Consumer Loophole

By Elana Schor | May 13, 2010 | 2 Comments

Auto dealers lobbied hard to win an exemption from the new consumer protection agency created by Congress’ pending financial reform bill, but their free pass could fall by the wayside today as senior Democrats and President Obama press for a crackdown on deceptive lending practices in all industries. (Photo: AmericaJR.com) The latest salvo in the […]

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