Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Economics

White House Economic Report Touts TIGER, High-Speed Rail, Transit

By Elana Schor | Feb 12, 2010 | 2 Comments

The White House Council of Economic Advisers’ first annual report under President Obama made headlines today for its gloomy job-creation outlook, but tucked inside its 462 pages is a tangible reflection of a changed outlook on transportation policy under the new administration. Top White House economic adviser Christina Romer, at right, holds up yesterday’s report. […]

New Report Links Homeowners’ Auto Dependence With Foreclosure Risk

By Elana Schor | Jan 28, 2010 | No Comments

Homeowners in car-dependent areas without access to alternative transportation are at greater risk of foreclosure, according to a report released yesterday by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) that calls for mortgage underwriting standards to begin taking so-called "location-efficiency" into account. Weeds spring up near a foreclosed home in Illinois. (Photo: Getty) The NRDC examined […]

What if America’s Urban Economies Were National Ones?

By Elana Schor | Jan 21, 2010 | 6 Comments

The U.S. Conference of Mayors released a report this week with some dire conclusions for the nation’s cities: Even the payroll growth that many prognosticators anticipate this year won’t make a dent in double-digit urban unemployment. Half of the 363 biggest metro areas won’t return to their pre-recession jobs levels until 2013 or beyond. (Chart: […]

Freight Rail Traffic Hit 20-Year Lows in 2009

By Elana Schor | Jan 13, 2010 | 2 Comments

From Warren Buffett’s acquisition of BNSF to the Obama administration’s high-speed rail initiative, the nation is abuzz with talk about a revival of freight trains as an energy-efficient alternative to trucks. (Photo: TSA) But amid the positive forecasts for freight, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) released data today that showed just how bad of […]

Transport Economist Challenges Claim That ‘VMT Causes Growth’

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | 4 Comments

The claim to a link between economic growth and vehicle mileage — that, in other words, auto travel is essential to keeping U.S. productivity high — remains controversial and much-debated in transportation policy circles. One notable recent flare-up in that debate took place on National Journal’s blog after road lobbyist Greg Cohen, referring to an […]

The U.S. Transportation Financing Crisis: A Snapshot From the States

By Elana Schor | Jan 7, 2010 | No Comments

Washington transportation policymaking can often resemble an unwieldy soup of anywhere between 50 and 535 local perspectives, as lawmakers from different states and districts vie for a fixed (or even shrinking) amount of federal funding. Congress isn’t eager to raise fuel taxes to pay for transportation — but what about the states? (Photo: Pop and […]

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