Recent Streetsblog USA posts about Studies & Reports

When Cities Force Developers to Widen Roads, Everyone Loses

By Angie Schmitt | Aug 23, 2016 | 36 Comments

It’s a common practice for cities to make developers widen a street when they put up a new building. The thinking is that development creates car trips that must be accommodated with more asphalt. But new research suggests these policies don’t help anyone. The main effect is to increase the cost of building, making housing less affordable. “As traffic management […]

The “Choice” vs. “Captive” Transit Rider Dichotomy Is All Wrong

By Angie Schmitt | Jul 12, 2016 | 16 Comments

The conventional wisdom about transit often divides riders into two neat categories: “choice” riders — higher-income people with cars — and “captive” riders — lower-income people who must use transit because they don’t own cars. But this framework can undermine good transit, according to a new report from TransitCenter [PDF]. In the attempt to cater only to “choice” riders or “captive” […]

7 Steps to Phase Out Carbon Emissions From American Transportation

By Angie Schmitt | May 25, 2016 | 14 Comments

Eliminating carbon emissions from the American transportation system can be done, according to a new report from the Frontier Group [PDF]. The tools to reduce energy use from cars and light trucks at least 90 percent are at our disposal or in advanced stages of development. The remaining 10 percent could be supplied by renewables like wind […]

Sober Non-Partisan Analysis: America Wastes a Ton of Money on Highways

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 23, 2016 | 26 Comments

A good deal of the $46 billion the federal government pours into highway spending each year is going to waste, according to a new Congressional Budget Office report [PDF]. The conclusion won’t surprise regular Streetsblog readers, but it’s the source that’s interesting. The CBO is not an advocacy group or an ideologically-minded think tank. It’s a non-partisan budget watchdog charged […]

Study: “Shared Space” Slows Drivers While Letting Traffic Move Efficiently

By Angie Schmitt | Feb 8, 2016 | 16 Comments

The idea behind “shared space” street design is that less can be more. By ditching signage, traffic lights, and the grade separation between sidewalk and roadbed, the shared space approach calms traffic and heightens communication between drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists. Instead of following traffic signals on auto-pilot or speeding up to beat the light, motorists have to pay attention […]

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