• FHWA proposal would undermine traffic calming

    There is still time for public comment on an ill-considered rule tying lower speeds on urban streets to "excessive delay." Please read the article and tell FHWA to drop or change this proposal.
    To increase speeds for cars and trucks during peak hours, FHWA (Federal Highway Administration) is proposing a rule that could harm walkability and quality of life 24 hours a day on specific urban streets. The FHWA, a division of US DOT, is focused on highways—so maybe the Administration doesn’t...Read more

  • A little-known anniversary of transportation dysfunction

    Few have noticed the 100th birthday of two pieces of legislation that revolutionized the way we live: The first Federal Aid Road Bill, and the New York City zoning ordinance.
    Note: This commentary piece was written for The Post and Courier , Charleston, South Carolina. Revolutions once aimed at manipulating the physical environment to change human behavior. This past month marks the 100th anniversary of two pieces of legislation that revolutionized the way we live. On...Read more

  • Better streets are worth fighting for

    Sadik-Khan's approach is both radical and practical. Instead of relying on traffic "models" that are rarely tested against reality, she made changes with temporary materials that could be reversed if the benefits failed to materialize.
    Janette Sadik-Khan, author of the recent Streetfight: Handbook for an Urban Revolution and former New York City transportation commissioner, gave an inspiring speech to CNU in Detroit on Friday. The speech was not officially recorded on video, but here I offer her 2013 Ted video that has been...Read more

  • Narrow streets do more with less

    This is good news for Strong Towns advocates concerned about the fiscal sustainability of our cities too, because simple design means less money that must be spent to build and maintain our public realm. Yet this is a point that's often not embraced by much of the urbanist community—people who are...Read more