SFpark Project

SFpark Overview from SFpark on Vimeo.

The Central Challenge to Transportation: a 15 Minute Writing Exercise

The central challenge for transportation is a variety of things. A major challenge is coping with sprawling developments in order to take advantage of alternative transportation and density. Land use and transit go hand in hand. To achieve a sustainable infrastructure – developments must cluster to allow a variety of transportation modes. Sprawling development supports automobile dependence and vice versa. People desire high levels of accessibility supported by their complex life styles.

Automobiles do not necessarily equal transportation. Although, automobiles may superficially provide freedom to citizens, in actuality citizens are burdened by their automobile dependence and sprawl induced development. Automobile costs are significantly expensive when factoring in payments, maintenance and insurance. Often, these costs provide a barrier for low income or minorities. Continuing to invest in an automobile dependent society leaves these citizens in exile with few modes and means to find employment.

The issues facing transportation are increasingly complex. A major challenge for transportation are traffic and congestion issues. The frequent saying goes something like, “time is money.” Consider all the money sitting in rush hour on the interstate closest to you. And it is not just the cost of inconvenience, think of all the goods that are also sitting bound up on the interstate to nowhere. The current situation is dominated by the automobile and lacks a sense of balance. The dependence on oil and foreign production is unsustainable and quickly depleting. Our health also dwindles as obesity rates rise along with diabetes, asthma and other illnesses related to automobile pollution, including deaths and injuries from automobile induced accidents. There are social impacts and limitations for those without access to alternative transportation methods. The considerable lack of cooperation and collaboration is “driving” us to few alternatives. Transportation is a right, not a privilege.

Walmart “Neighborhood Market” Simply a Façade

Knowing how Walmart treats its employees, that its business model has wreaked havoc on local small businesses, and that the majority of its products come from over seas with little quality – the “Neighborhood Market” concept is not tempting me. Walmart is still Walmart and at the end of the day, any purchase is contributing to the machine. Walmart is still catering to suburban auto-dependent clientele, which is typical, and painting with a wide brush, then throwing the term “urban” and “marketplace” to lure in customers. There is nothing different here. And, I am not letting the New Urbanist façade and small scale fool me. For more information, see Kaid Benfield's post.


Photo Courtesy of Sixstep's Flickr

Non-academic Tutorial - Copenhagen Cargo Bikes

Copenhagen Cargo Bikes from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

HOT Lane – Making Interstate 680 Sexy in the Bay Area

The Bay Area’s first express lane will be unveiled next Monday. The 14 miles express lane will start at Highway 84 in Sunol and end at Highway 237 in Milpitas, operating from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday. Motorists will have a one mile warning before entering the lane, and tolls are announced prior to entry. The lane allows single occupancy vehicles to travel with those carpooling for a fluctuating toll based on congestion. Tolls will range from “a minimum of 30 cents when traffic in the other lanes is light to a maximum of whatever it takes to keep traffic flowing at 50 mph or faster. Express lane officials estimate that cost will average $4 to $6.”

The HOT Lane is only separated from traffic by two white lines painted on the pavement. There will be a few designated entrance and exit points as well as California Highway Patrol watching for violators. If vehicles are found in the lane without a transmitter, police will pull the vehicle over - “citations start at $381 and vary by city and county.”

The lane provides drivers with an option. Mark Green, Union City mayor and chairman of the Alameda County Transportation Commission adds, "If you're late to a job site, if you're late picking up your kids, if you're late getting to Little League baseball practice. It's a tremendous opportunity for people."

How much is a bus line worth?

With MTA’s recent transportation cuts in New York City, property values are taking a hit. In an article by the Wall Street Journal, one real estate agent in Astoria said apartments that “easily sold for $500,000 with the express bus nearby are now languishing on the market at prices about $420,000.” That is an $80,000 decrease, multiply that along the potential length of the route and the result is a huge financial impact – an amount far greater than the cost of maintaining the line.

MTA does not reap any rewards from the surrounding property value, atleast on the balance sheet. Stephen Smith points out in Internalizing Transit Externalities, that at “the turn of the century, when America’s great mass rail-based transit systems were being built, they were often built by developers who had large stakes in land around their stations.” Also, he adds that Japan and Hong Kong are backtracking and investing in land around their transportation hubs to generate high ridership. It is unlikely that the rail in NYC will become privatized. However, private bus services are trying to make a comeback and deemed a “palatable stepping stone.”

Exploring the National Infrastructure Bank

C-Span interview with Robert Puentes, Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institute Metropolitan Policy Program. Interview answers tough questions on the newly proposed National Infrastructure Bank and calls for the depoliticizing of the national transportation system.