The Infra Blog

Why High-Speed Rail Isn’t Less Cost-Effective Than Other Transit Investments (Part One)

Wednesday, March 26th, 2014

As someone who’s been car-free for going on six years, I’m the last person to criticize someone trying to raise the profile of local transit and active transportation investments — I rely on them every day and frequently write about the need for more. Even though most people don’t get rid of their cars when new transit services arrive, some do, and that’s amazing. We should celebrate and encourage that. But at the same time, pitting different forms of clean, efficient transit against one another isn’t productive, especially when those transit types serve entirely different purposes. I feel that this recent UCLA report understated the benefits of HSR while overselling the benefits of rail, bus, and bike infrastructure. In truth, they’re both outstanding investments and perfect complements, and we should be striving to find ways to build more of each.

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Enter the 2014 ASCE Bridges Photo Contest

Wednesday, March 26th, 2014
Bridges Contest

The Bridges Photo Contest closes this Monday, March 31st, but there’s still time to get the good side of your favorite bridge. Seven categories encourage variety–rather than sending one more picture of the Golden Gate Bridge with fog rolling in, why not try to snap a local Pedestrian Bridge, or a Small-Town Bridge?

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This Infra Week

Friday, March 21st, 2014
Streetsblog Parking Madness 2014

INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
Parking Mad!
Report of Significant Rulemaking
Want to Build A Wildly Successful Startup?

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Guests on The Infra Blog: Jonathan Bowles & Adam Forman of the Center for an Urban Future

Tuesday, March 18th, 2014
Jonathan Bowles, Executive Director, Center for an Urban Future

Steve Anderson, Managing Director, InfrastructUSA, interviews Jonathan Bowles and Adam Forman of the Center for an Urban Future. Topics include NYC’s need to focus on infrastructure, the role of the Center for an Urban Future, and the new report, “Caution Ahead: Overdue Investments for New York’s Aging Infrastructure.”

Forman: New York City’s infrastructure is old. Whether it’s our transportation infrastructure, our bridges and roads, utility infrastructure, our steam mains and gas mains, or our buildings: our hospitals, our schools, our public housing buildings, it’s old…I think there are so many areas where we can improve the functioning of our infrastructure and the safety if we were investing more intelligently.

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This Infra Week

Friday, March 14th, 2014
matrix detail 559

INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
Which Bike Lane Separator is Right For You?
Car Culture Reigns On
New Light-Rail Strategy Unveiled
And More…

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Hardhats for Highways: Tell Congress How Many Jobs Are At Risk

Wednesday, March 12th, 2014

Hardhats for Highways is organizing a call to action for construction workers across the nation.

Starting April 1, 2014, contractors, construction business owners, labor leaders and everyone else representing constituents in the highway industry are asked to visit their Congressional delegations to deliver a hardhat. Every hat will be affixed with a sticker detailing the number of jobs at risk in each firm. If the deluge of hardhats piling up in offices throughout the nation don’t get Congress’ attention, the numbers certainly will.

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This Infra Week

Friday, March 7th, 2014

INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
If A Bridge Falls In America…
Think You Could Design a Better Subway System?
Portland Bike Share Faces Delays
And More…

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As Congress Struggles for Ways to Fund the Next Transportation Reauthorization, States Are Taking Matters Into Their Own Hands

Thursday, March 6th, 2014

Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 25, No. 4 rev
For the transportation community, anxious about the uncertain future of the surface transportation program, recent events offered little reassurance. The President’s proposal for a four-year $302 billion transportation reauthorization, part of the administration’s FY 2015 Budget, met with a skeptical reception on Capitol Hill. “This budget isn’t a serious document; it’s a campaign brochure,” House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-WI) said dismissively. “Perhaps the most irresponsible budget yet,” commented House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH). The lawmakers’ negative reaction was no doubt amplified by the fact that the President’s budget ignored the spending levels painfully negotiated by Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) and Rep.Ryan just last December. The Administration’s proposal exceeds the bipartisan budget agreement by $56 billion.

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This Infra Week

Friday, February 28th, 2014
NYCDOT

INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
The Passengers Are Up and Running, But Are the Trains?
Move Over Venice, Kirkland Gets in the Gondola Game
South Carolina’s Legare Bridge Gets Pedestrian/Cyclist Friendly
Could Congress Find Common Ground On Complete Streets?
Coulda Wouda Shouda: The HSR Edition
Nashville is Growing, But is its Transit System?

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Mixed Reactions to Obama’s New $300 Billion Transportation Bill

Thursday, February 27th, 2014
President Obama in St. Paul

On February 26, President Obama climbed the steps of St. Paul, MN’s Union Depot train station to announce his new vision for transportation funding. The bill includes a competition for $600 million in transportation dollars, and a four-year surface transportation reauthorization to the tune of $300 billion.

Stakeholders on both sides of the fence have been quick to form opinions, and the fate of the bill remains uncertain–though most agree that action is urgently needed. Selected reactions from the transportation community are excerpted below.

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Dear Friends,

 

It is encouraging to finally see clear signs of federal action to support a comprehensive US infrastructure investment plan.

 

Now more than ever, our advocacy is needed to keep stakeholders informed and connected, and to hold politicians to their promises to finally fix our nation’s ailing infrastructure.

 

We have already engaged nearly 280,000 users, and hoping to add many more as interest continues to grow.

 

We require your support in order to rise to this occasion, to make the most of this opportunity. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation to InfrastructureUSA.org.

 

Steve Anderson

Managing Director

 

SteveAnderson@InfrastructureUSA.org

917-940-7125

InfrastructureUSA: Citizen Dialogue About Civil Infrastructure