THE NATURE CONSERVANCY
As California considers how to adapt to a changing climate, planners often focus on defensive infrastructure with a negative habitat impact: bigger levees, rock walls to protect coastlines or even giant sea gates. But California can follow a different path. With natural or “green” infrastructure that leverages natural processes to reduce risk to human lives,property and businesses, the state can build resilience to the coming changes while restoring natural habitats instead of degrading them.
Posts Tagged ‘California’
Reducing Climate Risks with Natural Infrastructure
Monday, April 21st, 2014Why High-Speed Rail Isn’t Less Cost-Effective Than Other Transit Investments (Part Two)
Thursday, April 3rd, 2014Last week UCLA published a working paper arguing that urban transportation projects were more cost-effective at reducing greenhouse gas emissions than high-speed rail (HSR). I posted a critique of that paper, focusing first on the benefits side of the ledger, showing that the authors had overstated the user savings of light rail, bus, and bicycle infrastructure projects while HSR’s savings may have been undersold. This week, I’m going to look at costs.
View this complete post...Why High-Speed Rail Isn’t Less Cost-Effective Than Other Transit Investments (Part One)
Wednesday, March 26th, 2014As 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.
View this complete post...Caltrans: Recommendations for Improvement
Tuesday, February 4th, 2014STATE SMART TRANSPORTATION INITIATIVE
This report provides an assessment of the performance of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and recommendations for improvement…The report provides a brief history of Caltrans and of the demands placed on it, a set of findings about Caltrans’ current state, and recommendations for improvement. Throughout, it focuses on the need for modernization and culture change at the department.
California’s Bullet Train Hobbled by Fresh Legal, Fiscal and Political Uncertainties
Monday, January 27th, 2014Innovation Newsbriefs
Vol. 25, No. 2
Barely recovered from the damaging effects of the Sacramento Court ruling denying the California High Speed Rail Authority access to Prop 1A bond funding, the bullet train project has had to face fresh challenges.
This Infra Week
Friday, January 24th, 2014INFRA STORIES YOU SHOULDN’T MISS!
More Poor Commuters Choose Cycling
Taxing Corporate Buses
California Leads in Driver Safety
Ford Rethinking the Role of Cars
Philadelphia Web Developer Hopes to Help Commuters
Marin, CA: The Story of How Marin Was Ruined
Friday, January 24th, 2014The year is 2020, a look back on what might happen to Marin and what you can do to prevent it.
View this complete post...Los Angeles: Refurbishing a Light Rail Car
Thursday, January 9th, 2014Time lapse video of Metro Blue Line train refurbishing.
For more information visit http://www.metro.net/bluelineupgrades
-Metro Los Angeles on YouTube
View this complete post...San Diego, CA: Midday Traffic Reorganized by Color
Friday, December 27th, 2013The source footage for this video is a 4-minute shot from the Washington Street bridge above State Route 163 in San Diego captured at 2:39pm Oct 1, 2013. My aim is to reveal the color palette and color preferences of contemporary San Diego drivers in addition to traffic patterns and volumes. There are no CG elements, these are all real cars that have been removed from one sample and reorganized.
View this complete post...Follow InfrastructureUSA
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