Hooray for Ms. Skenazy!! On a personal note, as a result of my much-increased interest in bicycling due to recumbents, I'm seriously considering Urban Policy for a Master Degree, hoping to fit in some kind of bicycling angle to it. As a result of my 50-mile bike trips throughout the City, I've also become very interested in real estate and land-use issues.
EXCERPTS
The majority of us get around without cars. Why should we have to cede them valuable street space? Why can't we have wider sidewalks and smoother sailing for our buses?
The rationale has always been that drivers keep our economy afloat. But a new Transportation Alternatives study shows only 6% of shopping trips in Manhattan are made by car. Moreover, 90% of the people who drive to their Manhattan jobs could get there quickly and efficiently by public transit.
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LONDON: King of car control! In 2003, London started charging cars about $14 a day to drive into the busiest part of the city. Oh, the grumbling.
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PARIS: In the summer, Paris has taken to closing one of its main arteries - the equivalent of our FDR Drive - and turning it into a beach, complete with sand.
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LOS ANGELES: Even L.A., car capital of the Western World, is ahead of us when it comes to rethinking traffic, and in particular, parking.
Close call with a dump truck 3921The main thing we car guys need to remember about trucks is "Let the Wookie win." Smart or dumb, experienced or green, in good form or tired or wired...
To cut down on the number of cars circling for parking spaces, L.A. is raising its meter fees. The higher the fee, the quicker that drivers pull out. L.A. business districts are experimenting to find the perfect price that keeps about 15% of parking spaces free at all times.
