Angie Schmitt
Angie is a Cleveland-based writer with a background in planning and newspaper reporting. She has been writing about cities for Streetsblog for six years.
Recent Posts
How Houston’s Sprawl Makes It Harder to Cope With Storms Like Harvey
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While any city would be overwhelmed by so much rain in so little time, land use in the Houston region has made a difficult situation worse.
America’s Sorriest Bus Stop: San Juan vs. Chapel Hill
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Today's match pairs up two scary bus stops along dangerous, high-speed roads. Vote for the worst to send one of these stops on to the second round and a chance at nationwide shame.
A Truck Driver Struck Three Black People Walking in Ville Platte, Louisiana. Police Charged the Victims.
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A truck driver struck and injured three young black men walking in Ville Platte, Louisiana, on Tuesday, and the local authorities only want to penalize the victims. Police charged the three men who were struck, filing misdemeanors for not wearing reflective clothing and "obstructing a public passage."
America’s Sorriest Bus Stop: Pittsburgh vs. Medford
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There are just too many dreadful bus stops to count in America. Readers love to send us their nominations for the Sorriest Bus Stop bracket -- people ask me all year round if we're going to put on this tournament again. It's easy to see why. There are just too many dreadful bus stops to count in America.
Too Many State DOTs Are Little More Than Highway Departments
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In the last 50 years, nearly every state agency that used to call itself the "highway department" has changed its name to the "department of transportation" to reflect a purported change in mission. But in practice, many state DOTs still operate strictly as highway departments.
Arlington Makes It Easier for Teachers to Stop Driving to School
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Driving to school can be a major source of traffic congestion. But while Safe Routes to School programs aim to make walking and biking to school a safer, easier option for students, getting teachers and school staff to leave their cars at home is still new terrain.
New Oregon Law Aims to Shed Light on Police Bias in Traffic Stops
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You can't end discrimination in traffic stops if you don't know how bad the problem is, but only a handful of states collect comprehensive racial data on traffic enforcement. Now you can add one more to the list.
In Case There Was Any Doubt, Trump’s Infrastructure “Plan” Going Nowhere
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The fact that any momentum for Trump's infrastructure plan has completely dissipated is good news for cities and the climate. All signs were pointing to a sprawl-inducing disaster.
Confronting Male Dominance in the Urban Planning Debate
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Why are conversations about urban planning issues - especially online - so dominated by men?
Portland Debuts a Fairer Way to Pay for Transit Fares
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It makes perfect sense to provide bulk transit passes, which often lead to higher ridership. But these fare structures pose a problem for people who aren't in a position to scrape together the cash for a pass and pay for a whole month of transit rides one fare at a time. They may end up paying more than wealthier riders for the same amount of service, even though they can least afford it. Now Portland's transit agencies -- Trimet, C-Tran, and the city's streetcars -- are showing the way to a fairer system.
What Bike Planners Are Missing When They Design Projects in Black and Latino Neighborhoods
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If your local police force has a reputation for harassing people who look like you, and your neighborhood gets a new bike lane, would that infrastructure be enough to make you feel comfortable riding?
A Strategy for Strong Transit and Walkability in Small Cities
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Proposed: Smaller cities should choose one, or maybe two, corridors for frequent transit service and dense, walkable development.