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
True Story: Ratings Agency Pins Dangerous Roads on Car-Free Young People
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The financial ratings agency Standard & Poor’s has a new report out that presents a bizarre theory about dangerous conditions on American streets. It’s the Millennials’ fault, “but not in the way you think,” they say. Prepare yourself for some ratings agency clickbait! Standard & Poor’s blames Millennials not only for the poor state of transportation infrastructure but also the […]
Will Texas Voters Enshrine Failed Transpo Policy in the State’s Constitution?
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When Texas voters go to the polls this November they will decide an issue of enormous consequence to the future of the state. A proposed amendment to the state constitution — on the ballot as Proposition 7 — would shift about $2.5 billion in sales tax revenues to highway spending each year. All the money must be spent […]
“Stupid Pedestrians” Aren’t Causing the High Death Toll on Delaware Streets
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According to new data from the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, Delaware is the most dangerous state for pedestrians per capita. Already this year, 28 people have been killed while walking in the tiny Mid-Atlantic state, about twice the national average, according to the News Journal. Predictably, the comments on the story are disgusting, notes James Wilson […]
Do Environmental Reviews for Road Projects Help the Environment?
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It’s been more than 40 years since the National Environmental Policy Act was enacted. In that time, America has built a lot of emissions-inducing, land-devouring highway infrastructure despite the environmental review process mandated by NEPA. It’s fair to ask: When it comes to transportation infrastructure, does environmental review make a difference for the environment? To comply with federal environmental […]
Koch Brothers Tentacles Reach Out to Squelch Albuquerque BRT
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Albuquerque, like many cities, is looking at bus rapid transit as a cost-effective way to improve mobility and create a more walkable city. Its BRT plan calls for frequent service on a center-running bus lane along Central Avenue, the city’s busiest bus route, which passes through the heart of downtown. The city has applied for funding from the […]
How Safety Rules and Enviro Regs Work to the Detriment of American Rail
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America’s convoluted regulation of passenger rail helps explain why the U.S. is so far behind other developed nations when it comes to rail travel. For instance, Federal Railroad Administration safety regulations perversely make us less safe by ignoring global best practices and instead forcing operators to use heavy, outdated equipment. Not only do we have safety rules that are no good for […]
Salt Lake City’s Groundbreaking Protected Intersection Is Open
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#ProtectedIntersection in @saltlakecityUT is UT’s first! Creating a safer destination for downtown visitors. #GoSLCpic.twitter.com/zxrLRdifRU — Alta Planning (@altaplanning) October 15, 2015 The second protected intersection in the country is open in Salt Lake City, another milestone for American bike infrastructure. Using paint and concrete islands, the intersection of 200 West and 300 South lowers the stress level […]
Seattle Burb to Get Its Own Dutch-Inspired “Traffic Garden”
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The traffic garden is a Dutch invention: a safe, controlled environment that gives children a chance to practice bicycling and walking in conditions that mimic city streets. There aren’t many places like this in the United States. But White Center, just outside Seattle, is poised to get one, reports Tom Fucoloro at Seattle Bike Blog: Learning how […]
“Adam Ruins Everything” Explains the Origins of “Jaywalking”
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Think the origins of “jaywalking” in 1920s car industry propaganda are too esoteric for a mainstream audience? Watch this clip from truTV’s “Adam Ruins Everything” that adapts research from Peter Norton’s Fighting Traffic, a history of how motordom conquered American streets in the early 20th century. It’s a good sign when productions backed by the entertainment industry start devoting attention to topics like this. […]
Streets Have Changed Before, and They Can Change Again
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Some of the fiercest battles over streets come down to resistance to change — fears that claiming a lane of traffic for transit will cause carmageddon, or that converting parking spaces to bike lanes will starve local businesses of customers. Darin Givens at ATL Urbanist says some of that resistance stems from a failure of imagination. By looking at how […]
Sizing Up Target’s New Down-Sized Urban Stores
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Love ’em or hate ’em, big box stores are shrinking their footprints in an effort to fit into city locations. Target just opened its fourth store in the DC area, and Dan Malouff at Beyond DC scoped it out: A miniature Target is now open in Rosslyn, occupying the ground floor of an office tower. At less than a […]
Seattle’s Plan to Take Biking and Walking to School to the Next Level
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Last week, communities around the country celebrated Walk to School Day to encourage kids to get to school the old-fashioned and healthy way. In Seattle, the event was more than a one-off to raise public awareness — it was also the kickoff for a five-year action plan to increase walking and biking to school. While active transportation to […]