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
Parking Madness 2015: Detroit vs. Walnut Creek
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The Parking Madness competition has never been fiercer. In yesterday’s match-up, Parkersburg, West Virginia, edged Boston by a slim 12 votes, and before that, Amarillo beat out Nashville by just six votes. Your ballot counts. We have two doozies to feast your eyes on today. The Detroit waterfront is taking on the Bay Area suburb of Walnut Creek, California. Detroit […]
Ranking the Sad Parade of Federal Transpo Funding Ideas From Worst to Best
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The problem seems simple enough: The federal transportation program is going broke because Washington has allowed the gas tax to be eroded by inflation for more than 20 years. As obvious as raising the gas tax may be, America’s political leaders won’t touch it. Yesterday, The Hill reported that Congressman Bill Shuster, chair of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, is ruling out […]
Texas DOT Raring to Build Money-Losing Toll Lanes
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States seem to love expanding highways by adding tolled lanes, even when the money doesn’t add up. The 495 Express Lanes in DC’s Virginia suburbs lost $51 million last year, forcing investors to restructure $430 million in debt. Similarly, Maryland taxpayers are likely to be on the hook for the state’s new I-95 lanes, which […]
Parking Madness 2015: Boston vs. Parkersburg
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Yesterday, in the closest match in Parking Madness history, Amarillo edged out Nashville by just six votes to advance to the round of eight. Today we have two new eyesores for you to judge, as the biggest city in New England squares off against Parkersburg, West Virginia, representing Appalachia. Boston This entry comes to us via commenter JM, who asserts:
AASHTO Chief: Don’t Blame Street Design for Cyclist Deaths
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This is a pretty revealing (read: depressing) exchange between a U.S. representative and the president of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, which represents state DOTs. The transportation agencies that comprise AASHTO essentially dictate how streets are designed throughout the U.S. They are aware that pedestrian and cyclist deaths are not declining as fast as total traffic fatalities. […]
Touring Portland’s Brand New Car-Free Bridge
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Okay, it seems like now Portland is just showing off. The city is putting the finishing touches on the Tilikum Bridge, a multi-modal span that will serve buses, cyclists, pedestrians and trains — but no cars. This bridge has it all: a safe walking and biking path, transitways free of traffic congestion, sleek design, bike counters, a […]
Parking Madness 2015: Nashville vs. Amarillo
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We’re moving on to the fourth match of Parking Madness 2015, and the competition is getting intense. So far, parking craters in Tampa, Camden, and Newport News have advanced to the Elite Eight. Both of today’s contestants could give those quarterfinalists a run for their money. Watch out as Nashville battles Amarillo for a chance at the “honor” of winning […]
State Farm to Locate Thousands of Jobs Near Transit
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Some very good news for a few American cities: It is now the official policy of insurance giant State Farm to locate its sizable offices near transit. The company’s forward-looking approach should help relieve traffic congestion and promote low-cost, low-emissions commuting in some of the country’s more sprawling metros. Stephen Lee Davis at Transportation for […]
Parking Madness 2015: Tampa vs. Waterville, Maine
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So far in round one of this year’s Parking Madness tourney, the parking crater in downtown Newport News, Virginia, knocked off the surface parking right by L.A.’s North Hollywood metro station, and the parking-scarred waterfront of Camden, New Jersey, beat out downtown Mobile and its carpet of parking lots. Today’s matchup pits sunny Tampa, Florida, […]
Will Atlanta’s $250 Million Bond Measure Advance Biking and Walking?
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Tomorrow, Atlanta residents go to the voting booth to decide on a $250 million bond package for infrastructure. The measure comes a few years after voters refused a 1 percent sales tax hike to fund infrastructure projects around the region. Darin Givens at ATL Urbanist was curious about what approval of the measure would mean for biking […]
Parking Madness 2015: Los Angeles vs. Newport News
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Another day, another pair of absolutely terrible urban landscapes. Here’s the second match-up in the Parking Madness 2015 tournament, following yesterday’s drubbing of Mobile by Camden. Today’s competition pits a giant metropolis against a small city on the Mid-Atlantic coast: Los Angeles vs. Newport News, Virginia. Los Angeles This entry comes to us via an anonymous commenter, who says, […]
The Promise of Tech-Enabled “Microtransit”
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The enormous commercial success of startups like Uber and Lyft is just the beginning of how transportation services can be enhanced by mobile technology, writes Lisa Nisenson at Strong Towns. There’s a whole range of needs that a new generation of transit services can meet, lessening dependence on private cars. In between ride-hailing services like Uber and […]