Recent Streetsblog NYC posts about Car Culture

Gas Costs More? Fill ’Er Up!

By Sarah Goodyear | May 22, 2007 | 6 Comments

Rising gas prices may be causing a reduction in driving. That makes sense. What doesn’t is the news that in spite of increasing pain at the pump, SUV sales are on the upswing. This, from the San Francisco Chronicle: The numbers for large SUVs rose nearly 6 percent in the first quarter of 2007, and […]

The Car Habit Is Tough to Break

By Sarah Goodyear | May 17, 2007 | 20 Comments

"People are addicted to their cars," said John Street, the Mayor of Philadelphia, at a panel on transport yesterday during the C40 Large Cities Climate Summit. He was identifying what he saw as the major challenge for cities striving to make their transport systems more environmentally sustainable. That remark prompted a comment later from Jim […]

Double-Parking in a Bike Lane? There Isn’t Even a Check Box.

By Aaron Naparstek | May 11, 2007 | 4 Comments

Those of you who are sick of reading about DOT’s plan for Park Slope’s 9th Street and the small but well-organized group of car-owning residents who are opposed to it, will be pleased to know that whole affair may soon be resolved. On Thursday, May 17, the transportation committee of Community Board 6 will take […]

Smoggy China to Observe World Car Free Day

By Jason Varone | May 11, 2007 | 1 Comment

The Financial Times reports that China’s cities will participate in this year’s World Car Free Day. These actions have a measureable effect. A recent study found that when Beijing ordered 800,000 cars off the roads for three days last year, local nitrogen oxide air pollution fell by 40 per cent. More than 100 Chinese cities […]

Swerve and Protect: Boston’s Bicycle Bible

By Jason Varone | May 11, 2007 | 12 Comments

In this month’s issue of the Boston Phoenix, a 20 page supplement called the Bicycle Bible offers advice on bicycle safety and how to stay alive on the streets of Boston. Although there is a nice piece on Boston’s Livable Streets Alliance, the paper may have done more harm than good. With subtitles like "Urban […]

Biofuels, Bus Lanes and Beer

By Brad Aaron | May 9, 2007 | 7 Comments

Beer good, ethanol bad Pledging support for alternate fuel sources may make for feel-good politicking, but "simply" developing a substitute for gasoline could do more harm than good. Instead, a panel of experts said last week, Americans must seriously address their addiction to fossil fuels, along with the built environment that enables it. Moderated by […]

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