Tag Archives: City Lab

Increase gas taxes to improve our heavily subsidized road network

Photographer - Tom Saunders, VDOT

Traffic Backup on I-95 North at the Intersection with the Downtown Expressway in Richmond. Photographer – Tom Saunders, VDOT

I bike to save money. I bike to save the environment. I bike to improve my health. I also bike to stay away from my car and as often as I can, I look for ways to avoid motorized vehicles when walking, biking or even paddling could get the job done just as well.

Despite the many flaws with cars, they are not my enemy, but I sure do love avoiding them. Read this well-written lede into this article, from the CityLab: Continue reading

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Filed under My life

Counting what you can’t see: Downsides of Data-Based Transportation Planning

Richmond Rides bike tour in Church Hill.

I am a transportation planner. My job is primarily focused on bike and pedestrian planning, which I love. But planners cannot wave a magic wand to create the infrastructure needed to better accommodate those modes of transit.

Planning requires data and information to quantify projects. Everything costs money and elected or appointed officials are not likely to blindly approve projects because somebody wants them built. But how do you best account for pedestrians and cyclists? Continue reading

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Filed under Urban Planning