Freeways

Bridging the Divide

Posted by Eric ⋅ 14 April 2009 ⋅ 34 Comments

When Octavia Boulevard opened in 2005, it became an urbanist case study, joining The Embarcadero as another shining example of how removing key segments of freeway can breathe new life into once-blighted urban neighborhoods. Empty lots along Octavia are still undeveloped, so Hayes Valley is a work in progress; and the intersection of Market & … Continue reading →

Shifting Funds, Shifty Priorities

Posted by Eric ⋅ 26 March 2009 ⋅ 9 Comments

First, A Few Numbers (and Acronyms) Regular readers may recall our previous discussion of Transportation 2035, the latest update to MTC’s ongoing efforts on the Regional Transportation Plan. Earlier this year, we wrote a special feature that describes the multifaceted plan, fleshing out how MTC has proposed to allocate $226 billion of local, state, and … Continue reading →

Menu for the Bay Area Transportation Stimulus

Posted by Eric ⋅ 9 February 2009 ⋅ 4 Comments

Although we have yet to see a fully reconciled stimulus bill to come from Congress and President Obama, agencies across the nation are eagerly putting together their wish lists for how to spend their portion of the $800 billion-plus stimulus pie. Here in the Bay Area, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission has released a draft (PDF) … Continue reading →

CEQA Terminator

Posted by Eric ⋅ 31 December 2008 ⋅ 1 Comment

Courtesy of the Guardian. Two weeks ago, legislature Democrats approved a plan to address California’s budget woes through June 2010, accounting for $18 billion of the anticipated $41.6 billion shortfall. The plan included $7.3 billion of cuts and and $9.3 billion of general fund revenue — but $5.7 billion of that would be sourced from … Continue reading →

Can MTC Take the Heat? Redux

Posted by Eric ⋅ 6 October 2008 ⋅ 8 Comments

Remember this past summer, when we ruminated about the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s ongoing update to the Regional Transportation Plan (Transportation 2035)? Remember when we were peeved by MTC’s unwillingness to heed the sage advice of the Advisory Council, the body that encouraged MTC to reevaluate $191 billion worth of “committed” projects, including several billion dollars … Continue reading →

Freeway Revolts of the Future

Posted by Eric ⋅ 23 September 2008 ⋅ 14 Comments

The Congress for the New Urbanism has issued a list of the top ten freeways in the United States whose demolition, as CNU has aptly phrased it, would “stimulate valuable revitalization by replacing aging urban highways with boulevards.” These are the freeways on the list: 1. Alaskan Way Viaduct, Seattle, WA 2. Sheridan Expressway, Bronx, … Continue reading →

Can MTC Take the Heat?

Posted by Eric ⋅ 29 July 2008 ⋅ 6 Comments

We have discussed here before, or at least introduced, the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Transportation 2035 Plan, which is the latest update to the Regional Transportation Plan. The RTP provides a strategy for how to use the $223 billion of transportation funding that MTC expects will become available to the Bay Area over the next 25 … Continue reading →

Just Say No to Roads

Posted by Eric ⋅ 14 July 2008 ⋅ 7 Comments

Suppose you expect to have a generous chunk of cash at your disposal — to the tune of over 200 billion dollars — and suppose that you rule over a congestion-prone corner of the world where over 80% of trips are made in an automobile, and where transportation is responsible for a full 50% of … Continue reading →

Time Capsule at the Transbay Terminal

Posted by Eric ⋅ 5 October 2007 ⋅ 3 Comments

The Transbay Terminal, dark and uninviting though it may be, is downtown San Francisco’s hub for regional bus lines that connect the city to the counties lying east, south, and north. Many Muni buses also terminate at Transbay, and the terminal is just a short walk from a slew of other bus and train lines … Continue reading →