Today’s Headlines

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  • How the Energy Corridor Will Make the Widest Freeway in the World More Ped/Bike Friendly (Chron)
  • An In-Depth Look at the Storm That Will Destroy Houston, and What’s Being Done (Not Much) (Atlantic)
  • Four People Killed, Including Two Young Children at 290 High-Frequency Crash Location (KXAN)
  • More Fatal Crashes in Texas This Weekend (ABC13, MySA)
  • Turner Picks Carrin Patman to Serve as First Female Chair of METRO (Houston Chronicle)
  • Why Austin City Council’s Recent Rulings to Oppose Density Promote Segregation (Medium)
  • Woodlands Drops Transit Center Plan, Forfeits $3.6M Grant (Chron)
  • 15-Person ‘Beer Bikes’ Could Be Coming to the Streets of San Antonio (News4SA)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

via Street Smart

The Story of Walking in US Cities, in One Chart

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The above chart comes from the annual Biking & Walking Benchmarking Report.  Measuring biking and walking isn’t mere do-gooderism. It’s economics.  Biking and walking are the most energy and in-turn cost efficient way to move around (provided the short trip is even possible) for both the public sector (infrastructure) and private (transportation).  The short trip […]
via Street Smart

9 Minutes on the Emotion of Cities

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Last night I had the pleasure of speaking at Life in Deep Ellum as they hosted a local Q Commons event.  The theme was connectivity and community.  As something I know a little bit about I was happy to have a go at the Pecha Kucha meets TED talk format. Given that I had 9 minutes flat and my penchants for wordiness, I had to develop a new strategy to deliver the message.  Rather than data, research, analysis, and theory I had to go in a different direction:  emotion.  Not only did I need to emote and evoke emotion, but it hit me that I could explore a topic that I haven't had much of a chance to expound upon ever since a tweet-storm stream of conscience some 4-5 years ago about the emotional design of cities.

Today’s Headlines

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  • Rural Landowners Sue TXDOT and Paxton for Info on Houston-Dallas Bullet Train (Tribune)
  • Austin City Council Opposes Affordability, Closes ‘Loophole’ for Development of Smaller Lots (Statesman)
  • Capitol Says SH130 Shows Toll Roads Don’t Relieve Congestion, But Bankruptcy Due to Low Traffic (TPR)
  • Man Killed in Multi-Car Hit-and-Run While Trying to Check on Broken Car (Morning News)
  • Citizens Call for Higher Frequency, Expanded Bus Service at VIA Route-Change Meeting (Rivard Report)
  • Spot Opens Up on DART Board as Strauss Resigns (Morning News)
  • Photo Montage of Austin’s Exploding Urbanism, February Edition
  • Houston City Council Delays Vote to Determine Houston’s Recycling Program (Houston Public Media)
  • New Report Says Levees More Cost Effective Than Coastal Barrier for Hurricane Protection (GalvNews)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

via Not of it.

Previewing the "Texas Big Six: Make No Small Plans" Event #TXB6

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The American Planning Association’s Texas Chapter will host “The Texas Big Six: Make No Small Plans” workshop on Friday, March 4th at the Texas State Capitol Building in Austin, Texas. Texas is channeling its inner Daniel Burnham. The Chicago architect responsible for 1909's The Plan of Chicago never uttered the exact words that are the theme of the 2016 Texas Big Six workshop, but the idea sets a guide for the future of the six largest cities in Texas.In 2014 the American Planning Association's Houston Section hosted "The Texas Big Six 2040 - Conversations about Our Future", where the planning directors from Texas' six largest cities (Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio) addressed the major plans, policies, and projects that will shape the livability, resiliency, and competitiveness of these cities and each region's future.The biennial event is back for 2016, with each planning director discussing the “game changers” in their cities and regions that will improve or enhance the transportation, housing, economic development, environment, public health, and culture of their respective cities.  The event is a unique time for planners, engineers, designers, architects and students to openly discuss the major issues of their cities. The conversation that takes place, and the understanding of how other cities in a region or state respond to challenges, is tremendously valuable.A Thursday, March 3, 2016 evening happy hour with workshop attendees will be hosted at III Forks Steakhouse in Austin. Friday, March 4, 2016 will feature the all-day event from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM.The event's keynote speaker is Steve Cover, who serves as the Director of the Department of Community Planning, Housing, and Development in Arlington County, Virginia. Mr. Cover previously served as the Director of Planning and Community and Economic Development for the city of Madison, Wisconsin.As we look forward to the event, it's interesting to know what might be some of the major topics discussed by each planning director, or topics that may be brought up by planners or others at the event. Here's a look at some possible topics: (Graphics are from the event's program.)A few weeks ago Alana Semuels published an article at The Atlantic titled "El Paso's Uphill Battle Against Sprawl". Like other sunbelt cities, El Paso grapples with its sprawl.El Paso is now served by bus rapid transit. We may get an update as to how the region and city are reacting to the BRIO service.When Fort Worth turned down the possibility of a streetcar, the bus service that has followed may not be where residents need it to be.In 2015 Fort Worth signed on to be a part of the Blue Zones Project, aimed to promote healthier lifestyles and increase health of residents. Fort Worth is the largest city to sign on to this initiative.Fort Worth's Mayor, Betsy Price, was featured on Fox Business, highlighting her "rolling town hall meetings", where Price encourages "city residents to participate in their local government while getting active."Austin recently approved changes to the city's accessory dwelling units, opening the possibility to more housing.Austin's rapid growth comes with traffic. And more roads. But is more pavement the answer? Some suggest that there's no place to go but up. Austin's growth and resolve to be one of the most efficient cities in terms of emissions and waste poses a great challenge in the future.Parking minimums in Austin are posing challenges to providing affordable housing, especially for student housing near the University of Texas. Will parking minimums in increasingly urban areas be reassessed?As Austin changes, some are embracing that change, and others oppose it. The YIMBY crowd is growing in Austin.As some in Dallas have fought highway expansion, other parts are preparing for it.While Houston has been celebrated for METRO's New Bus System, others around the country are taking notice, including Dallas.I'm sure parking minimums will be brought up. Dallas and Houston are likely the leading candidates for that topic of discussion.Dallas has boasted an increase in downtown apartment construction, even claiming to out-pace apartment construction in Downtown Houston.San Antonio continues to add residents to its urban core, including affordable, workforce housing. Major developments, like the Pearl Brewery, are boosting tourism.With all this growth, dog parks are inevitable. Residents are crowdfunding to build one in San Antonio's Maverick Park.Will the city's continued annexation policies be something it can afford? The city's police union says the department and the city are not equipped to provide service to an increasingly growing area.As the urban core of San Antonio grows, the city's transit agency, VIA, is looking to change several of its routes, better connecting major destinations.The Great American Cooking Story "explores urban change through the lens of restaurant owners in the heart of neighborhoods that are in varying degrees of revitalization." San Antonio is featured.Plan Houston was recently approved and adopted by Houston City Council. This is the city's first general plan.Houston's METRO agency adopted a new bus network in 2015.  The result was more frequent routes covering a larger portion of the city. The changes have boosted ridership. Nearly 5,000 housing units have been, or are being constructed, in Downtown Houston, largely due to the Downtown Living Initiative. Some challenge that this was an opportunity to add workforce housing in the city.The City of Houston is in the process of finalizing the Houston Bike Plan. A draft plan has been released and is currently seeking public input. It's the city's first bicycle planning activity since 1993. The goal is that “By 2026, the City of Houston will be a Safer, More Accessible, Gold Level Bike-Friendly City”.Texas cities continue to grow, and there's no sign that this growth is going to slow down any time soon. Planners must continue to grow in their knowledge and understanding of cities, and how they might be able to share information that serves other cities. All of our cities have big plans, but sharing our challenges and experiences might be the biggest magic to stir us toward greater city building.Tickets will be available at the event on Friday, March 4th, but attendees may not be guaranteed lunch due to advance catering arrangements. For more information please visit the event's Eventbrite page. The event’s program and agenda can be viewed here.

Today’s Headlines

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  • Texas Trails and Active Transportation Conference Is a Week Away — Mayor Turner to Speak (BikeTexas)
  • Private SH130 Toll Road With 85 MPH Limit Filing for Bankruptcy (Statesman, Tribune, WSJ)
  • Vending Machine Dispensing Cars Now Under Construction on Houston’s Katy Freeway (Swamplot)
  • In Dispute With Dallas, City of Fort Worth Denies Possibility of Vertical Growth (D Magazine)
  • You Can Rent a Bike for SXSW From BikeTexas
  • TXDOT Public Meeting Tonight on I69/610 Interchange Rebuild Project

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

The Complete Case Against Highway Widening

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Detroit in 1949 versus today. Images: AtDetroit.net Michigan DOT wants to spend $1 billion rebuilding and widening I-75 to Detroit’s sprawling northern suburbs, at the expense of the city and close-in suburbs. Royal Oak, a walkable suburb that borders the city, is not having it. The City Council passed a resolution unanimously this week officially opposing the widening [...]

Today’s Headlines

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  • Recurring Nightmare: $1.3B Highway Expansion Will Add More Free Car Lanes (Morning News)
  • Traffic Deaths Jumped More in 2015 Than They Have Since 1966; Texas Leads (Houston Chronicle)
  • CM Shirley Gonzalez: Safe Streets, Vision Zero, and Smart Development for District 5 (Rivard Report)
  • One Person Killed in Crash on Katy Freeway (Chron)
  • Center for Transportation Research Partners With Austin to Analyze Transportation Data (Daily Texan)
  • Last Day to Nominate Someone for the Houston-Galveston Area Council Ped/Bike Subcommittee
  • Public Support Needed by Tomorrow for Shepherd/Durham Bikeways (BikeHouston)
  • New Report Shows Houston Apartment Market Becoming More Affordable (HBJ)

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

Today’s Headlines

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  • TXDOT Has a New Mission & Vision — No Explicit Vision Zero or Mention of Modes, Calls Us “Customers”
  • TTC Approves Temporary Conversion of HOV to HOT Lane in Dallas (Morning News)
  • Dude Who Evicted Jumpoline Creates Company to Bust People Using AirBnB (AustinInno)
  • Is San Antonio VIA’s Pearl, Southtown, Museum Bus Route Proposal Good or Bad? (Express-News)
  • Almost 75% 0f Texans Want to Ban Driving While Using Handheld Devices; 87% Want Txt Ban (TTI)
  • Some Think Keeping 3 Houses on One Side of Street More Important Than Urbanism (Towers, Monitor)
  • School Bus Driver / Mayor Succeeds at Getting Handheld Device Ban for Lake Dallas (LakeCitiesSun)
  • D Magazine Says Dallas City Manager Gonzalez Needs to Go; Some Question the Whole Institution

More headlines at Streetsblog USA

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