National News
As the House Transportation Bill Languishes, There’s Still Time to ‘Fix It First’
Huffington Post- February 22, 2012, Geoffrey Anderson
Americans are ready for an economically sound, people-friendly, and bipartisan transportation bill. Current revisions should restore guaranteed funding for public transportation, put more emphasis on bridge and road repair, reinstate measures that provide funding to pedestrian and bicycling safety programs, and put transportation first (meaning no partisan add-ons).
Taking heat on gas prices, Obama to defend energy policy but offer ‘no quick fixes’
Washington Post- February 23, 2012
President Obama will take the stage at the University of Miami on Thursday to defend his energy policy at a time when gas prices are on the rise, Republicans are blaming him for it and even some Democrats are pressing him to take stronger action to protect consumers.
Analysis: Can U.S. economy withstand gasoline price curse?
Reuters- February 23, 2012
Could history repeat itself? That is a question uppermost in the minds of many Americans as they warily watch gasoline prices at the pump rise week after week.
The new transportation bill will only make a bad situation worse
The Hill- February 21, 2012
As introduced, HR 7, the American Energy and Infrastructure Jobs Act, is so ill-conceived and poorly crafted there is little support for it — even from within Republican ranks.
Distressed Properties Help Boost U.S. Home Sales: Economy
Bloomberg- February 22, 2012
Sales of previously owned U.S. homes rose in January to the highest level since May 2010 as investors took advantage of lower prices to buy distressed properties.
Are Huge Houses Really Going Out of Style?
The Atlantic Cities- February 22, 2012
It hasn’t happened, at least not yet. And it probably won’t as long as lenders keep a tight grip on their wallets, according to figures reported recently at the annual convention of the National Association of Home Builders in Orlando. Through the first half of last year, the typical single-family house measured 2,522 square feet, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. That’s 141 square feet larger than the 2,381 square feet recorded in 2010. And it’s 18 square feet larger than the record 2,504 square feet counted in 2007.
State and Local
As gas prices soar, Californians test life above the $4-a-gallon mark
Christian Science Monitor- February 22, 2012
For the moment, the average price of self-serve regular in the nation’s most populous state is 31 cents per gallon higher ($3.83) than the national average ($3.52), according to the California Energy Commission. But from Feb. 8 to 15, the price Californians paid already topped $4.10. The result is impacting people and businesses in the Golden State in profound ways.
Chevy Chase Residents Push for Connecticut Avenue Crosswalk
The Huffington Post- February 22, 2012
Chevy Chase wants new crosswalk, but it would take 2 yrs and $200,000.
Rahm Emanuel: Chicago Coal Plants Must Clean Up, Activists Call For Their Closure
Huffington Post- February 22, 2012
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has put Chicago’s two coal power plants on warning: Either present a plan to clean up their pollution or risk being shut down by the city within the next two years.
Right Stuff: The $3 billion transit boondoggle
The Capital- February 21, 2012
Supporters of public transit received a double whammy last month. The Silver Spring transit center was put on hold indefinitely, and new estimates for the proposed Purple Line light rail cast doubt on the project’s cost.
Transit plan a hard sell in Knightdale
Eastern Wake News- February 22, 2012
Half-cent sales tax increase wouldn’t bring rail service.
Will Green Area Ratio green DC or just hinder urban living?
Greater Greater Washington- February 15, 2012
Washington, DC may adopt a “Green Area Ratio” requirement for multi-family and commercial buildings in its new zoning code. It’s an attempt to promote sustainable practices in large projects, but its ultimate effect might just be to make environmentally friendly urban living more expensive with limited actual benefits.
New Report Examines Viability of Future Funding for Urban Parks and Recreation
Bradenton Herald- February 21, 2012
The report, written by noted author and urban planner William Fulton, analyzes discussion from a recent roundtable of national experts including park directors, mayors, and urban planners who examined the role and impact of parks and recreation in America’s cities, counties and urban metropolitan areas as these traditional public services continue to face financial constraints and an ever-changing social landscape of contemporary America.
Pasco County Commission’s urban designation decision spoils smart growth plan
Tampa Bay Times- February 23, 2012
Tuesday, Pasco Commissioner Pat Mulieri led a three-person commission majority that voted to expand the county’s urban market. The maneuver gives a financial break to property owners and future developers within the zone, allowing them to escape more expensive mobility fees tied to suburban areas. It’s an ill-advised giveaway that undermines the commission’s strategy to guide more intensive growth into the county’s southern and western corridors.
