National

Bike Score is here!
Walk Score- May 15, 2012
Just in time for Bike to Work Week, we are thrilled to launch Bike Score and our first ranking of the most bikeable U.S. cities.

Follow Chicago’s example: Invest in infrastructure
Politico- May 13, 2012
On the day I announced the Building a New Chicago plan to create 30,000 jobs and invest $7.3 billion in our city’s infrastructure, Congress passed its tenth 90-day extension of the highway bill. It hasn’t passed one since 2005.

In good news for Obama, housing markets improve in key states
Reuters- May 14, 2012
(Reuters) – Kathleen and Brett Sache are building a six-bedroom, six-bathroom home of their dreams in a sought-after corner of northern Virginia after taking encouragement from a robust local market.

Golden age of public transit
Atlantic Journal-Constitution- May 14, 2012
Transit enthusiast Taras Grescoe, 45, has never owned a car. “I was always trying to make a life without a car,” says the veteran travel writer, who lives in Montreal. “It’s a challenge and it makes you look at things differently.”

National

The week ahead: Highway talks move behind the scenes
The Hill- May 14, 2012
Negotiations in Congress about a new federal transportation bill will move from committee rooms to behind the scenes as lawmakers in the House and Senate continue talks about a possible deal.

Transit groups win award for ad featuring Reagan, Bill Clinton
Politico- May 11, 2012
A pair of Washington-based transportation lobbying groups has won an advertising award for its campaign featuring former Presidents Reagan and Clinton.

Opinion: Too little is spent on transportation
Politico- May 13, 2012
It’s impossible to envision the United States without its transportation system. George Washington knew we needed a “smooth way” — a road connecting Eastern cities with Western territories if our nation was to survive.

What Killing the American Community Survey Would Actually Mean
The Atlantic Cities- May 11, 2012
So the Republican-led House of Representatives this week voted 232-190 to eliminate the American Community Survey, the annual survey of about 3 million randomly chosen U.S. households that’s like the Census only much more detailed. It collects demographic details such as what sort of fuel a household uses for heating, the cost of rent or mortgage payments, and what time residents leave home to go to work.

National

Transportation bill plays the waiting game
Politico- May 11, 2012
THE WAITING GAME: With the first formal conference meeting out of the way, the transportation bill is moving …slowly. Staff and members haven’t yet scheduled any meetings — public or private — two House conferees told MT yesterday. “We’re waiting for schedules now,” T&I freshman and conferee Richard Hanna told MT. “As far as I know, everything everywhere is up in the air.”

How Millennials Are Saving the Economy
The Fiscal Times- May 10, 2012
John T. Rogers, age 26, grew up in rural West Texas, raised by a single mother who often worked three jobs to make ends meet. He says his 59-year-old mother remains fiscally conservative, refusing to spend a dime on herself, though she now earns a respectable income.

Are Americans Driving Less Because They’re Working Less?
DC Streetsblog- May 10, 2012
Everyone’s trying to figure out why, after decades of consistent growth, the amount Americans drive is leveling off and even declining. The decline started during the recession, to be sure, but was more dramatic than in previous recessions. As the economy began to get back on its feet, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) just barely ticked upward — and then fell again.

At the 20th Congress for the New Urbanism, a Movement Feels its Age
The Atlantic Cities- May 10, 2012
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The season, as it’s known, ended in April, leaving Lily Pulitzer-clad stragglers shopping for sunglasses on Worth Avenue and ordering the steak au poivre at Flagler’s. Until this week, when the stomping grounds of the Kennedys, Donald Trump, and Rod Stewart are descended upon by an entirely different brand of aging rocker: the New Urbanist.

National

Gas prices fall and Obama gets a boost
Politico- May 9, 2012
Gasoline prices are no longer headed for $5 a gallon, but that doesn’t mean Republicans plan to stop using them to attack President Barack Obama.

Pro-Bike Group: Four out of Five Americans Want $$ For Biking & Walking
Transportation Nation- May 9, 2012
You always have to be a little leery when a group supporting a particular outcome puts out a poll showing support of that outcome, but an America Bikes poll being released today shows pretty lopsided results: a plurality (47%) of Americans wants more funding for bike and pedestrian programs, and when you add in those who believe existing funding should be maintained, four out of five Americans in all categories support maintaining or increasing funding. — Republican, Democrat, Independent, rural, urban, suburban, young old, etc.

For public transit, the recession’s still not over
Washington Post- May 9, 2012
Public transportation in the United States has faced a perverse situation these past few years. Thanks to high gas prices, more and more Americans are riding buses and trains. But thanks to budget crunches, transit agencies are actually cutting services at the exact same moment.

Transportation Hurdles Keep Many With Disabilities Homebound
Disability Scoop- May 9, 2012
Transportation is a major obstacle for people with disabilities, with more than 500,000 never leaving their homes simply because they lack a way to get around, according to a new report.

Why city mayors are a sustainability director’s new best friends
Greenbiz- May 7, 2012
As a temporary London resident in the run-up to the just-completed mayoral election, I was intrigued by the platforms (and I must admit, the mudslinging) of each of the vying candidates, seeing the obvious parallels to hotly contested races in the U.S.

Is Your Commute Killing You?
US News- May 8, 2012
People with long commutes are likely to experience a myriad of health problems, according to a new study

Highway conference gets off to slow start
The Hill- May 8, 2012
The committee of lawmakers appointed to negotiate a new federal highway bill met for the first time Tuesday, with members of the panel pledging bipartisanship but not straying far from their party’s starting lines.