NY Governor Andrew Cuomo’s decision to sign complete streets legislation is a step forward for pedestrian safety, though a Times report out of Orlando yesterday illustrates how much further we have to go. The status-quo for most people on foot or on bike around the country is woefully unsafe and insufficient, though perhaps nowhere more so than in Florida.

Jackson, Mississippi Credit: Dr. Scott Crawford. This week’s release of Dangerous by Design has prompted several newspapers to editorialize in favor of tough pedestrian safety measures that address the urgency of the 47,000 killed and 688,000 injured on unsafe streets between 2000 and 2009. The report generated ample coverage in Florida, home to the nation’s four [...]

Originally uploaded by pgengler to Flickr. The New York Times resolutely defended high-speed rail in an editorial this morning, characterizing the elimination of remaining funds for the program this fiscal year as “harebrained.” The budget deal reached by the White House and Congress zeroed-out the $1 billion allocated for high-speed rail in fiscal year 2011 [...]

A TIGER grant in Orlando, Florida will help extend a popular circulator bus transit service into a historically underserved neighborhood, connecting more residents to jobs and opportunities and helping to bridge the divide in the city caused by Interstate 4.

This week’s issue of TIME Magazine topped off three weeks of nationwide coverage of Transportation for America’s Dangerous by Design report ranking communities according to the risk for pedestrians. The excellent TIME piece opens with the tragic story of Ashley Nicole Valdes, “a smart, pretty 11-year-old girl” who was killed while crossing the street in Miami earlier this year and became “a heart-wrenching symbol of South Florida’s notoriously reckless car culture.”

It is always gratifying to see change happen, especially when change happens fast. This week, within a day of the release of the Dangerous by Design report which showed the four most dangerous cities for pedestrians were in Florida, a key region in Florida had adopted one of the report’s recommendations and the campaign’s key platforms.

With revenue for federal transportation falling fast, lawmakers face a major challenges in funding the next transportation bill. (The Hill) The New York Times reviews a new book on how cyclists are altering the landscape of American cities. Southern Florida’s Tri-Rail system faces major cuts and the possibility of being completely shut down by 2011. [...]

For bus riders in Gainesville, Florida, bad news comes in pairs — the regional transit authority is planning on raising fares while reducing service on some routes and eliminating others. (Independent Florida Alligator — Zahara Zahav)

Without access to adequate public transportation, seniors in central Florida are in desperate need of help to get them to doctor visits, grocery stores, and social outings. (East Orlando Sun — Jennifer Knight-Ari)

Buyers “easing back” into the real estate market in Florida, but commute time becoming a big factor for many potential buyers. (Miami Herald — Monica Hatcher and Monika Leal)