Stories worth reading – July 2, 2015

Here are a few curated stories we’re reading and talking about this week:

First, last week was a busy week in Congress. Did you catch these stories on the T4A blog?

Join us for the third online discussion of the Innovative MPO on July 8th
From the T4A blog
With your guidebook now in hand, join us next Wednesday (July 8) for our third online discussion on the content of the guidebook. This time out, we’ll be focusing on a range of tools and techniques that MPOs can use to get to or stay on the leading edge of smart transportation planning in regions small and large.

Farewell from a smart growth communications veteran
From the T4A blog
Our friend and colleague David Goldberg, who was the founding communications director for Smart Growth America in 2002 and helped get Transportation for America off the ground in 2008-2009 as communications director, says goodbye.

Three changes could dramatically improve the Senate’s draft transportation bill
From the T4A blog
Giving local communities of all sizes the resources they need to realize their ambitious plans to stay economically competitive should be a primary goal of this bill, and several Senators have prepared several amendments to help change that.

Senate Committee rolls forward with speedy markup of six-year transportation bill
From the T4A blog
One thing was abundantly clear from the beginning of this morning’s committee markup of the DRIVE Act: the EPW Committee members are eager to get their portion of the bill completed and moved forward as soon as possible.

Congress kicks into high gear on transportation — let’s summarize the action
From the T4A blog
During an extremely busy week in Congress in several key committees, a long-term transportation bill and a multi-year passenger rail authorization were introduced and passed committees, along with hearings on possible ways to keep our nation’s transportation fund afloat, rural transportation issues, rail safety, and autonomous vehicles.

Compromise in Washington State clears the way for a transportation funding package
From the T4A blog
The deal looked almost dead last week, but a last-ditch compromise could give Seattle-area residents a little more control over their transportation future.

Other Headlines

Cities are realizing why Complete Streets are good for their economies and for safety [featuring SGA’s own Complete Streets coalition]
Washington Post
Nationwide, government leaders are reconsidering decades-old policies that have prioritized car traffic. Instead of making streets fast, they want to make them welcoming — to kids on tricycles, seniors with canes and everyone in between.

Uber buys mapping assets from Microsoft Bing
ZDNet
For Uber, the deal is not surprising. The unicorn startup has honed in on other mapping technologies in the past and has made no secret of its ambitions to move beyond being a mere on-demand car service.

[Related] Bill Gates Thinks Uber Has the Best Shot at Self-driving Cars
Time
Gates said a real tipping point for change in driving will come from self-driving cars, calling it “the real rubicon.” And Uber is primed to take the lead, he added.

Senate Environment and Public Works Committee Misses an Opportunity for Reform
Center For American Progress
While the DRIVE Act would deliver desperately needed infrastructure funding, the bill represents a missed opportunity to provide balanced investment to expand safe, affordable, and efficient alternatives to driving.

A vision of high-speed rail in America: Time for a national conversation?
Brookings
The vision is compelling because high-speed rail can help merge key urban hubs in America, creating the possibility of a new type of megalopolis that other modes of transportation are unable to support – and will serve as a new foundation for growth in the future.

Urban transit systems struggle to keep pace as demand grows
SFGate/Associated Press
Urban planners have long considered public transportation the best remedy for traffic congestion, but many of the nation’s largest mass-transit systems simply aren’t up to the task.

Study: UTA rail projects helped fuel economic growth
The Salt Lake Tribune
Mass transit may aim mostly to move people efficiently and reduce traffic congestion and pollution. But a new study looking at Utah says rail expansion also attracted plenty of firms and development that created hundreds of jobs.

As Part Of Multibillion-Dollar Package For Roads, Hogan Says ‘Yes’ To Purple Line
WAMU
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan announced a major shift in state transportation spending to prioritize the maintenance and expansion of roads and bridges over investment in mass transit projects.