The American Dream Communicator
The most comprehensive digest of news & commentary about urban policy in America’s cities.
Save the Date
June 10-12, 2010 – The 8th Annual Preserving the American Dream Conference, Orlando, Florida
Mobility & Transportation
Federal dollars for federal roads – Robert Poole, Washington Times
Highway policy: confliction and confusion – Fleet Owner
New Scorecard Reinforces Density-Traffic Congestion Nexus – Wendell Cox, New Geography
Bonus: Sydney: Choking in its Own Density
LaHood Faces Off With GOP Senator Over High-Speed Rail, Livability – D.C. Streetsblog
Improving Virginia’s Transportation System – Ron Utt, Tertium Quids
Porsche unveils ‘green’ supercar for petrol-heads – The Local, Germany
Are Today’s Cars Too Smart for Their Own Good? – AOL News
It’s the Traffic, Stupid – New York Times
City of Jacksonville to consider mobility fees – Daily Record, Florida
Austin reached 4th highest traffic congestion without high population density – C.O.S.T., Texas
Bellevue drops Mercer Slough light-rail route – Seattle Times
Thousands a month spent on security for light rail cars – WVEC.com, Virginia
Pandemonium at MTA Hearing in Brooklyn, 4 Arrests – Gothamist, New York
FTA delivers scathing report on safety of D.C. Metro – Washington Post
Latest attempt to reform San Francisco’s Muni – San Francisco Chronicle
Man Rescued Along Light Rail Tracks – KPHO-5, Arizona
Pedestrian killed by VTA light rail vehicle – ABC-7, San Jose, California
Summary of MAX Rail Fatalities – PortlandFacts.com
Housing & Land Use
Why weren’t there housing bubbles everywhere? – Thomas Sowell, Union Leader
The End of Sprawl As We Know It…NOT – Sam Staley, Planetizen
The Great Transit Oriented Development Swindle – Fog City Journal, San Francisco
Montgomery renters often priced out of homes, report says – Washington Post
Smart Growth Caused the Bubble – Big Sky Business Journal
Suburban Design: Square Peg In A Round Hole – Rick Harrison, New Geography
Developers Blast Growth Plan Changes, Want Lower Fees – Bartow Ledger, Florida
Price of Progress: Local TIF districts have their skeptics, advocates – Courier Press, Illinois
Are TIFs a slush fund or a good tool? – State Journal-Register, Illinois
Will tiny town’s residents be left on the hook for loan? – TwinCities.com, Minnesota
VA Senate committee kills ‘emergency’ eminent domain bill – Washington Examiner
Farmers ‘shortchanged’ by White Flint plan, groups say – Washington Post
White House land grab – Jim Demint, Washington Times
Freedom & Grassroots
Decentralize The Government – Joel Kotkin, Forbes.com
Anti-Smart Growth Governor Wins Primary – Ed Braddy, New Geography
The ‘green movement’ can become a servant or a dictator – Randy Bright, Tulsa Beacon
Perry win in Texas is one for tolls, P3s – Toll Road News
“Light Rail Is A Dinosaur, It’s Completely Useless” – Innovational Musings
Failing to walk the walk – Emily Goldman, Washington Post
Not So Sustainable
Muni Fail – SF Weekly
Stimulus Money Alone Won’t Save Public Transit – KCBS.com, California
Fiscal woes at T roll on for another year – Boston Globe
Despite cash infusion, MBTA faces $73 million shortfall – Statehouse News Service
Surprise! Your water bill pays for more than water – KATU.com, Portland
NJ Transit announces emergency spending freeze, 200 job cuts – NJ.com
High Speed Rail
Wisconsin’s High-Cost, Low-Speed Rail – The Antiplanner
California’s high speed rail dream – CNN Money
Some fear California’s high-speed rail won’t deliver on early promises – L.A. Times
State analysts question huge HSR funding request – Silicon Valley Mercury News
Heated debate over high-speed train station in Burbank – Examiner.com, California
WFTV In Spain: What Jobs Will Rail Bring? – WFTV.com, Florida
Growth Management Globally
Britons turn to renting rather than owning – Financial Times, UK
Demand but no supply as prices head north – Sydney Morning Herald, Australia
Paris mayor cracks down on second homes – Times Online, UK
As SNCF Loses Its Public Focus, the Future of French Rail is in Question – Transport Politic
Munich Tops Europe Transit Study – Wall Street Journal
Across the Tracks
Raising the gas tax might be the only way to wean Americans off oil – Washington Post
Mass Transit is As American as Apple Pie – Matt Yglesias
Riding the bus changes her view – L.A. Times
Rail is Virginia’s transportation future, officials say – Richmond Times-Dispatch
Housing bust exposes the cost of unplanned growth – Minnesota Public Radio
Use ‘smart growth’ guidance to steer traffic plans in Central Louisiana – Town Talk
Eyes Only: How to not repeat past mistakes – Naple News, Florida
It takes more than stores to build a winning town center – Washington Post
Vibrant Urbanism
Light rail freeloaders, beware – KTAR.com, Arizona
Private Police Officers Use Force On Charlotte Light Rail – WSOC-TV, North Carolina
Ladies of the light rail – News Review, Sacramento
Beats Digging Ditches
New Hampton Roads Transit chief makes $40,000 a month – Daily Press, Virginia
Charrette it – City Pulse, Michigan
Oldies but Goodies
Iron-Horse Stampede – Wall Street Journal
Studebaker 1953-54 “Loewy Coupes” – Car Lust
Community Dissonance
+ “A new survey shows that 83% of people think HSR and mass transit should be getting more money.” Source
+ “72 percent of Americans say it is important to use public transportation or carpool, but only 10 percent say they ‘often’ or ‘always’ do.” Source
Notable Quotables
“I like Montgomery, but Montgomery now is very expensive. Maybe only rich people can stay in this area.” Dalila Bounou, on the escalating cost of housing in Maryland’s Smart Growth-friendly county.
“They’ve done something that’s actually a miracle. When have I ever seen a bureaucrat put the brakes on a highly juiced project?” David Schonbrunn, on the decision of the Federal Transportation Administration’s decision to halt a subway line and prove it wreck its broader transit network.
“The 1980s were probably a high point for the block, when it had more than 40 antique dealers. That was also before the light rail began service down Howard Street, which made it more difficult for people to get there by car and park.” Comment on the decline of a Baltimore neighborhood after light rail service began in the area.
* Come across a good quote? Send it to me at ed@americandreamcoalition.org. Check for past quotations in our Communicators on our website here.
** Check out Interviews with the Experts for the latest commentary on trends taking place in cities all across America. **
Be sure to visit our ADC News Blog and our main website for our latest publications. Share this ADC Communicator with your friends and colleagues, and please consider joining the ADC and help us spread the word about freedom at the local level. Markets, not mandates, for people who are free!
