Useful history on US housing and economy from the great depression since to today’s deeply messed up housing and economic structure. Also the US housing market can be fixed through local measures. Cities have taken the first step to loosen zoning laws; financing remains a challenge.
housing is one of those intimately important matters to an economy’s good function and one intimately tied to modernity’s carbon foot print. It’s everything to do with health and well-being.
"Here’s the key: state and federal governments will pay cities all day and every day to make bad financial decisions and transactions that are not in the broad financial interest of their own residents. They have lots of programs to do this, highway expansions being just one of them."
Also....I guess the #StrongTowns people, like the #StreetsblogNYC are still waiting for last call at the N*zi bar.
#Washington is planning a #RoadUsageCharge (#RUC). The main driver for this seems to be that WA is mostly funding its road maintenance from the gas tax and that is projected to fall significantly, ostensibly due to EVs ("from $1.3 billion in 2026 to under $1 billion in 2035" - https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2023/10/11/washingtons-long-road-to-replacing-the-gas-tax/). I understand that the migration to EVs causes revenue loss that needs to be addressed but I'm very skeptical that an RUC can be implemented in a reasonable way.
Going down the rabbit hole... Looks like WSP Global - a Canadian consulting company https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WSP_Global - is pushing #RUC across the US and many DOTs are buying into it. Seems like something #StrongTowns should have on their radar but I could not find them commenting on it.
Urbanists and cyclists 🚴♂️ in Naugatuck Valley #Connecticut are encouraged to complete an online survey examining habits, preferences, and challenges to walking/rolling and cycling in the community.
Senate Bill 52 in #Indiana has passed the Senate and is moving to the House. The bill will temporarily ban any dedicated lanes, specifically bus only lanes, from being constructed, and it will ban the no right turn on red signs in downtown #Indianapolis. This bill will increase congestion, increase #pedestrian fatalities, and undermine local governments' power. All for the misguided idea of improving traffic flow.
#Urbanists in Rush County #Indiana are encouraged to provide early public comment on the county’s Comprehensive Plan, which will guide future land use and #transportation development, at two in-person meetings Jan. 24.
“Meddling” was due to diplomatic, military, & economic interests.
After WWII, Rand Corp, w/ other think tanks, was commissioned to find root causes that resulted in American casualties in foreign conflicts going back to the Philippines, and what conditions would need to avoid / minimize them in future.
Conclusion: as long as Karen in the ‘burbs had access to cheap gas, she’d condone all domestic/int’l violence in her name.
On traffic engineers sabotaging cities that want to improve safety:
"There can be only one agenda... There are many great engineers out there ready to prioritize public safety... Any city council wanting to can find these people, empower them, and support them so that they can do great things."
Confessions of a Recovering Engineer: Transportation for a Strong Town. Charles Marohn.
#PublicTransit advocates in #Indiana are urged to contact their state legislators to oppose SB 52, which would prohibit turning existing car lanes into bus-only lanes.
Proposed bills in #Indiana would make dedicated #bus lanes illegal and remove many of #indianapolis's no right turn on red signs installed to help improve #pedestrian#safety.