Read the first response to this post at The Road To Ruin. If you can, read the whole thing…. new heavy rail systems appear much less energy-efficient than new bus services, when the energy needed to build roadways and track, the energy needed to manufacture and maintain vehicles, the energy used to heat and light stations, the energy required to drive to stations, and the directness of alternative modes of travel are taken into consideration. … The situation is even worse if high speed rail is considered because of the high quality dedicated track and grade separation that is required. Yet in spite of these obvious facts we still see pressure to increase rail service even when it would result in an overall system degradation of service.Huh. Maybe my desire for light rail really is pie-in-the-sky thinking after all. My question/desire remains however: How can we effectively/efficiently plan for inter-county/city/region transportation without using rail?
Browsing Category Transportation
Smart growth raises housing prices?
Thanks to the Washington Times:Economists increasingly are concluding that the shortage of affordable housing in Washington and other major U.S. cities on the East and West coasts is a result more of man-made restrictions on development than high construction costs or other market forces. “It simply takes too long and is too expensive to move through the development process,” said Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wachovia Securities, pointing at “smart growth, slow growth and no growth” movements in many of the same areas where the population and demand for housing are growing the fastest. The referenced study by the National Bureau of Economic Research remarks:The key underlying reason for rising house prices, though, is supply, according to economists Edward Glaeser, Joseph Gyourko, and Raven Saks…. Local residents — more educated, more affluent — have had a greater ability to block new projects should they be deemed harmful to their own interests, for example to the value of their homes…. 11129).And then, from this week’s C-Ville:In 2001 the County adopted a set of rules for growth-area housing developments called “The Neighborhood Model.â€Â The Neighborhood Model includes a list of 12 so-called New Urbanist principles—rules for building setbacks, sidewalks and parking—that are supposed to make neighborhoods more pedestrian friendly. But the County tends to apply the rules inconsistently, and the resulting Neighborhood Model developments are hardly paragons of progressive design…. The Neighborhood Model clearly needs some tweaking both to protect Albemarle from sprawl and to satisfy developers.
How can we pay for transportation needs?
The Washington Post has an article discussing how localities are preparing for the real estate market downturn:At the same time, officials increasingly are looking at what would happen if the housing market flattens so significantly that it no longer provides enough tax money to underwrite steady growth in spending. Some have instructed their staffs to craft proposed budgets that cap expanded spending. …Despite signs that the market is softening — home sales nationwide slowed more than expected in October, and inventory is at its highest level in 20 years — assessments typically lag behind the business climate. So a downward trend won’t be reflected in the new round of valuations.Yet this article in the DP notes how a a few Delegates are making promises:House Speaker William J…. Wardrup, R-Virginia Beach, told a gathering of Virginia reporters and editors that the House of Delegates will not pass a measure increasing the state gas tax in 2006.”We have to look at other sources of revenue,” Howell said during the Associated Press Day at the Capital annual forum on pending state issues. “I think that’s what the whole discussion is going to be about.”Howell suggested that increased fines for bad drivers could bring in a sustained source of transportation revenue of $400 million or more for each two-year budget cycle and that international investors could provide hundreds of millions of dollars more for purchasing the right to collect tolls on certain highways.$400 million in increased enforcement? Let the police police, don’t make them become de facto tax collectors (probably with quotas too).This is an interesting idea – In Fairfax … For next year’s proposed spending plan limits, he has instructed department heads to “essentially give us the same budget you gave us last year,” meaning no growth, except for pay raises and increases to cover such items as rising health care costs for employees and retirees.Why haven’t they been doing this all along?
Albemarle County BoS meeting … growth issues come to a head
If you are concerned, curious or just feel ignorant about where the Albemarle County growth process/issue, take 30 minutes to listen to this podcast provided by Charlottesville Tomorrow.”If this were my business I would really be worried about being able to continue in business if my suppliers and my end users were not at all happy with the product that we were creating and the process that we were going about doing it.” Ken Boyd”It’s broken” DorrierDennis Rooker defended the Neighborhood Model while affirming that he is “not against looking at it, but …”… His argument that “one or two people” and “six or seven vociferous” opponents doesn’t hold water.The County’s own survey shows that residents are becoming less satisfied with the growth plan. (I said this the other day, but think it needs repeating)The survey indicated continued support for the county’s major growth management policies, with approximately 70% of respondents favoring concentrating development in the urban areas to protect the rural areas, but that percentage showed a significant decline in support from the 2002 survey where almost 80% of respondents said they favored concentrated growth.The public is raising its voice of disapproval with the direction the BoS has been leading the growth process.”It’s not working.” Ken Boyd”It is a fundamental conflict…”The development process needs to be more efficient, more open and better managed…. The BoS needs to plan and implement their plans better…. Don’t plan to raise the population in Crozet to 12,000 people without at least starting road improvements or mass transit. It is irresponsible and an extraordinary disservice to our community and region.
Google and transit
Charlottesville is consistently trying to tie itself to the debatable successes of Portland’s transit programs. Google now is implementing a Google Transit Trip Planner for Portland. Why don’t we see if Google will invest some time and money to implement an efficient transit program in our region from the ground up? They seem to be a fairly successful organization with a decent track record.
Transportation, the MPO and streetcars
Charlottesville Tomorrow has a podcast and report of the Charlottesville-Albemarle Metropolitan Planning Organization’s meeting on 17 November. Who would have thought a year ago that today we would have two podcast producers – Wordcast and CvilleTomorrow?Another nifty item of note is the renewed push for streetcars on West Main Street.The work highlights the integral link between land-use and transportation, by examining how a modern streetcar system could shape development along this central corridor. Also presented is the successful streetcar project in Portland, Ore., and its potential relationship to the Charlottesville Streetcar Initiative. The exhibit will allow Charlottesville residents and leaders to see first hand how these alluring transit systems can provide access, reduce traffic and stimulate transit-oriented development. (Hat tip to Road to Ruin)
ACCT has been working on this for some time…. Property owners via real estate taxes? That would hardly seem fair and equitable. Transportation has been in the news a lot recently – creative, productive community involvement and a search for alternative methods of transportation is a good thing.
Telecommuters, taxes and traffic
Try this – telecommute+CharlottesvilleRecent government studies also underscore telecommuting’s favorable impact on transportation, energy, and environmental goals and the role played by the national information infrastructure (NII) in furthering these outcomes. (source)Telecommuting seems like a good thing, right?Based on research from other private sector and public organization telecommuting experience, benefits to the employee are likely to include increased job satisfaction, reduced commuting time and transportation costs, diminished stress, improved quality of life, and improved family functioning. Societal contributions include environmental and energy conservation, less traffic congestion on area highways, reduced family stress, increased civic involvement in local communities, and improved economic development at local and regional levels.From a housing market point of view, more telecommuters means all of the above including more intellectual capital in the region, higher salaries and a potentially more stable local economy.