Cities worldwide are reimagining their relationship with cars

The New York Times | Somini Sengupta, Nadja Popovich, and Tim Peacock Cities worldwide are reimagining their relationship with cars At a time when most of humanity lives in cities, where do cars belong — especially the old, polluting ones that make city air foul for people to breathe? That question has vexed city officials across the world. Many are …

Five Lessons From Seattle’s Crusade Against Driving: Seattle saw solo commuting drop 8.9 percent between 2010 and 2018, the highest levels in the nation.

By Aaron Short, Nov 25, 2019, StreetsBlog Seattle commuters are putting their faith in transit even as residents in other parts of the state passed a ballot measure earlier this month that could cut billions of dollars in transportation funds. The number of people driving solo to work in Seattle fell from 53 percent in 2010 to only 44 percent in 2018 — …

21st Century Urban Mobility: ID a champion and make the value proposition around why changes in the built environment can help to drive prosperity

In order to decarbonize the urban environment, we must change not only how we get around cities, but also how cities themselves are planned. “There are small changes that cities can make,” he says. “The first thing is a need to identify a champion that is going to really believe in this work. You need to make the value proposition …

How Will the Growing Popularity of Telecommuting Impact Public Transit?

With more people working remotely, some experts speculate that transportation systems could feel the effects.BY MIKE MACIAG, GOVERNING / NOVEMBER 1, 2017 SHUTTERSTOCK Americans haven’t really altered their commuting habits all that much recently, at least not nationally. The Census Bureau’s latest estimates find that the vast majority of workers — 76 percent — drove alone to work last year, the same …

Low-Carbon Cities Are a $24 Trillion Opportunity

Researchers found that investing in 16 low-carbon measures in cities could cut global urban emissions by 90% by 2050 and has a net present value of almost $24 trillion, equivalent to nearly one-third of the global GDP in 2018. This means that between now and 2050, the total benefits of these investments will exceed their total costs by almost $24 …

Transitions that work: The principles include strong governmental support, dedicated funding streams, strong and diverse coalitions, and economic diversification

The principles include strong governmental support, dedicated funding streams, strong and diverse coalitions, and economic diversification. The case of Tonawanda, New York, where the coal-fired power plant shut down, highlights how many of these principles work in practice. There, a diverse coalition, including the Kenmore Teachers Association, the Western New York Area Labor Federation, the United Steelworkers of America, Tonawanda, …

Household debt is now $869 billion higher than the $12.68 trillion peak it hit in 2008: Raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour, canceling most student loan debts, offering free public higher education, and making child care affordable would help

Excerpt from Common Dreams, July 2019 “Warning Lights Are Flashing” “The country’s economic foundation is fragile. A single shock could bring it all down,” Elizabeth Warren wrote recently. “And the Trump administration’s reckless behavior is increasing the odds of just such a shock.” Among the potential triggers she laid out is the level of household debt. Warren referenced recent data …

Labor supports a just transition to a greener, fairer economy

A greener economy can be a fairer economy too, says the Trades Union Congress. The TUC has published A just transition to a greener, fairer economy – a roadmap to meeting the needs of working people in the transition to a low-carbon economy. The launch event included speakers such as the Shadow Environment Secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey and Deputy Chair of the Committee on …

Distributed renewables and storage ‘very competitive on a price perspective with the bigger front-of-the-meter batteries’ to replace peaker plants

Whereas the 20-megawatt battery will literally replace the peaker turbines, the Sunrun deal will provide 2 megawatt-hours of energy storage (500 kilowatts with 4-hour duration) scattered throughout the service territory, but with an emphasis on West Oakland. The contract stipulates that Sunrun will pay prevailing wages to install the equipment on low-income single-family and multifamily homes within Alameda County. Instead …