Links across the nation (and world): At the extremes

NYC vs. Houston

A graphic by Martha Kang McGill cleverly juxtaposes commute mode shares for various major US cities. Red is driving, dark red carpool, light blue transit, dark blue walking. (Infrastructurist via Planetizen)

Houston vs. NYC

Houston may be the most car-dependent major US city and New York the least, but both are trying to move toward the other. New York’s Planning Department “sabotages sustainability” with its minimum parking requirements, ironically greater near subway stations than farther away (Streetsblog) … Houston’s new mayor, meanwhile, wants to explore making transit free to grow ridership. (Houston Chronicle)

5 cents in Baltimore?

The Baltimore Sun recommends Baltimore enact a 5¢ bag fee identical to DC’s. Other City Council propossals included a 25¢ fee or an outright ban.

Robot turns snow into bricks

Local governments don’t plow sidewalks and bike trails partly because standard snowplows don’t fit and they don’t have smaller equipment. Japanese inventors created a robotic snowplow that also solves the problem of where to put snow by squeezing it into bricks suitable for kids to build igloos with. (Inventors)

Curbing curb cuts in SF

Curb cuts and front-facing garages mar San Francisco’s streetscape, in many blocks on nearly every single row house. That’s bad for pedestrians and removes on-street parking, and some landlords have even evicted lower-income tenants to build garages. The Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance limiting curb cuts, preventing converting residential units into parking, and removing parking minimums in the North Beach and Chinatown neighborhoods. (Transbay Blog)

Mixed-use in Mountain View

Google wants to build denser, mixed-use housing in the sprawling industrial park area of Mountain View, California where its headquarters are located. Not surprisingly, some residents are opposed and environmentalists are supportive. (TechCrunch, Mountain View Voice via Planetizen)

Driverless trains?

Vancouver has trains without drivers.  Vancouver has 5 minute headways late at night.  This is not a coincidence.  However, driverless trains are really expensive. (Human Transit, Michael P)  (Tip: Michael P)