Monthly Archives: October 2011

Congestion, Freeways, and Size, Redux

Posted on 2011/10/10 by

As a followup to my previous post about the TTI’s new congestion report, I finally did a multivariate regression analysis, with the dependent variable being cost and the independent variables being size and freeway lane-miles per capita. Such an analysis … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Good/Interesting Studies, Studies, Transportation | 1 Comment

Congestion and Size

Posted on 2011/10/07 by

The Texas Transportation Institute has just released the latest version of its much-criticized Urban Mobility Report. Although the conclusions and recommendations made by the TTI tend to reflect its funding sources (APTA, American Road and Transportation Builders Association), the underlying … Continue reading →

Posted in Cars, Good/Interesting Studies, Studies, Transportation | 23 Comments

Defrauding the Public on European Rail Profits

Posted on 2011/10/05 by

Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) penned an op-ed defending his attempt to strip California high-speed rail of all funding. In the usual litany of complaints about the deficit, he referenced a 2008 study by Amtrak’s Office of Inspector General claiming that … Continue reading →

Posted in Amtrak, High-Speed Rail, Politics and Society, Shoddy Studies, Studies, Transportation | 36 Comments

Aesthetics and Usability

Posted on 2011/10/04 by

New York is spending multiple billions of dollars on two signature projects in Lower Manhattan of which the more expensive (PATH terminal at $3.8 billion) has no transportation benefits and the less expensive (Fulton Street Transit Center at $1.4 billion) … Continue reading →

Posted in Incompetence, Transportation, Urban Design, Urbanism | 50 Comments

Skewed North Shore BRT/LRT Proposal (Hoisted from Comments)

Posted on 2011/10/03 by

The MTA produced an alternatives analysis for transit service on the North Shore of Staten Island. The study contains zingers and various factors making the cost many times higher than it should be, but the agency response to all comments … Continue reading →

Posted in Construction Costs, Incompetence, New York, Shoddy Studies, Studies, Transportation, Urban Transit | 12 Comments