Does “Induced Demand” Also Apply to Subway Capacity?
by Judd WileyAugust 8th, 2008, 5:23 pm
One of our readers, Eric W, brought up a very interesting point the other day. We hear a lot about the "induced demand" hypothesis - If you expand road capacity, more people will use these roads, which will become more congested. This ... more
Posted in Highways, Light Rail, Mass Transit, Subways | 9 Comments »
Traffic Congestion Costs Chicago $7.3 Billion Per Year
by Judd WileyAugust 6th, 2008, 3:22 pm
Chicago loses $7.3 billion each year in time, fuel, productivity, and environmental damage due to traffic congestion, according to a new study by the Metropolitan Planning Council. The breakdown is as follows: $6.98 billion in lost time $354 million in wasted gas, based ... more
Posted in Highways, Traffic Congestion | 10 Comments »
More Gas Tax Revenue Problems
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 29th, 2008, 11:31 pm
The hits just keep coming as the New York Times reports today that Department of Transportation Secretary, Mary Peters, proposed borrowing from the Federal Highway Trust Fund’s Mass Transit account to pay for unfinished road projects. Gasoline tax revenue is falling ... more
Posted in Car Taxes, Gas Taxes, Highways, Mass Transit, Spending, Tax Increases, Uncategorized Rage | 11 Comments »
Shock Report: 25 Percent of U.S. Bridges Rated “Deficient”
by Judd WileyJuly 28th, 2008, 10:10 pm
Next time you’re considering driving over some massive bridge, think about the following: Within the next 15 years almost half of U.S. bridges will exceed 50 years of age, exceeding the life span for which they were designed. Even now, ... more
Posted in Bridges, Highways, Spending | 18 Comments »
Falling Gas Tax Revenues = Bad For Mass Transit
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 28th, 2008, 9:56 pm
Uh oh! Last week, I mentioned that taking cars off the roads will only hurt mass transit. Today, The Wall Street Journal confirms my sentiments. The first sentence of this article says it all: An unprecedented cutback in driving is slashing the ... more
Posted in Congestion Pricing, Gas Prices, Gas Taxes, Highways, Mass Transit, Tax Increases, Uncategorized Rage | 13 Comments »
Who Pays Their Own Way in New York?
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 26th, 2008, 11:37 pm
We often hear that automobiles are heavily subsidized. We hear that there are far more expenditures for automobiles than revenues derived from their use. This argument is typically used to advance pro-bike and pro-mass transit agendas. We hear, without much evidence, ... more
Posted in Bicycles, Car Taxes, Highways, Mass Transit, Spending, Subways, Tax Increases, Uncategorized Rage | 5 Comments »
Good Morning America Delivers Giant Fluffball on Carpooling
by Judd WileyJuly 25th, 2008, 6:22 pm
This week, ABC News’ Good Morning America wraps up its "Carpool Challenge." The network has been following four carpooling “teams” from some company called Pitney Bowes in Stamford, Connecticut. The idea is to show GMA viewers that – yes! – ... more
Posted in Car Pool Lanes, Highways, Spending, Traffic Congestion | 5 Comments »
New York MTA Hurt by Rising Fuel Costs
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 23rd, 2008, 5:11 pm
Today, Streetsblog commented on the way rising fuel costs and declining revenues are contributing to a $900 million budget shortfall with New York’s MTA. Writer Ben Fried points to possible solutions: In the face of these numbers, why are Paterson and Bloomberg ... more
Posted in Bridges, Congestion Pricing, Fines, Gas Taxes, Highways, Mass Transit, Spending | 13 Comments »
Drinking With Bob on Rubbernecking
by Judd WileyJuly 22nd, 2008, 3:18 am
Watch more of Drinking With Bob’s rants on YouTube and DrinkingWithBob.com. more
Posted in Highways, Traffic Accidents, Traffic Congestion | No Comments »
Nation’s Parkways Stressed Under Increased Traffic
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 16th, 2008, 8:08 pm
CNN reports that parkways nationwide are experiencing heavy traffic volumes and finding themselves unable to cope. These highways often cannot simply be widened without destroying some of the scenic beauty and landmarks that they were built to showcase. Around the country, ... more
Posted in Highways, Mass Transit, NIMBY, Traffic Congestion | 3 Comments »
Washington DC Wages War on Commuters
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 9th, 2008, 11:28 pm
Mayor Fenty’s administration has recently been increasing punitive measures against cars in a misguided attempt to relieve DC’s horrible traffic congestion. Washington DC has the 4th worst traffic congestion in the nation, and the city has been instituting various measures ... more
Posted in Bicycle Lanes, Bicycles, Buses, Car Taxes, Congestion Pricing, Environmentalism, Fines, Highways, Mass Transit, NIMBY, Parking Meters, Red-Light Cameras, Traffic Congestion, Uncategorized Rage | 1 Comment »
Washington DC Streetcar Proposal
by Lewis DerkinsJuly 8th, 2008, 9:52 pm
Today on the Metro, I was reading my copy of the Washington Post Express when the following quote jumped out at me: “getting streetcars…is the single most important issue in DC transportation planning, so we’re writing to Councilman [Graham] for answers.” This ... more
Posted in Bicycle Lanes, Bridges, Highways, Light Rail, Mass Transit, Politics, Spending, Subways | 10 Comments »
Drinking With Bob on Selfish Idiots Who Park on the Highway to Watch 4th of July Fireworks
by Judd WileyJuly 8th, 2008, 8:30 pm
Bob is livid: "How about next Saturday, I pack a picnic lunch, drive to the Long Island Expressway, park in the freaking middle lane, and start eating!" Watch more of Drinking With Bob’s rants on YouTube and DrinkingWithBob.com. We’ll be checking in ... more
Posted in Highways, Traffic Congestion, Uncategorized Rage | No Comments »
Congestion and Induced Demand: A Real Economist’s Take
by Alvin MacIntoshJuly 8th, 2008, 5:06 pm
From time to time at Commuter Outrage, we like to go back to our roots to find the genesis of our outrage: Congestion. Judd argued last month that California has failed miserably to match transportation infrastructure development with population growth. ... more
Posted in Highways, Traffic Congestion | 6 Comments »
John Warner Fan of Repeating History, Knee-Jerk Reactions
by Alvin MacIntoshJuly 7th, 2008, 9:07 pm
As America took a break from the hard work that makes it the largest, most successful economy in human history in order to celebrate the 232nd anniversary of the declaration of its independence, the senior senator from Virginia, John Warner, ... more
Posted in Congress, Gas Prices, Highways, Politics, Speed Limit | No Comments »
