WIRED - Gallery: The World's Most Impressive Subwaysphoto of DC Subway by flickr user JerryHayesAustin, although DC was not included in WIRED's gallery. … [Read more...]
Happy 125th, Chicago’s L
Stephen Smith at rationalitate picked up on a Wired article and posted Thomas Edison builds the first el: today is 125th anniversary of the debut of Thomas Edison's elevated electric railway demonstration in Chicago. The project was financed with $2 million in private funds, through the … [Read more...]
Mixed Incentives and the True Costs of Driving
From the Freakonomic Blog - Mixed Messages on Auto Use: We wrote not long ago about the various negative externalities produced by driving — congestion, pollution, accident risk, etc. — and how pay-as-you-drive insurance might help impose the true cost of driving on each driver. ...And here’s … [Read more...]
Market Incentives to Conserve Resources
The economics blog, Knowledge Problem on how prices effect individuals incentive to conserve: Conservation of resources: Prices change everything Steven Stoft, at the EU Energy Policy Blog, observes that market driven conservation is a slow process:Conservation is the main way consumers respond … [Read more...]
“Green” Parking Garage in Chicago. Oxymoron?
Developer, Al Friedman plans to build a "green" parking garage in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood, where development has replaced many surface lots. (Crain's)Environmentally speaking, it's probably better than a surface lot and frees up more space for productive development. But, can the … [Read more...]
$12.8b Bid for PA Turnpike
From Toll Road News: With a bid of $12.8 billion an Abertis/Citi team has been selected as the concessionaire in a 75 year lease of the Pennsylvania Turnpike. The bids were received in a second round of best-&-final offer bids last Friday (May 16). #2 bidder was Transurban/Goldman Sachs at … [Read more...]
The Great Depression and America’s Addiction to Government Roads and Oil
One of my favorite new blogs, Rationalitate brought up a topic that I have spent much time thinking about, The Great Depression and Public Roads: In a time before the widespread adoption of income and sales taxes, property taxes made up the lion's share of local government revenues: two-thirds of … [Read more...]
How McCain or Obama Can Permanently Eliminate the Gas Tax, Cut Pork and Help the Environment
John McCain and Hillary Clinton have both supported the idea of a "Gas Tax Holiday". The whole idea of a Holy Day to celebrate the worship of socialized transportation catered by Santa Clinton/McCain seems pretty absurd to me. Nonetheless, they expect pandering to gas-addicted voters to pay off in … [Read more...]