Month: November 2019
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The shaky argument for the Columbia River Crossing
Despite claims from Oregon DOT officials, the only published seismic studies suggest the I-5 bridges will survive a Cascadia earthquake. It’s far from clear that spending billions to replace this bridges is a good investment to protect lives and the economy By Robert Liberty City Observatory is pleased to publish this guest commentary from Robert…
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Why Cyber-Monday doesn’t mean delivery gridlock Tuesday?
Far from increasing traffic congestion, more on-line shopping reduces it, by reducing personal shopping trips Delivery trucks generate 30 times less travel than people traveling to stores to make the same purchases The more deliveries they make, the more efficient delivery services become December first is famously “Cyber-Monday,” the day on which the nation’s consumers…
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The Week Observed, November 22, 2019
What City Observatory did this week 1. No Deposit, No Return: Another lie to try and sell the $3 billion Columbia River Crossing. The state’s of Oregon and Washington spent nearly $200 million planning the failed Columbia River Crossing, a 12-lane, five mile long freeway project connecting Portland and Vancouver, Washington. The two states walked…
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Want more housing? Build a landlord.
If we’re going to have a lot more missing middle housing; we’re also going to have a lot more landlords Accessory dwellings, duplexes, triplexes and fourplexes are suited to “mom-and-pop” landlords, but tough tenants rights requirements may discourage many homeowners from creating more housing. By Ethan Seltzer City Observatory is pleased to feature this guest…
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No deposit, no return: Another lie to sell the Columbia River Crossing
State DOT’s are using a false claim about financial liability to revive the Columbia River Crossing folly There’s no requirement to repay $140 million in federal funds, if states choose the “No-Build” option The Oregon and Washington department’s of transportation have a scary argument for reviving the failed $3 billion Columbia River Crossing project. They’re…
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The Week Observed, November 15, 2019
What City Observatory did this week 1. Copenhagen’s cycling success hinges on tax policy and pricing, not just bike lanes. The New York Times offers up yet another postcard view of cycling in Copenhagen, where riding a bike to school or work is the most common mode of transportation. The Times reports that this is…
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The city as labor saving device
Great cities, especially ones with dense, walkable mixed use neighborhoods are an economic boon to households because they save the precious commodity of time Labor-saving devices and economic welfare Stories of economic progress appropriately revolve around major technological breakthroughs. There’s little question that the advent of steam, the harnessing of electricity, and the development of…
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Carmaggedon does a no-show in Seattle, again
Once again, Carmaggedon doesn’t materialize; this time when Seattle started asking motorists to pay a portion of the cost of their new highway tunnel Initial returns suggest that tolling reduced congestion by reducing the overall volume of traffic in downtown Seattle The most favored mythology of traffic reporters and highway departments is the notion of…
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Copenhagen’s cycling success: Make cars pay their way, not just bike lanes
Promoting biking requires ending the big, hidden subsidies to car ownership and use It easy to be in love with cycling in Copenhagen. Bikes are the mode of transport most favored for trips to work and school by local residents. American’s traveling to the Danish capital are always blown away by how well the system…
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The Week Observed, November 8, 2019
What City Observatory did this week A two cent solution to climate change? Around the world, plastic bags are an environmental scourge, both in the form a litter (a nuisance) and as a threat to wildlife. In response, many cities have implemented plastic bag fees, asking consumers to pay a nickel or more per bag.…
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Climate Change: A 2-cent solution
Let’s put a price on using the atmosphere as a garbage dump for carbon It works for plastic bags; let’s use the same idea for carbon Consider the plastic bag: It’s a highly visible environmental problem, one that we all encounter. Around the world, retailers routinely provide shoppers with “free” plastic bags to carry home…
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The Week Observed, November 1, 2019
What City Observatory did this week 1. Tim Bartik explains business incentives. States and cities spend about $50 billion a year on tax breaks and other incentives to try to influence business location decisions. The nation’s leading scholar on the subject, Upjohn Institute’s Tim Bartik, has a new book explaining succinctly and in non-technical terms…