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Saturday July 4, 2009

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Transportation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Road…Less Traveled: An Analysis of Vehicle Miles Traveled Trends in the U.S.

Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer, December 16, 2008, The Brookings Institution

Nevada, Idaho and Colorado lead the way in ending car dependence, according to a first-ever ranking, as do the metro areas around Austin, Indianapolis and Atlanta. A new Brookings report by Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer shows that other modes of transit grow in popularity, even as gas prices drop, suggesting a need for dramatic shifts in the way we fund transportation, build our communities and address greenhouse gas emissions. Read More

Transportation, Federalism, Highways, Traffic, Environment

PAST EVENT

Save to My PortfolioRoundtable Discussion: Road-use Pricing

Thursday, June 25, 2009
10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC

Severe congestion and underfunded public transportation systems in the Washington, D.C. region and nationwide call for a more sustainable way of pricing transportation. To help inform the policy debate on transportation financing and traffic management, Greater Washington Research at Brookings hosted a roundtable bringing together experts from the policy, planning, advocacy, and development community. Read More

Transportation, Traffic, Highways, Washington DC

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioRoad-use Pricing: How Would You Like to Spend Less Time in Traffic?

Alice M. Rivlin and Benjamin Orr, June 25, 2009, The Brookings Institution

New analysis by Greater Washington Research at Brookings, reviews traffic congestion and transportation financing in the Washington, D.C. region and nationwide; suggesting that the national capital region should serve as an example of what sustainable transportation policy looks like. Read More

Traffic, Transportation, Highways, Washington DC

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioCongress Plans a Transportation Overhaul

Robert Puentes, June 19, 2009, The Vine, The New Republic

Federal gas taxes are drying up and the nation’s highway bill is set to expire this fall. In that context, Robert Puentes analyzes the House proposal to revamp U.S. transportation policy and the administration’s call for an 18 month delay to ensure “better investment decisions." Read More

Transportation, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Congress, Cities, Highways

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioJoining Up Transportation, Housing, and Environmental Policy

Robert Puentes, June 17, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Robert Puentes argues that a new federal interagency partnership, debuted before the Senate this week, could provide the federal leadership necessary for a unified vision of transportation, housing, and environmental policy designed to tackle our interrelated economic, energy, and climate challenges. Read More

Economic Development, Energy Security, Transportation, Environment, Housing

VIDEO

Save to My PortfolioPresident Obama's Plan to Increase Fuel Efficiency Standards

Clifford Winston, May 19, 2009

In proposing higher fuel efficiency standards for new cars, President Obama has intervened in the private sector. Cliff Winston explains how consumer demand alone for fuel efficient cars was clearly not strong enough to drive the market in that direction. But, he warns of such unintended consequences as cars being less safe and driven more.

Auto Industry, Environmental Regulation, Transportation, Energy Security, Environment

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioBudget 2010: Signaling Changes in Federal Transportation Policy

Robert Puentes, May 13, 2009, The Brookings Institution

Budget 2010: Signaling Changes in Federal Transportation PolicyRobert Puentes discusses how President Obama’s FY 2010 budget holds the baseline on transportation infrastructure spending with slight increases at the modal agencies at the U.S. Department of Transportation. Read More

Federal Budget, Metropolitan Recovery and Spending Priorities, Transportation, Economic Mobility, U.S. Department of Transportation

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioRoad-use Fees Could Solve Our Transit Woes

Alice M. Rivlin and Benjamin Orr, May 01, 2009, Washington Business Journal

Alice Rivlin and Benjamin Orr urge the Washington region to implement an innovative road-use pricing program of charging by vehicle type, miles traveled, and traffic conditions. This will, in turn, lead the nation toward less congestion and a more sustainable method of financing transportation infrastructure. Read More

Transportation, Traffic, Washington DC

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioThe Metropolitan Transportation Authority is Not Alone in its Financial Struggles

Robert Puentes and Emilia Istrate, April 24, 2009, Newsday

Transit agencies across the United States are facing service cutbacks and fare increases in order to close their budget gaps. The largest, New York’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), is no exception. Robert Puentes and Emilia Istrate offer recommendations for closing the MTA’s budget gap. Read More

Transportation, Cities, Community Development, Development, First Suburbs

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioTransportation and Climate Change: The Perfect Storm

Robert Puentes, April 21, 2009, The Brookings Institution

According to Robert Puentes, transportation is an area that is crucial to both economic growth and environmental sustainability. The link between transportation and climate change is making it imperative that we find new ways to think about transportation policy, especially in our nation's metropolitan areas. Read More

Transportation, Climate Change, Global Warming

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioMaking Transportation Sustainable: Insights from Germany

Ralph Buehler, John Pucher and Uwe Kunert, April 16, 2009, The Brookings Institution

To help improve the energy efficiency and overall environmental sustainability of the U.S. transportation system, we will need to adopt policies that foster changes in the way Americans travel. In a new report Brookings researchers find that Germany may offer valuable lessons. Like the United States, Germany is a federal republic but it has taken impressive steps to improve transportation options, link transportation planning to land use, and advance other reforms – all while empowering metropolitan action. Read More

Transportation, Sustainable Development, Federalism

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioMetro Potential in ARRA: An Early Assessment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Mark Muro, Jennifer Bradley, Alan Berube, Robert Puentes, Sarah Rahman and Andrew Reamer, March 30, 2009, The Brookings Institution

America’s national economic crisis is also a metropolitan crisis, because metropolitan areas are the true engines of the national economy. So it matters intensely how well the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) empowers metropolitan leaders to boost prosperity. This paper finds that although ARRA is limited in its support for creative metropolitan-area implementation, it delivers critical investments in what matters to metros and holds out significant opportunity for metropolitan empowerment and problem-solving. Read More

U.S. Economic Stimulus, Metropolitan Recovery and Spending Priorities, Federal Budget, Fiscal Policy, Economic Development

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioCreating Livable Communities: Housing and Transit Policy in the 21st Century

Robert Puentes, March 26, 2009, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs

Before a special session of the Senate Banking Committee, Robert Puentes discussed the coordination of transportation and housing policy and its role in developing livable communities. Among others things, he stressed the need for the federal government to assist states and metropolitan areas in one of their hardest tasks: transcending the stovepiping of disparate programs that remains a serious cause of undesirable development outcomes. Read More

Transportation, Housing, U.S. Department of Transportation, Cities, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSupporting Integrated Planning and Decision Making by Joining Up Housing and Transportation

Robert Puentes, March 19, 2009, House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, and Related Agencies

Testifying before a House Appropriations subcommittee, Robert Puentes examined the linkages between housing and transportation, calling for increased awareness of these connections and a federal policy that simultaneously promotes the economic vitality and environmental quality of metropolitan areas. Read More

Transportation, Cities, Housing, U.S. Economy

RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

Save to My PortfolioSacramento's Transit-Oriented Development Plan a Model for the Nation

Christopher B. Leinberger, March 18, 2009, The Sacramento Bee

Chris Leinberger argues that Sacramento, the capital of one of the most hard-pressed states in the country, is an evolving model of development for metropolitan America. Read More

Transportation, Housing, Competitiveness, Cities, Walkable Urbanism

In Brief

Highway, rail and aviation systems are vital to the national and global economy. They move our citizens and our products and they make us more productive – but they can also contribute to sprawl, air pollution and global warming. Brookings experts look at how to most productively invest in our transportation infrastructure.

Featured Experts

Robert Puentes

Robert Puentes

Senior Fellow, Metropolitan Policy Program

Robert Puentes focuses on the broad array of policies and issues related to metropolitan growth and development. He is an expert on transportation and infrastructure, urban planning, growth management, suburban issues and housing.
Read More

Bruce Katz

Bruce Katz

Vice President and Director, Metropolitan Policy Program
The Adeline M. and Alfred I. Johnson Chair in Urban and Metropolitan Policy

Bruce Katz, vice president and founding director of the Metropolitan Policy Program, regularly advises national, state, regional and municipal leaders on policy reforms that advance the competitiveness of metropolitan areas.
Read More

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