Transportation
On Transit Policy, City Leaders Have More Power Than They Think
State and federal policies often get in the way of transportation planning, but they don’t have to. A new field guide shows how cities can take charge.
This post is part of a CityLab series on power—the political kind, the stuff inside batteries and gas tanks, and the transformative might of mass movements.
Installing dedicated bus lanes, building pedestrian-friendly streets, and reaching Vision Zero; it’s the kind of talk that tickles the urbanist’s fancy. But it takes so much to implement even the smallest of transit improvements that it’s easy for mayors and other city officials to avoid it all, afraid that they’re at the mercy of state and federal governments.