John LattaRoadbuildingLet’s Mess with TaxesSomething had to give. People want better roads and less congestion. So politicians promise to deliver. But people don’t want to pay more for their better roads. So politicians promise to deliver them at no extra cost. Result: stalemate, with deteriorating roads and increasing congestion. Around and around we go, stuck uncomfortably between Scylla and […]April 9, 2013RoadbuildingDOTs and the Walkin’ BluesDoes your DOT’s building fit comfortably into a neighborhood where all forms of transport, including walking, are equally catered to? If not (and cars rule the block), does this reflect a bias among DOT folk toward the automobile? The Project for Public Spaces located DOT headquarters across the country and then went to Walkscore, which […]April 8, 2013RoadbuildingThe Man Who Slides BridgesAny story is valuable if it can show us how to do our work better. And especially when that work is big, massively expensive, part of our daily lives and paid for by tax dollars. For example, an old bridge that serves as a temporary route while the new bridge is being built. Better Roads […]April 8, 2013RoadbuildingThe Northeast’s trains of tomorrowAmid all the hot air and bluster that are much of the debate on the future of rail today, here comes something interesting – a more detailed plan of action for the Northeast Corridor (NEC). Not only a plan, but something of an insight into how thinking at the highest planning levels might turn into […]April 7, 2013RoadbuildingThe fuel tax heist: Robbing Peter Highway to pay Paul Non-HighwayHere comes another one. A state politician – this time it’s Oregon Democratic Representative Jules Bailey – who sees money raised by fuel taxes as a sort of cookie jar he can raid to buy stuff he likes. But the jar the money goes into is a Highway Trust Fund, and the money in that […]April 4, 2013RoadbuildingNOLA and the reimagining of I-10It would seem to be a given that Americans reinvent themselves and their surroundings faster than anybody else. Many roads that helped build and make cities, sit today amid changed and changing landscapes. And that offers a chance to find a new way to look at the relationship between the road and the people who […]April 4, 2013RoadbuildingThe transportation infrastructure debate: it’s not us versus themI suspect we will be reading/hearing/seeing a lot more of these Op-Ed pieces. As New Jersey works to untangle a chaotic Interstate interchange with a massive construction project, transit proponents say the work is basically a waste, or at least a woefully inefficient use, of a billion dollars. Their voice this time is the Philadelphia […]April 3, 2013RoadbuildingWaiting for DiMaggioIs the automobile over? Scary thought if fuel taxes continue to be the single biggest contributor to our transportation infrastructure funding structure. And they’re not my words; it’s a headline from Motor Trend magazine last fall. I’m resurrecting this oldie here as part of an effort to look ahead to the coming reauthorization debate/fracas. Because […]April 3, 2013RoadbuildingAnd the Idaho road you drove in onIdaho will now let extra-heavy trucks roam the state’s non-freeway routes. State Governor Otter has signed legislation approving the monster trucks, according to The Spokesman-Review. He’s tossed a couple of caveats into the decisions, but nevertheless trucks closing in on 130,000 pounds can now use roads beyond their previously designated routes. As you might expect, […]April 3, 2013RoadbuildingA Million BicyclesWe know Portland is out there. It’s a city with a lot of new stuff going on and a lot of stereotype-bending and mold-breaking when it comes to lifestyle and living. And so, of course, it has a leadership role in the resurgence of bikes as a mainstream form of transportation. We knew that. But […]April 2, 2013Previous PagePage 10 of 43Next PageTop StoriesWheel LoadersLiebherr Debuts World's First Large Wheel Loader with a Hydrogen EngineThe L 566 H's hydrogen reciprocating piston engine is the "optimal power source" for larger equipment, offering comparable performance to diesel, Liebherr says.DozersHyundai Breaks into the Dozer Market with HD100The DirtTest Run & Review: The Market's First Electric Mini Excavator, JCB’s 19C-1ECompact equipmentTakeuchi's TCR50-2 Crawler Dumper is Coming to North AmericaCompact Track Loaders“There’s Something for Everyone” – Compact Track Loaders Continue to Evolve