"Transit group loses bid to join lawsuit against ORBP" [leoweekly.com]

"Unlikely Allies" [leoweekly.com]

UPDATE: Postponed by Senator Jim Bunning!

Mark your calendars for this important public participation opportunity! KIPDA conducts periodic performance reviews of their transportation planning department, and in the past these federal reports have been helpful in nudging the agency in the right direction.

The U.S. Department of Transportation is seeking public input during the federal review of the metropolitan transportation planning process for the Louisville Metropolitan Planning Area that takes place once every four years. A public meeting will be held on March 9, 2010 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the South Louisville Community Center, 2911 Taylor Blvd., in Louisville.

Here is a map. The TARC #29 goes right by, and the ultra-frequent #4 comes within a seven minute walk.

FHWA's Traffic Volume Trends for March is out. It paints a staggering picture of how American drivers are reacting to gas prices:

Key quote: "Travel on all roads and streets changed by -4.3 percent for March 2008 as compared with March 2007."

Enlarge Graph
Moving 12-Month Total on ALL Roads:
Annual Vehicle-Distance Traveled
versus year
(graph is not zero-indexed)

This is staggering news: according to data supplied by the FHWA, the long, steady growth in vehicle miles traveled has ended. We have hit the point where fuel prices have knocked out our growing traffic demand.

All transportation plans assuming a steady growth in highway traffic need to be re-examined.

Source: FHWA February 2008 Traffic Volume Trends Report (the graph is page 9 of 10 on the PDF).

UPDATE: With some digging, I was able to find what this metric looked like during the 1979 "oil shock". However, the 1979 shock was temporary. There is no reason that oil prices will retreat like they did in the 1980s. Click here for the graph at FHWA.

UPDATE #2: To understand why high oil prices are here to stay, check out Oil Officials See Limit Looming on Production (WSJ, Nov 19th, 2007, Page 1, Column A) (google around a bit for a version not behind their paywall).

UPDATE #3: Businessweek - Not Guzzling Quite So Much Gas.

UPDATE #4: a forum comment at The Oil Drum explains the price elasticity of gasoline, & gets to the heart of the matter.

the Earth Day issue

• Call to Action on Climate Change
• Metro Council to Consider Light Rail!!!
• Louisville Metro Planning a Pedestrian Forum
• Kentucky Planning Bicycle and Pedestrian Conference
• Getting to the Future by Rail
• FHWA to Portland: Put Cars First
• Drivecam Reduces Risky Behavior Among Teen Drivers
• Santa Barbara's Approach to Housing
• World's Largest Bus unveiled