Category: Transportation Economics

  • Dutch Move to VMT Tax

    Via the Streetsblog network. The Dutch cabinet has agreed to reduce vehicle ownership taxes and impose a new tax based on kilometers driven (complete with GPS tracking – privacy protections are promised). The new tax will be higher during peak driving hours. The government is predicting reductions in both emissions and congestion.

  • Economic Value of Walkability

    Portland State University Center for Transportation Studies Fall 2009 Transportation Seminar Series Speaker: Joe Cortright, Vice President/Economist, Impresa, Inc. Topic: Economic Value of Walkability When: Friday, Oct 23, 2009, 12:00 – 1:00pm Where: PSU Urban Center Building, SW 6th and Mill, Room 204

  • Applying Metcalfe’s Law to Transit

    In the Sunday O, Dylan Rivera’s article about the imminent Green Line opening notes that each time a new MAX line opens, overall ridership on MAX goes up by more than the ridership of the new line: For example, the Red Line, opened in 2001, initially connected downtown Portland to the airport. So when TriMet…

  • Walk Score Improves Your Home Value

    An interesting corollary to the last post is that there is now evidence that homes with a greater range of services in walking distance fetch higher prices.

  • Updated: Last Best Chance for Transit in Stimulus

    Update: 7:18pm – Apparently this will go to a floor vote in the house tomorrow. 1000 Friends has published a local alert: Friends and Allies, Please take action now to help secure increased funding for public transit. We’ve just been informed that Congressmen Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Peter DeFazio (D-OR) have introduced an amendment to…