More than 50,000 barrels of oil per day continues to gush into the Gulf of Mexico as of this writing (the range of estimates run from a low of British Petroleum‘s 5,000 barrels per day to a high of 100,000 barrels per day). By any measure, it is destined to surpass the Exxon Valdez accident as the largest and worst oil spill in our nation’s history.

Two Michigan cities recently took concrete steps toward making their towns more pedestrian- and bike-friendly.

Lists of reasons to support policies making it easy to walk, bike and connect seamlessly with public transit read like a too-good-to-be-true advertising gimmick: save money, burn less gas, spew less pollution, revitalize core cities, get in better shape, curb obesity and make our streets safer.

If Complete Streets in Michigan were just about bicycle riders, it would just be another small interest group lobbying in its own self-interest.

City-to-city passenger railroad service in Michigan may become the bright spot in the state’s transportation system.

Sky-high gasoline prices may have a silver lining as mass transit proposals see a resurgence in public interest. Reports throughout the summer indicate that vehicle miles traveled dropped significantly in Michigan and nationally, while ridership of busses, trains and commuter pools is on the rise. The Michigan Environmental Council (MEC) continues to monitor and work as a catalyst for several transit alternatives. This article provides updates on recent progress, complete with a thicket of acronyms!

Roads built and improved with federal funds would be required to serve everyone using the roadway, including pedestrians, people on bicycles or those catching the bus, as well as those with disabilities under proposed federal legislation.

A Detroit-to-Ann Arbor commuter rail line planned for 2010 already has cities lining up for the economic development benefits that mass transit provides.

Tim Fischer recalls looking beyond the trusses of a home his construction company was building in North Carolina, and seeing 500-home subdivisions sprouting in valleys a half-hour drive from any other sign of civilization.

Years of studying rapid transit between Detroit and Ann Arbor may bear fruit this year. The Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) is proposing a trial commuter train service that could start up within the year and connect to Oakland County as well.