Category Archives: Government Reform

Government Reform

MOVING BEYOND CAR LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS): Measurable and Meaningful Criteria for Transportation Investments, Project Designs, and Development Mitigation (revised)

Posted on June 30, 2014 by Steve Miller

Scaled from A to F like an elementary school report card, automobile Level of Service (LOS) metrics are easy to measure and easy to understand. LOS is, essentially, the average amount of delay compared to a “free-flowing” road where everyone is moving at full design-speed – congestion! It is a powerful indicator: it has a […] Continue reading →

Posted in Climate/Energy/Environment, CREATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE, Government Reform, MassHighway/DOT, news, Project Management, Road Design | Comments Off on MOVING BEYOND CAR LEVEL OF SERVICE (LOS): Measurable and Meaningful Criteria for Transportation Investments, Project Designs, and Development Mitigation (revised)

A NOTE FOR THE NEXT GOVERNOR: Travel is the Least Important Thing about Transportation

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Steve Miller

Congratulations on your election. As you know, that was the easy part!   Here’s something waiting for you: our transportation system is in crisis. We can’t seem to generate the political will needed to raise the money required to upgrade our decayed rails, roads, bridges, and sidewalks to meet the needs of today – much less […] Continue reading →

Posted in CREATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE, Government Reform, news, Road Design, safety | Comments Off on A NOTE FOR THE NEXT GOVERNOR: Travel is the Least Important Thing about Transportation

STEERING THE ORGANIZATION: Using Decision-Point Criteria to Achieve Goals

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Steve Miller

MassDOT is legitimately proud of its progressive policies about creating a sustainable, multi-modal transportation system.  But the transfer from policy to facts on the ground has been very uneven and incomplete.  This isn’t surprising:  as with many other endeavors, road construction is a complex and multi-player process with gridlock and human life at stake.  It’s […] Continue reading →

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EFFECTIVE AND DEMOCRATIC CITY (AND TRANSPORTATION) PLANNING: Neither Top-Down nor Bottom-Up Is Enough

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Steve Miller

The Human Scale is a wonderful movie based on the powerful insights and work of progressive urban planner, Jan Gehl; it’s now available in CD format.  Everyone who loves cities should see it.  In potently visual scenes, the film lays out his critique of today’s automobile-focused high-rise urban design, the dangers of top-down authoritarian planning […] Continue reading →

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EFFECTIVE AND DEMOCRATIC CITY (AND TRANSPORTATION) PLANNING: Neither Top-Down nor Bottom-Up Is Enough

Posted on March 11, 2014 by Steve Miller

The Human Scale is a wonderful movie based on the powerful insights and work of progressive urban planner, Jan Gehl; it’s now available in CD format.  Everyone who loves cities should see it.  In potently visual scenes, the film lays out his critique of today’s automobile-focused high-rise urban design, the dangers of top-down authoritarian planning […] Continue reading →

Posted in advocacy, Commentary & Analysis, CREATING SUSTAINABLE CHANGE, Government Reform, MassHighway/DOT | Comments Off on EFFECTIVE AND DEMOCRATIC CITY (AND TRANSPORTATION) PLANNING: Neither Top-Down nor Bottom-Up Is Enough

GETTING MORE EGGS FROM THE GOLDEN GOOSE: “Nobody in this Country got Rich on their Own.”

Posted on February 11, 2014 by Steve Miller

It takes resources to run a city. Of course, the most important resource is people: the capabilities and creativity of its work force, the strength and resiliency of its families and neighborhoods, the civic engagement of its residents – and if Mayor Walsh is really smart he will find many ways to encourage city volunteerism […] Continue reading →

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SMART CITIES, POWER POLITICS, & QUALITY OF LIFE: Technology and What It’s Used For

Posted on January 16, 2014 by Steve Miller

Techno-utopians.  It wasn’t long ago that we were being told that digital Information and Communication Technologies would solve nearly every problem and transform the world in wonderful ways, small and big.  Cars would be routed around congestion; government would more accurately chart population needs. Although there were some efforts to broaden the scope of “smart” […] Continue reading →

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LEGACY TIME: Styles and Strategies for the Political Administration End Game

Posted on October 21, 2013 by Steve Miller

Tom Menino’s tenure is now measured in weeks.  Deval Patrick is entering the monthly count-down period.  But neither of them has left yet.  And until they do, advocates (and everyone else) seeking to advance their issues will have to deal with how these elected executives and their administrations function during their lame duck days — […] Continue reading →

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THE ART OF TRANSPORTATION (AND URBAN) PLANNING: Going Beyond the Technical Specs

Posted on October 1, 2013 by Steve Miller

It is through our built environment that we shape ourselves and the world.  Living, working, and moving around in dysfunctional, cramped, unsafe, polluted, or just ugly places not only affects our mood and health but also our relations with those around us and the natural environment.   The need to maximize the positive impact of our […] Continue reading →

Posted in Government Reform, news, Project Management, Public Health, Road Design, ROAD DESIGN AND MODE CHANGE | Comments Off on THE ART OF TRANSPORTATION (AND URBAN) PLANNING: Going Beyond the Technical Specs