• 500 Square Miles Lost to New Jersey Sprawl Over 20 Years
• Bikestation: Growing US Cycling One Bike Spa at a Time
• Berkeley Rejects BRT, and What It Means for ‘Complete Streets’
• Why Isn’t Traffic Reduction a Top Public Health Concern?
• Sales Tax Hike Could Save Olympia’s Transit System
• Santa Monica Bike Committee Getting The Ball Rolling
• On the 20th Anniversary of ADA, Too Many Streets Remain Inaccessible
• More Space for Parking Than Offices at Boston-Area TOD
…full story

• Senate poised to advance livable communities bill
• Congress’ failure to enact climate legislation makes transportation reform more important than ever
• Today’s Headlines – 7/29/10
• 20 years after the ADA, continuing the fight to improve access for all
• Today’s Headlines – 7/28/10
• America’s transit systems require $77.7 billion just to reach a state of good repair
• Today’s Headlines – 7/27/10
• Blueprint America on complete streets in Atlanta
…full story

• Factors for Predicting Phantom Traffic Jams
• Solar Impulse Lands After Successful Night Flight
• Gallery: Awesome Cockpits, From Spy Plane to Monster Truck
• Fly Through the City on an Urban Chairlift
• Dream Commute: Private Solar Pods On Public Transport
• NASA and Boeing Test Airliner of the Future
• GM Pod Car Looks Like a 2-Wheeled Vacuum
• Paragliding the Himalayas With iPhones
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• Electric US Postal Service Trucks Could Serve as Grid Storage System
• Company Uses Cement Plant’s CO2 Emissions to Create Algae-based Biofuel
• Solar Impulse Plane Takes First Successful Flight!
• Finland Unveils RaceAbout All-Electric Supercar
• TRANSPORTATION TUESDAY: The “Bug” Urban Electric Concept Mini-Car
• Solar-Powered Personal Urban Transit System of the Future
• Treadmill Bike is a Creative Workout on Wheels
• Microsoft Hohm Will Allow Electric Vehicles to Power Home Appliances
…full story

• Visit The New CAHSR Blog
• Why An HSR Design Competition Is An Excellent Idea
• Thanksgiving Open Thread
• Unsafe At Any Speed
• Tuesday Open Thread
• California Leaders Call for HSR Funding to Create Jobs
• Sunday Open Thread
• CA4HSR Submits LA-SD Scoping Comments
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• CENews.com is a resource for civil engineers that reports trends, technologies, applications, news, business management advice, and more. Readers turn to CENews.com, CE News magazine, and the CivilConnection e-newsletter to keep up on the business of civil engineering.rnrnCivil Connection is a bimonthly e-newsletter for civil engineers, structural engineers, and other design professionals. Brought to you by Stagnito Media, the publishers of CE News and Structural Engineer, the content of Civil Connection is informative, up-to-date, and sometimes irreverent. With exclusive business-oriented rn …full story

• Soil reinforcement technologies brochurernStrata Systems, Inc., published a new brochure on its StrataSlope system that offers technical data and application references designed to help civil engineers, site developers, and construction firms identify available soil reinforcement technologies that address difficult geotechnical engineering challenges. StrataSlope uses Stratagrid, a geosynthetic, precision-knitted polyester geogrid, to create dimensionally stable steep slopes, embankments, temporary earthen walls, bridge abutments, levees, and segmental retaining walls. …full story

• The case for high-speed, low-impact train travel is clear, and many governments have ambitious high-speed train plans in the works. But are they realistic? The reporter who tested America’s first maglev now evaluates proposals for the 200-mph trains of the future, in their order on the horizon.rn …full story

• The case for high-speed, low-impact train travel is clear, and many governments have ambitious high-speed train plans in the works. But are they realistic? The reporter who tested America’s first maglev now evaluates proposals for the 200-mph trains of the future, in their order on the horizon.rn …full story

• After the I-35W bridge collapsed last year, experts doubted that its replacement, the St. Anthony Falls Bridge, would open by the Christmas Eve 2008 deadline. Instead, the next-gen bridge opened several months early. Now the reporter who conducted a yearlong special investigation into fixing the country's infrastructure breaks down how it worked—and why the new bridge should set an example for urban planners everywhere.rn …full story

• Airbags in cars are ubiquitous, but could the seatbelts used on commercial airplanes be equipped with similar inflatable protection? A company called AmSafe is marketing such a device—in hopes that a new Federal Aviation Administration safety regulation will open the door for their widespread adoption on commercial airliners. …full story

• When it comes to planning highways and roads, greater convenience does not necessarily mean fewer accidents. Perceived advances in safety—wider, straighter roadways and more electronic traffic signals—may make drivers too comfortable. That’s when accident rates start to rise. Contributing editor Glenn Reynolds looks at safety practices in our infrastructure and asks: Are our roads making us less safe?rn …full story

• Apparently 175 mph isn't fast enough for people in Japan, where rail companies are pouring money into a magnetic levitation train that will streak across the countryside at more than 310 mph. rnrnHere in the U.S., the clickety-clack of Amtrak is the standard for rail and a proposed high-speed line linking Los Angeles and San Francisco would make the trip in about 2.5 hours. The system Japan is developing would cover that distance in an hour, which shows how far behind we are.rnrnThe maglev train isn't expected to go into service until 2025, so in the meantime there's a plan to roll out a faster, sleeker version of the wildly successful Shinkansen bullet train.rnrnThe new Shinkansen, called the E-5 Series and shown above, will hit the rails in 2011. It is based on the Fastech 360 prototype that JR East has been working on since 2002, and the company says it will do nearly 200 mph and offer greater comfort thanks to improved car-tilting and suspension mechanisms. Each E-5 will feature an 18 seat "Super Green Car" that JR East touts as something akin to a first class cabin on steroids.rnrn …full story