Recent Streetsblog LA posts about Fix-It-First

EPA Adopting ‘Fix-it-First’ Infrastructure Policy — For Water

By Elana Schor | May 6, 2010 | No Comments

Environmental groups have long called for a national "fix-it-first" standard to apply to new transportation projects, requiring states to focus on repair of existing infrastructure before constructing new lane miles. The approach has caught on in several state capitals, but not in Washington — except when it comes to water infrastructure. A sign advertising "spring […]

New Analysis: 59% of Road Stimulus Went to Repair, 33% to New Capacity

By Elana Schor | May 5, 2010 | No Comments

(Photo: DMI Blog) In the first year of the Obama administration’s economic stimulus law, 59 percent of its $27 billion in transportation formula funds went to projects that preserve existing roads, while 33 percent was used to build new pavement, according to an analysis by the advocacy group Smart Growth America (SGA). The new data, […]

What Do These Things Have in Common: Smog, Highway Widenings, and Congestion?

By Damien Newton | Apr 29, 2010 | 4 Comments

Repairs to the I-5 Near Sacramento Sometimes, the news comes to you from several directions at once, and you have to pull the pieces together to see the bigger picture. Such a thing happened yesterday, when three seemingly unrelated story created the perfect tapestry of cause, symptom and effect. First, the cause. The California Public […]

Quick Hit: How Bad Is the City’s Pothole Problem?

By Damien Newton | Apr 29, 2010 | 2 Comments

Last December, I was taking my Flying Pigeon bucket bike back to its nest for some baby-preparedness upgrades by taking it down Beverly Boulevard on its way to the Downtown. I’d probably ridden on Beverly going east once or twice, preferring the "4th Street Bike Boulevard" so I wasn’t expecting the poor state of the […]

New Report Takes on ‘Perverse Incentives’ to De-Emphasize Bridge Repair

By Elana Schor | Apr 28, 2010 | No Comments

When Minneapolis’ I-35 bridge collapsed in 2007, lawmakers from both parties vowed to focus on shoring up the nation’s aging infrastructure. But when the public spotlight faded from the issue of infrastructure repair, Congress showed little appetite for setting aside maintenance aid that did not hold the promise of ribbon-cutting ceremonies or campaign donations. The […]

Fix It Last: LADOT Closes Shop on Mulholland

By Damien Newton | Feb 22, 2010 | 2 Comments

Closed indefinitely. Tom Petty’s days of "gliding down over Mulholland" are at an end, at least for the foreseeable future. The LA_Now blog covers the sad reality of what happens when a government chooses endless expansion of road capacity for automobiles over a "Fix-It-First" strategy of maintaining and improving the roads that you have. On […]

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