Summaries for: Transportation
Don’t let your project become the third rail in land use politics
By Owen Eagan,Senior Vice President for Transportation, The Saint Consulting GroupRecently, the issue of transportation gained political undertones in Hawaii as the governor’s race started to unfold there (See “Honolulu rail project: political football or policy football?” http://bit.ly/aZeYY7). Now, transportation has taken center stage in the Texas GOP primary race for governor, even becoming the ...
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Honolulu rail project: political football or policy football?
By Owen Eagan,
Senior Vice President, Transportation, The Saint Consulting Group
Governor Linda Lingle of Hawaii has asked Mayor Mufi Hannemann of Honolulu to revise plans for the city’s proposed $5.3 billion rail project in light of financial issues. Specifically, she suggests building a portion of the elevated project at street level to save costs and has ...
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Washinton state eminent domain case reminds of the Kelo Test
By Owen Eagan
Senior Vice President, Transportation, The Saint Consulting Group
In 2005, the US Supreme Court found in Kelo v. City of New London that local governments could seize private property by eminent domain for economic development purposes. So, if you’re a politician and you’re confronted with a decision as to whether to take private land ...
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Clear language in ballot initiatives is crucial for voters – get it right!
By Owen Eagan,Senior Vice President, Transportation, The Saint Consulting GroupWhat is the most important piece of information for voters on ballot initiatives? Is it knowing who the sponsors are? Is it knowing who the endorsers are? Is it knowing if there are any tax or cost implications? Is it knowing whether the issue is related ...
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Ways to kill a real estate project – how opponents try to derail development, Part 2
By Patrick Fox,
President, The Saint Consulting Group
The Saint Consulting Group often does seminars for trade associations, client real estate departments and other groups. A popular topic is “How to Kill a Real Estate Project”. By learning the techniques that opposition groups utilize to derail a project, developers can learn how to avoid common mistakes and ...
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Addiction to foreign oil translates into pocketbook and values issues
By Owen Eagan,
Senior Vice President, Transportation, The Saint Consulting Group
As land use political consultants, our job is to educate residents on the merits of our client’s projects and turn their support into political action. In order to do that, we need to both persuade and motivate people to vote. In the world of politics, there ...
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Efficient transport produces benefits; now let’s get the message out
By Owen Eagan,
Senior Vice President, Transporation, The Saint Consulting
A new report published by the Urban Land Institute (ULI) has found that transportation efficiencies can significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and increase savings for consumers. The report, entitled Moving Cooler, was commissioned by a diverse group of stakeholders representing transportation experts, industry, federal agencies, and ...
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Support for wind farms faces off against opposition to traffic
By Ben Kelahan,
Senior Vice President, Energy, The Saint Consulting Group
When it comes to NIMBY issues, increased traffic in the neighborhood is commonly issue numero uno. You typically hear about it associated with big box stores and other commercial developments that are regional draws for residents in surrounding municipalities.
Those same uses also solicit complaints from neighbors ...
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Cities miss out on transportation funds from economic stimulus
By Owen Eagan,
Senior Vice President for Transportation, The Saint Consulting Group
The New York Times recently reported that cities missed an opportunity on transportation funding due to politics. Specifically, the Times reported that despite the fact that two-thirds of the population lives in large metropolitan areas, these cities are seeing far less than two-thirds in transportation ...
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The importance of GOTV for rail transit initiatives – a lesson in land use politics
By Owen Eagan and Alan Wulkan
Rail transit has become increasingly popular as people in major cities continue to seek ways of reducing traffic and protecting the environment. For example, a ballot initiative authorizing rail transit in Honolulu recently passed as voters sought relief from some of the worst traffic in the nation. The ...
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