(Source: NPR’s Planet Money)

 Even pirates need a business plan. J. Peter Pham, an analyst of African affairs at the James Madison University, looks at the economics of guns, captains, and $2 million dropped into the sea in waterproof containers. Plus, Per Gullestrup, CEO of Danish shipping company Clipper Group, has dealt with pirates first-hand — he says they’re tough negotiators.  When he ironed out the ransom details with the pirates, he had 3 demands:

1. The pirates showed “proof of life” (that the crew was still alive)
2. That they could drop the money from the air (faster than getting it there in a tug)
3. That the pirates fill up the ship with fuel.

 For a related story on NPR’s Planet money, click here.

(Source: Room for Debate, a New York Times blog)

(Photo: Librado Romero/The New York Times) In Times Square, pedestrians often find themselves maneuvering among cars blocking the intersections.

The pedestrian mall, the urban planner’s failed attempt to revitalize Main Streets during the 1960s and 70s, is back!

This week, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that cars would be barred from several blocks of Broadway, including Herald Square and Times Square. He said the changes would relieve traffic congestion and crowded sidewalks – far different problems from what spawned the pedestrian malls of the 70s. And it’s not just New York that’s rethinking this old idea. San Francisco is considering restrictions on private cars on Market Street, the city’s main artery.

When do these car-free zones succeed? And why have they left streets deserted and unappealing in the past?

• Robert Sullivan, author
• Sam Staley, co-author of “Mobility First”
• Alexander Garvin, architect and former Planning Commission member
• Steve Davies, Project for Public Spaces
• Randal O’Toole, author of “The Best-Laid Plans”

Click here to read more.

(Source: Wall Street Journal’s Environmental Capital Blog)

President Obama this week urged the country to boldly confront challenges and take responsibility for the future. Today he was starkly reminded by a Congressionally-appointed commission to do the same when it comes to filling the massive hole in the nation’s transportation budget.

In a report issued today, the National Surface Transportation Infrastructure Financing Commission said that raising gasoline taxes and taxing miles driven instead of gallons are the only viable ways to get the tattered U.S. road and transit system back on track. The Obama administration just shot down both proposals.

The recommendation was two years in the making—the commission’s mix of transport industry veterans, elected officials and think-tankers has been trying to divine how to raise the extra money needed to maintain and improve roads, buses, and trains.

Click here to read the entire article.