Transportation

Texas Standard: July 4, 2019

There’s a long list of Democratic Presidential candidates. Two from Texas, but only one Texan is now among the top 5 candidates. We’ll have the story. Also, in this, the land of the free, how one man found true freedom even as he is behind bars. Plus how can camp create positive memories for children who are homeless? U.T. Dallas may have found a way, we’ll explore. And linguistics and Baseball. Excuse me, what? Don’t worry, we have a Texan Translation for you! And, scoot closer to the radio because we are about to talk scooters: the good, the bad and the ugly. That and more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: May 27, 2019

It’s a day to remember: those who gave their lives in service of the nation. But it’s also the end of the 86th legislative session. We will look at the state’s budget and what’s in it. Plus, a bill in Congress that stalled and it has money for Harvey recovery, what’s next? And how could 5G interfere with predicting the next Harvey? We’ll explore. And we’ll take a look at how restorative justice could restore more than individual lives and revive neighborhoods. And the little computer program that could… COBOL has been dismissed but is still going strong. Those stories and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 28, 2019

A key provision of the Texas open meetings act struck down by the state’s highest criminal court. We’ll look at what it means for government transparency. Also, the state’s school librarians read the fine print of a bill to hike teacher salaries, and they’re pushing back. We’ll hear from the state’s top librarian. Plus the timeless voice of tejano superstar Selena. Was it one voice, or two? All those stores and a whole lot more today on the Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: February 12, 2019

In the west Texas town of El Paso, a political duel over immigration between a president and a popular Texan who might want to be one. We’ll have analysis of the rallies in El Paso as president Trump launches his re-election campaign, and Beto O’Rourke gauges whether to launch a White House run of his own. Also, a judge taps the brakes on the Texas bullet train. We’ll hear how and what it means for plans to link Houston and Dallas by high speed rail. And what a Dollar Store invasion of rural and poorer communities in Texas might really cost. All of those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Scooter Culture

We might fancy ourselves as responsible, socially conscious people, but when new technologies such as communal scooters are introduced into our environments all that can easily fly out the window.

In this edition of Two Guys on Your Head, Dr. Art Markman and Dr. Bob Duke talk about the psychology of scooter culture in Austin.

Texas Standard: September 18, 2018

Official summons is what the envelope says. Would you open it? An election year fundraising letter triggers outrage and questions of legality: we’ll explore. Also our era of political coarseness and division, how will historians see us tomorrow? Pulitzer prize winning author Doris Kearns Goodwin tells us how history may be able to help us get thru our times today. Also a breakthrough curriculum for latino/latina studies. And electric scooters swarm the streets of Texas big cities, some see them a public nuisance, but could they signal better times for Texas bicyclists? We’ll take a look. And the tale of the last town crier in America and so much more on today’s Texas Standard:

What’s It Called? Hyperloop!

Imagine hurtling across Texas in a high-tech, high-speed vehicle. You cold get so much done, or just get there faster, all the while mocking those who are still stuck in highway traffic. That was the inspiration for this Typewriter Rodeo poem,

Texas Standard: November 20, 2017

As millions of Texans hit the highways for the start of holiday season, new signs that the bell may be tolling for toll roads. But with costs and complaints and traffic all up, are we nearing a tipping point when it comes to Texas’ free market philosophy for transportation? We’ll explore. And in a small Texas town turned upside down by a church shooting, Thanksgiving arrives early. Also, the homeless often get more attention this time of year, now the spotlight turns to what some say are laws that keep people homeless. And with miles of pipeline connecting oilfields to Corpus Christi, a plan to pipe something back west, and maybe around the world, too. Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

My Bicycle is My Horse

Many folks assume all Texans ride horses – and sure, some of us do. But a special kind of horse, the two-wheeled breed, is much more common on the streets around here.

Texas Standard: September 13, 2016

Reading writing and, racism? Public outrage today over a textbook which claims to teach Mexican American history. We’ll explore. Plus, sick of traffic? Science to the rescue. Texas A&M has a plan to move cargo off the road so cars can go…could be huge for cities like Houston, we’ll have details. Also a Texas metropolis nipping at the heels of the nation’s top 10 export cities. Any guesses? We were surprised, perhaps you will be too. And officially it calls itself the Live Music Capitol of the World but city leaders worry about an unhealthy exodus of musicians. Too late for a turnaround? Those stories and so much more today on the Texas Standard:

Disrupting My Ride

There’s an ongoing trend of peer-to-peer goods sharing sweeping the nation. Now, many Texas cities are creating policies for the companies, especially ride sharers like Uber and Lyft. That was the inspiration for Typewriter Rodeo’s David Fruchter as he wrote this week’s poem.

Texas Standard: January 21, 2015

Crashing oil prices drain hundreds of millions of dollars from the State Highway Fund. So I can gas up my car for cheap but who’s gonna pay to fix the roads? Also the Texas tax man says the sky is NOT falling, but in many cases cities are left holding the tab for road repair. And why is Texas billionaire Michael Dell placing big bets on tiny TV stations Plus: how Uber and Lyft are forcing cities to bend the rules on background checks. Those stories and lots more on todays Texas Standard:

Texas Standard: November 4, 2015

HERO gets beaten at the ballot box–Houston residents reject a proposed equal rights ordinance. Voters statewide approve billions more for transportation…yet a key lawmaker says it won’t be enough. And the voice of big oil in Texas says more regulation please? Also Alaska, ticking off Texans since 1959…or so goes the bumper sticker. Our commentator says not so fast and he’s just getting started. All those stories and more on todays Texas Standard time: