I came to NRDC after 8 years in city politics in Oakland, California, working first for our Mayor and then for our City Council, focusing on land use, zoning, redevelopment, and housing policy. So, I’ve experienced first hand what it takes to make development happen and the many, many interests that need to be balanced to make our cities and communities work. The good news is I’m optimistic we can build the communities NRDC strives for: convenient, enriching, energy-efficient and fun for everyone.
Before my adventures in Oakland, I worked in refugee resettlement, both here in the Bay Area and in Hungary, where I led a program assisting refugees from the civil war in Yugoslavia. I also lived in Budapest for two years prior, which was really the birthplace of my love of cities, public transportation and urbanism. Unlike most environmentalists, my favorite places are filled with buildings and people.
I live in the Rockridge neighborhood in beautiful Oakland, California, 300 feet from a BART station, surrounded by local businesses I can walk to, with a single hybrid that’s parked 99.99% of the time. My wife is an advocate for children and youth in foster care, and we have a daughter, Violet, who really likes busses.
Posted February 20, 2013 by Justin Horner in Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
Perhaps I'm not enough of a romantic (or perhaps I'm too much of one) but I could not help but see some serendipity in the California Office of Administrative Law's approval of SB 226's infil streamlining regulations this past Valentine's Day....continued→
Posted January 10, 2013 by Justin Horner in Moving Beyond Oil
Predictions and prognostications are the stuff of the New Year--and why should driving trends be any different? Will 2013 see a continuation of what has now been a nearly 90 month drop in population-adjusted Vehicle Miles Travelled (VMT)? The safe...continued→
Posted September 10, 2012 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
A recent fact sheet from the American Road and Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) is just the most recent reminder of a major problem we’ve covered a lot here at Switchboard: the financial condition of the Highway Trust Fund. ARTBA’s fact...continued→
Posted March 30, 2012 by Justin Horner in Environmental Justice, Health and the Environment, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
Californians need real transportation choices: safe, abundant and affordable options for walking, biking and transit. Our economy, environment and quality of life depend on it! That's the tagline for the first (and hopefully annual) Transportation Choices Summit taking place May...continued→
Posted March 5, 2012 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
Last month, the State Smart Transportation Initiative (SSTI) released a report analyzing a long-term trend in American transportation: the steady decrease in the amount Americans are driving. According to the report, 2011 saw a 1.2% drop in the total number of...continued→
Posted February 14, 2012 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Environmental Justice, Moving Beyond Oil, U.S. Law and Policy
In an earlier post, I laid out how a very very very bad House transportation bill is particularly bad for California. Since then, hundreds of opponents from across the political spectrum have voiced their opposition to this disastrous piece of legislation. Last...continued→
Posted February 1, 2012 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil
As you likely know by now, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman, John Mica (R-FL), has finally released his draft of the transportation bill (800+ pages for your reading pleasure, found here). In six words: it's worse than anyone ever...continued→
Posted November 16, 2011 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
At the end of August, I expressed my disappointment with the Federal Department of Transportation's failure to fund a broader range of projects in its vitally important Value Pricing Program. The VPP has supported many, many pilots of important transportation...continued→
Posted October 24, 2011 by Justin Horner in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
As you may know, Federal tax law allows many Americans to set-aside up to $230 a month pre-tax to pay for transit. This is a great benefit that rewards and encourages transit use. And while the maximum set-aside had been...continued→
Posted October 17, 2011 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
It may seem counterintuitive, but just as Americans are driving substantially less (indeed, the fewest miles since 2003), auto insurance premiums countinue to rise. Smartmoney.com reports in "Hey Flo: Where's My Insurance Discount?" that according to the Insurance Information Institute,...continued→
Posted August 25, 2011 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Health and the Environment, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
The Federal Highway Administration's Value Pricing Program (VPP) is a small fish of serious innovation in a wide and deep pond of roadbuilding mediocrity. Created by President George W Bush, the VPP has supported many, many pilots of important transportation...continued→
Posted July 20, 2011 by Justin Horner in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
Earlier today, nearly 50 California-based environmental, transportation, equity, conservation, and public heatlh organizations (including, of course, NRDC) sent a letter to the all of the California Representatives who sit on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, calling for a transportation...continued→
Posted July 8, 2011 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil
Last week, House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman John Mica (R-FL) released his proposal for reauthorization of the Federal Transportation Bill. To summarize the summary: it's a stinker. Our partners at Transportation for America have their own summary of exactly...continued→
Posted June 22, 2011 by Justin Horner in Living Sustainably, Moving Beyond Oil
For those concerned not only with the state of California’s economy, but also its environment, an article last week’s LA Times describing the newest quarterly economic outlook from UCLA's Anderson School of Business was quite good. In it we learned:...continued→
Posted February 10, 2011 by Justin Horner in Curbing Pollution, Moving Beyond Oil, Solving Global Warming
Pay As You Drive (PAYD) insurance--which ties insurance premiums to the number of miles you drive, thus incentivizing and rewarding less driving--has been picking up steam across the country. Massachusetts has included it in its climate action plan, New York...continued→
Switchboard is the staff blog of the Natural Resources Defense Council, the nation’s most effective environmental group. For more about our work, including in-depth policy documents, action alerts and ways you can contribute, visit NRDC.org.
