President Obama visited the Tappan Zee Bridge earlier this week to argue for a renewed commitment to transportation infrastructure.
Daniel Hudson makes the case for the policy goals set by President Obama in his recent visit to the Tappan Zee Bridge in Tarrytown, New York.
"Investing in America's infrastructure is an imperative, but the funding to fix our crumbling roads and bridges is running out -- and only Congress can reauthorize it," writes Hudson for the White House website."
The post also shares some of the speech delivered by President Obama:
"Building a world-class transportation system is one of the reasons America became an economic superpower in the first place. But over the past 50 years, as a share of our economy, our investment in transportation has shrunk by 50 percent. Think about that. Our investment in transportation has been cut by half."
News coverage of the speech tended to trade on the fact that the president was visiting the under-construction Tappan Zee bridge, which is one of the more conspicuous transportation infrastructure projects in the country today. Laura Figueroa reports that President Obama cited the $3.9 billion Tappan Zee project as an example of the power of expedited federal approvals. Obama also addressed the ongoing political process behind reauthorization. According to Figueroa, "Obama pressed House Republicans to support his four-year transportation package. He said that while 'a bipartisan group of members in the Senate are working toward a compromise,' House Republicans have proposed cuts."
FULL STORY: Why Is It So Important to Rebuild America's Roads and Bridges?

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie