FAST Act
Biden Orders Release from Strategic Petroleum Reserve: What's the Emergency?
The purpose of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is to maintain oil flow to refineries during national emergencies when oil supplies are disrupted. What national emergency prompted President Biden to order the release of 50 million barrels?
Study: Recreational Trails Program Underfunded by Over $200 Million
FHA research shows that multi-use trail users contribute three times as much in gas taxes as the program to build and maintain them receives.
Innovative Road Funding Pilot Program Advances in California
State Sen. Scott Wiener authored legislation dubbed the Gas Tax Alternative Pilot to extend the California Road Charge Program that completed its pilot in 2017. The program takes on more significance with the 2035 sales ban of gas-powered vehicles.
Transportation Reauthorization Advances in Congress—Transit Advocates Aren't Happy
The Senate Environment and Public Works Committee voted this week to advance the Surface Transportation Reauthorization Act of 2021, Congress's five-year reauthorization of the federal surface transportation bill.
Trump's State of the Union: More on Infrastructure in Democrats' Response
The president spoke briefly about infrastructure in his third State of the Union address last Tuesday, urging Congress to pass the bipartisan America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act of 2019. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had a lot more to say.
Democratic Candidates Forget Transportation Emissions When Making Climate Plans
Multiple sources analyze the green credentials of the campaign platforms of the remaining field of Democrats vying for the highest office in the land and find one conspicuous absence: plans for reducing driving.
Climate Gets a Mention in First Committee's Approval of Federal Transportation Bill
A $287 billion, five-year transportation reauthorization made its way out of its first Senate committee this week.
U.S. Senate to Consider Five-Year Highway Bill Reauthorization
The first draft of the five-year reauthorization of the FAST Act would expand first-year spending by 17 percent.
Federal Lawmakers Target Electric Vehicles in Transportation Reauthorization
How will motorists who don't pay gas taxes fund road upkeep? That's one of the questions that the Senate Environment & Public Works Committee hopes to answer this summer as they work to reauthorize the FAST Act before it expires on Sept. 30, 2020.
Pelosi-Schumer-Trump Infrastructure Plan Already Meeting Resistance
Introduced on April 30, the $2 trillion conceptual plan is likely to be dismissed by Congressional Republicans wary of increasing taxes and adding to the deficit, according to an extensive article by The Hill published three days later.
Seven State DOTs Awarded $10 Million to Study Gas Tax Alternatives
When transportation spending was last reauthorized, rather than hike the gas tax to maintain current spending, Congress diverted general fund revenue. A program to study alternative revenue options was created so states could launch pilot projects.
Federal Gas Tax Legislation Would Also Tax Bikes, EVs, and Transit
Rep. Bill Shuster, who chairs the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, wants to hike gas and diesel taxes by 15 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively, add two new user fees on bicycles and electric vehicles, and test VMT fees.
Tolling the Interstates: Will Indiana be the First?
Indiana is on track to be the first state to apply new tolls on all lanes of selected interstate highways if they are successful in their application for a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration.
State Transportation Officials Ask Congress to Hike Transportation User Fees
It's not funding Trump's much-talked-about infrastructure package, but the 2020 termination date of the FAST Act has state transportation officials urging Congress to hike fuel taxes to sustain the Highway Trust Fund.
Will Alaska Return Millions of Dollars for Bike and Pedestrian Projects to the Feds, Again?
Last year, Alaska returned $2.6 million of its 2013 Transportation Alternatives Program funding to the U.S. Department of Transportation due to a shortage of eligible projects to fund, despite having four years to obligate the grant money.
Trump Ends Infrastructure Week by Streamlining the Permitting Process
President Trump made a compelling case for reducing the length of time needed to construct major infrastructure projects to justify the creation of a new White House council to streamline permitting. Only one problem: it already exists.
President Trump's Other Infrastructure Plan—Defunding Grant Programs
The showman captured America's attention with a promise to "make America great again" with a $1 trillion infrastructure plan. Receiving scant attention are the infrastructure grant programs he'll cut in order to fund massive defense spending.
Legislation to Toll Indiana Interstates and Hike Gas Tax Introduced
Tolls on interstate highways are being pushed in Indiana as a means to increase road funding, no easy task even if a waiver is given. The bill would also increase the gas tax and charge electric vehicle owners a fee for road maintenance.
Over $14 Million Awarded to Eight Projects to Find Alternatives to Gas Taxes
The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding ways to transition from the gas tax to other user-based revenue mechanisms to fund transportation infrastructure. The federal gas tax hasn't keep pace with transportation expenditures since 2008.
Red Light Cameras Receive Endorsement from Influential Governors' Group
Calling it 'mind boggling' that municipalities are removing 'proven safety tools,' the Governors Highway Safety Association strongly endorsed the use of the controversial red light cameras to 'to improve safety for all road users.'
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.
