New Hampshire
New Hampshire Wants Commuter Rail to Boston
A strong coalition is pushing for a $4 million planning effort to lay the tracks for commuter rail between New Hampshire and Boston.
Eminent Domain, Northern Pass Enter New Hampshire Republican Debate
One of the more lively parts of Saturday night's Republican debate were the interactions between candidates Donald Trump, Jeb Bush, and the audience who booed Trump. But it hid a more serious matter—the use of eminent domain for the Northern Pass.
$85 Million Transportation Bond Measure on the Ballot in Maine
A week before a Nov. 3 Maine transportation referendum on a *general fund bond issue to address roads and bridges, TRIP released a report showing that over a third of the state's bridges "are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete."
Businesses Want Vermont to Adopt Nation's First Carbon Tax
Vermont's legislature will take up the carbon tax proposal this week. The tax is construed as largely revenue neutral, i.e., offset by tax decreases and credits, and apply to heating and transportation fuels. Gov. Peter Shumlin has doubts.
Second Gas Tax Increase Proposed in New Hampshire
New Hampshire gas taxes increased four cents last July after a lengthy gas tax debate, but those funds were targeted toward specific repair projects, as opposed to the DOT's annual budget, which will be cut by $88 million unless funds are found.
A Small Town's Game-Changing Approach to Mapping
Portsmoth, New Hampshire has created textured, 3D maps of its historic district to help illustrate development impacts during the approval process.
Clearing Up Myths on the Federal Gas Tax
In this Washington Post opinion, Paul Bledsoe, former staff member of the Senate Finance Committee, clears up five common misunderstandings about the federal gas tax to inform discussions on America's infrastructure funding crisis
Campaign 2014: Rolling Back Gas Tax Indexing
Massachusetts voters will decide on Question 1 on Tuesday—an initiative petition to eliminate the automatic, annual indexing of its 26.5-cent gasoline excise tax to inflation, implemented with a three-cent gas tax increase last year.
Competition Addresses the Design Challenges of Placemaking in Rural Communities
In its annual competitive funding effort, the Citizens' Institute on Rural Design (CIRD) has selected four small towns and rural communities to host a two-and-a-half day rural design technical workshop.
A Bad Year for State Transportation Funding
Compared to 2013, few states are increasing transportation spending through tax increases. Only New Hampshire and Rhode Island saw limited gas tax increases, though both were accompanied by road or bridge toll eliminations. Missouri could be next.
New Hampshire Increases Gas Tax to Fund Highway, Road, and Bridge Projects
The New Hampshire Legislature recently approved a bill that would raise the gas tax in the state by 4.2 cents*. At that rate, the cost of the new tax to someone who drives 10,000 miles a year at 25 miles per gallon would total about $16 a year.
New Hampshire to Reconsider Increasing its Gas Tax in January
New Hampshire will consider a Republican bill in 2014 to tie the gas tax to inflation, increasing it by about 4 cents next year should it pass. The Senate killed a House bill in May to increase the gas tax by 12 cents over 3 years.
What Is a Place Without the People?
In an illustrated essay, Chuck Wolfe contrasts the ideal form of the New England town with an abandoned French village, calling out the human infrastructure essential to successful urban places.
Gas Tax Woes: A Tale of Two New England States
As states struggle with ways to increase transportation revenue to shore-up aging infrastructure, we look at Conn. and N.H. Due to indexing, one will increase its gas tax by 4-cents on July 1, while the other rejected a 12-cent increase over 3 years.
Gas Tax Legislation Defeated in N.H., Iowa
While the New Hampshire bill made it through the House, it was blocked, as Republican leaders had predicted, in the Senate. The Iowa bill, sponsored and supported by Republicans, was never acted on. Iowa may try again next year; not possible in N.H.
Vermont Gas Tax Increases on May 1
Vermont became the third state this year to legislatively increase its gas tax when Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill on April 29 that raises the gas tax by 5.9-cents and the diesel tax by 2-cents on July 1 and 1-cent next year.
Gas Tax Legislation Facing Uphill Battles In VT, NH, NV
Now that Maryland has joined Wyoming in increasing its gas tax, who's next? Gas tax legislation in New Hampshire and Vermont have advanced to their Senates where going is rough, and a new, "two-cent a year for a decade" bill is proposed for Nevada.
State Gas Taxes: What a Difference a Year Makes!
Fox News ran two articles on the climate for increasing state gas taxes, almost exactly a year apart. The 2012 article is pessimistic about the ability to increase gas taxes while the March 14th one is decidedly upbeat. Why the change, what happened?
State Gas Tax Outlook Grim - Or Is It?
Two articles from non-profit organizations - a think tank and an advocacy group, seemingly arrive at the same conclusion: the future of the state gas tax is grim due to lack of political will to raise it. However, some states are bucking the trend.
New Tool for Tallying the Costs of Sprawl
The State of New Hampshire has created an interactive online tool for its municipalities to examine the impacts of different land use scenarios, in the hopes of promoting smart growth. Geneva Faulkner describes how it works.
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.
