February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Public transit funding remains a pain point at major agencies around the country, with California’s BART and Portland’s TriMet both set to make significant service and staffing cuts. The federal government is looking to ban free transit, challenging a key campaign promise from NYC Mayor Mamdani, who pledged to make NYC buses fast and free — a plan that has brought significant economic and social benefits to other cities such as France’s Dunkirk. A proposed Florida law would allow ADUs in all of the state’s residential communities, and Santa Rosa is looking to boost economic activity downtown by allowing open containers in select areas. In San Diego, a protected bike lane has shifted travel behavior and brought twice as many riders to the corridor. 

The full list of February’s most-read stories:

1. Florida Senate Advances Law Allowing ADUs in All Residential Zones 

A bill approved by the Florida Senate would permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) by-right in single-family zoned neighborhoods. The bill would prohibit the units from being rented for less than 30 days at a time.

2. NYC Mayor Mamdani Backs Down on Expanded Rental Assistance Program, Citing $7 Billion Deficit 

NYC Mayor Mamdani’s administration said it will not be able to expand the CityFHEPS rent assistance voucher program yet, despite the mayor’s campaign promise to make the program available to more households. The program currently serves about 65,000 households but is, according to Ana Champeny, vice president for research at the Citizens Budget Commission, “growing at an unsustainable clip.”

3. Portland Transit is About to Get a Lot Worse 

Portland’s TriMet transit agency announced another round of service cuts that were implemented starting March 1. The agency plans to make additional cuts starting in August and could eliminate dozens of bus routes and a portion of the MAX Green Line light rail.

4. BART Service Cuts, Station Closures Could ‘Set Back the System 50 Years’ 

California’s Bay Area Rapid Transit agency (BART) plans to close up to 15 stations, lay off 1,200 employees, and make major service cuts to most lines if it doesn’t receive additional funding from the state. The agency is pinning its hopes on a proposed sales tax increase that will be on the November ballot.

5. Trump DOT Wants to Ban Free Buses 

U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) wants to ban cities receiving federal transportation funding from offering free bus service. The rule would apply to areas with populations larger than 200,000 and transit fleets of 100 or more buses. USDOT cited security concerns as a reason for opposing fare-free transit programs.

6. Vancouver Set to Adopt Game-changing Citywide Development Plan

 Vancouver adopted its first-ever Official Development Plan (ODP), a legally binding document designed to guide growth and development for the next 30 years and beyond. The plan, required by provincial law, makes significant changes to zoning regulations for housing and introduces new planning tools that focus on increasing the housing supply.

7. Santa Rosa Approves Plan for Weekend Open-Container Districts 

Santa Rosa, California is creating two weekend “entertainment zones” that will allow downtown visitors to carry out wine and beer in designated areas. The program is designed to increase sales for downtown businesses and incentivize people to linger in the area.

8. After San Diego Installed a Protected Bike Lane, Ridership More Than Doubled — and Hasn’t Stopped Growing. 

​​A new protected bike lane led to doubled bike trips on 30th Street in its first year. After that, ridership continued to grow, indicating a long-term shift in travel patterns along the corridor.

9. The City Where Free Buses Changed Everything 

Dunkirk, France has offered free bus service since 2018. 99 percent of residents rank it as the city’s most important public policy.

10. Tracing the Destruction of the Highway Baltimore Never Built 

A new book, “Road to Nowhere: How a Highway Map Wrecked Baltimore,” highlights the impacts of proposed highway projects on existing communities even when the project never materializes.