Government / Politics

Minnesota Gubernatorial Candidate Campaigned on Increasing the Gas Tax and Wins
Democratic candidate Tim Walz was not shy about his intention to hike the gas tax to pay for improvements for roads and public transit, and he was predictably slammed by his Republican opponent. Similar scenarios played out in Wisconsin and Michigan.

Sound Transit's Lynwood Link Gets the Federal Funding it Was Waiting For
A great sigh of relief from transit planners in the Pacific Northwest (and probably the rest of the country as well).

St. Louis Lawsuits Focus on Delinquent Properties
Special suits give property owners an opportunity to fix up rundown properties before the city sells them.

Fair Housing Bill Targets Voucher Discrimination
A bipartisan bill tackles landlords' unwillingness to rent to housing voucher holders.

Toll Lane Expansion in Inland Empire Begins After Voters Reject Gas Tax Repeal
The day after California voters soundly rejected a repeal of a one-year old 12-cents gas tax increase and new annual vehicle registration fees. the Riverside County Transportation Commission launched a study to extend toll lanes on Interstate 15.

Opinion: To Overcome Segregation in Dallas, Look to the Past
A frank assessment of past policy wrongdoings is necessary to overcome inequality in the city.

Pacific Northwest Gears Up for Another Fossil Fuel Export Fight
Just two years after killing what would be the world's largest methanol plant at the Port of Tacoma, the project has reemerged at the Port of Kalama. According to the EIS for the plant, global CO2 emissions will be reduced, though increased locally.

Truck Tolls Wins (Indirectly) on Election Day
Tolls were not on state ballots like gas taxes and transportation sales taxes on Nov. 6, but surrogates for and against truck-only tolling participated in two gubernatorial elections in New England, and the results will give no joy to truckers.

Atlanta Housing Authority Changing Course as Affordable Housing Problems Grow
Housing costs are rising in Atlanta, while available affordable housing has decreased. The Atlanta Housing Authority needs to ramp up construction after a lull in development.

Watch Saturday Night Live's Hilarious Take on Amazon's HQ2 Decision
Saturday Night Love comes up with a novel hot take on the thinking behind Amazon's decision to split its new second headquarters between New York City and Northern Virginia.
48 Global Cities Work on Regulatory Framework for Digital Platforms
During the Sharing Cities Summit 2018, cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lisbon, Madrid, Montreal, New York, Paris, São Paulo, Seoul, Singapore, Stockholm, and Vienna agreed on a Declaration of Principles and Commitments of the Sharing Cities.

Light Rail Transit Planned for Suburban Toronto at Risk
Doug Ford's Progressive Conservative government is proving to be a harsh critic of plans for light rail transit in Mississauga.

Arizona Event Venues Don't Seem to Make Fiscal Sense, But City Leaders Say They’re Worth the Losses
Convention and arts centers are costly and lose lots of money, but cities still build and advocate for them.

Cities Positioning for an Expanding Venture Capital Market
Cities outside of the big coastal tech hubs have characteristics well suited for the high-tech sector.

Federal Judge in Montana Halts Construction of Keystone XL Pipeline
The Trump administration's denial of climate change may serve a political purpose, but in the courtroom, it can prove a liability. A federal judge in Montana took into account the administration's "discarding" of climate science in its ruling.

Airbnb Suing Boston Over New Regulations
The front lines of the short-term rental wars shift to the city of Boston.

Another State Rejects a 10-Cents per Gallon Gas Tax Hike
It was not your basic fuel tax hike. Utah voters were told that raising the tax would help education by redirecting revenue from the General Fund to schools that currently goes to transportation. Yet voters also passed decidedly liberal initiatives.

Another Major Statewide Transportation Funding Loss on Election Day
Similar to Missouri voters, who rejected a 10-cents per gallon tax hike placed on the ballot by the state legislature, Colorado voters rejected two competing initiatives to finance transportation improvements placed on the ballot by citizen groups.

Transportation’s 'Pink Tax' Is a Cost Burden on Women
When women don’t feel safe using transit, they use other modes and end up paying the price.

The Problems With Tax Increment Financing and How to Fix Them
Tax increment financing (TIF) districts are common in municipalities across the country. However, the economic development tool is also poorly understood and often the target of criticism.
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