Government / Politics
Police Departments Budgets Grow, but Cities Aren't Any Safer
A Next City article argues that investing in job programs and other public goods would do more to make those communities safe than investing in police departments.
Caltrain Electrification Broke Ground on Friday
Gov. Jerry Brown, Peninsula congresswomen, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and state legislative leaders gathered in Millbrae with shovels-in hands to mark the beginning of a four-year construction project to electrify Caltrain.
2018 Congressional Transportation Budget Begins to Take Shape
While reduced from current levels, the House Appropriations Committee budgeted far more than what President Trump had proposed, but they agreed with him to eliminate the TIGER grant program and reduce transit investments, though by a lesser amount.
Oregon Bike Tax Attracts Interest of Influential Colorado State Senator
The Colorado legislature has been unable to agree on a transportation funding package, but the recent bill passed by Oregon has prompted one influential Republican senator to suggest that the state tax bicycle sales.
California Legislature Approves Continuation of Cap-and-Trade Program
The nation's only state-run, market-based program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions will continue until 2031 without fear of litigation, as it passed with the required two-thirds supermajority needed for tax increases, along with two related bills.
The Vital Role of Gas Tax Indexing
Without an automatic adjustment for gas taxes, revenue from the tax declines due to increasing fuel efficiency standards while road maintenance and construction costs increase due to inflation. Witness Wisconsin's woes.
Court Ruling Sides With Regional Officials Over Statewide Climate Goals
The California Supreme Court sided with the San Diego Association of Governments on July 13 in the first court case to decide how regional planning agencies must meet state-required reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transportation.
The Era of the Electric Vehicle is Approaching
A new report from Bloomberg New Energy Finance predicts that due to a plunge in battery prices and improvement in battery technology, electric vehicles will be cost-competitive with gasoline vehicles in eight years. By 2040, they will outsell them.
Historic Vote by California Senate on Cap-and-Trade Expected Monday
Caling the upcoming vote on AB 398, which has created strange political bedfellows, "the most important vote of your life," Gov. Jerry Brown cast the decision as choosing between "massive new regulations" and market-based mechanisms.
A New Tool to Amplify the Power of Open Data
Open data that no one knows how to use is hardly open at all. A new platform from Esri aims to improve the situation.
California Earning Clean Air Despite the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
While premature to claim victory, a report from the San Francisco Chronicle suggests that the California Air Resources Board will prevail in a looming showdown with the U.S. EPA over whether to allow the state to set vehicle emission standards.
Safe for Now, Brooklyn Music Mecca Sees a Cloudy Future
More than 20 percent of New York's smaller music venues have closed in the past 15 years. Although Brooklyn institution Barbes was recently saved by a crowdfunding campaign, its founder is pessimistic about the future of New York's independent arts.
House Appropriations Bills Move the Needle Away from Trump's Agenda
A House of Representatives committee has different ideas about the spending priorities of the federal government when it comes to issues like a proposed border wall and the Great Lakes.
Oregon Legislature Passes Gas Tax, Includes Bike Tax
After Gov. Kate Brown signs the comprehensive funding package, Oregon will be the eighth state this year to approve legislation to increase its gas tax and the first ever to add a bike tax to fund bike and pedestrian infrastructure.
Denver Could Create a New Transportation Department
Hoping to give more of a focus and priority to the issues of transportation, the mayor of Denver is proposing a reorganization of city departments.
Looking for Answers on Trump's Ties to Subsidized Housing
Two congressional Democrats, aided by press investigations, are connecting the dots between President Trump's real estate holdings and the Trump Administration's proposed budget.
Mounting Evidence of the Houston Housing Authority's Poor Performance
Both the local newspaper and the controller's office have found evidence that the Houston Housing Authority fails to deliver projects that match the amount of funding it receives.
Southeast Michigan's RTA Could Trim its Footprint to Build Support for Transit Funding
One way to get a transit funding tax plan approved is just to cut outlying areas out of transit taxes, and transit planning, entirely.
Second Attempt at Renewal for California's Clean Air Vehicle Decal Program
New legislation would continue the Clean Air Vehicle program after Jan. 1, 2019 to allow zero and near-zero emission vehicles to continue to qualify for carpool lane stickers in the Golden State.
Fuel Cell Vehicles Get Surprising Boost from Uncle Sam
The petroleum industry-friendly Trump Administration has awarded $15.8 million to 30 projects that are intended to substantially reduce oil consumption from passenger vehicles.
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.
City of Moorpark
City of Tustin
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
