Government / Politics

Indiana Legislature Passes 10-Cents Fuel Tax Hike on Final Day of Session
Just past midnight on Saturday morning, the Indiana State Senate passed the transportation plan after the Housed approved it Friday. It also passed a $32 billion, two-year state budget bill, then adjourned for the year, one week ahead of schedule.

The Environmental Trade-Off for Raising California's Fuel Taxes
Come November 1, gasoline and diesel taxes will increase by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively, in California, providing badly needed revenue to repair roads, bridges, and improve transit, but truck pollution loophole will still foul the air.

Op-Ed: Cities Still Subsidize Everyone Else
Donald Trump rode waves of anti-urban sentiment to the White House. But is some city smugness forgivable if urban economies subsidize rural places?

Rhetoric Over Public Lands Heating Up in Washington, D.C.
As the Outdoor Industry Association gathered for its annual advocacy trip to Washington, D.C., the industry is marshaling its resources for an expected political battle with the Trump Administration.

NYC Solar Power Capacity Surpasses 100 Megawatts
Citywide solar capacity quadruples under Mayor de Blasio, supporting more than 2,700 jobs. The City’s goal is installing 1 gigawatt of solar capacity citywide by 2030!

Reviews for 'Citizen Jane: Battle for the City'
Two publications likely to find an audience with people sympathetic to the cause of Jane Jacobs reviewed the latest film about her political battles with Robert Moses for the soul of New York.

Air District Connects Climate Protection to Clean Air Plans
With the adoption of the "Spare the Air - Cool the Climate" program, the Bay Area's air quality regulatory agency has broadened its mission to make reduction of greenhouse gases a paramount goal, along with protecting public health.
Trump and the New Urban Crisis
Richard Florida writes that Trump's victory over Hillary Clinton is a product of the backlash against what he calls The New Urban Crisis of burgeoning economic inequality—the widening divides between rich and poor.
Air Quality and Environmental Justice Lead to Push for Zero-Emission Locomotives
The California Air Resources Board has petitioned the U.S. EPA to adopt more stringent emissions standards for locomotives in order to improve air quality at rail yards, many of which are located adjacent to disadvantaged communities.
Tennessee Governor Poised to Raise Gas Tax by Six Cents per Gallon
Both chambers of Tennessee's General Assembly approved Gov. Bill Haslam's transportation plan on April 19, which hikes diesel taxes by 10 cents per gallon but lowers other taxes. Indiana appears poised to follow with a 10-cent gas tax increase.

Density is Destiny: Voting Records Mirror Proximity to Neighbors
Urban densities tend to encourage more liberal, tolerant values. Living among diverse neighbors can reduce fear and resentment, as everyday interactions break down stereotypes and misconceptions of ‘the other.’

PIRG Releases Third Highway Boondoggles Report
A new report from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group and the Frontier Group indicates that highway boondoggles have been getting bigger, more costly, with the benefits more limited. Nine projects are analyzed in "Highway Boondoggles 3."

BART Extension Kerfluffle: East Bay Officials Pushing for New Rail Authority
If the city of Livermore and several state legislators gets their way, a proposed extension of BART to the city of Livermore would be planned and built by the Tri Valley-San Joaquin Valley Regional Rail Authority.
New Facility Captures Atmospheric Carbon and Stores it Underground
On April 7, the illinois Industrial Carbon Capture and Storage commenced operations, taking carbon that corn sequestered from the atmosphere and storing it safely almost a mile and a half underground in a sandstone formation.

Passage of 12-Cent Gas Tax Hike Allows BART to Reduce Service Cuts
The gas tax bill couldn't pass soon enough for the Bay Area's metro system. Service cuts and fare increases, scheduled for approval April 13, were greatly reduced due to an unexpected $16 million BART will receive, and the bill has yet to be signed!

Kotkin and Florida Team Up to Agree on Devolution
"Vive le difference!" reads the rallying cry if an article co-authored by Richard Florida and Joel Kotkin.
Idaho Governor Stands Against Using General Fund Money for Highway Expansion
Writing that a $320 million transportation finance bill "violates my user-pay, pay-as-you-go philosophy toward transportation funding," Governor C.L. "Butch" Otter explained why he allowed the bill to become law without his signature.

Making Sure More Federal Grant Money Actually Gets Spent
Northeastern University students provide some of the first comprehensive study into a widespread problem with the neglect of federal grant money.

Trump Raises Stakes For Urban Journalism
At an annual gathering of land use journalists, we came away with more questions than answers about how the Trump administration will treat cities.

More Sources Expressing Alarm at the Budgetary Fate of the 2020 Census
The Trump Administration's draft budget blueprint allotted a 10 percent increase in funding for the Census Bureau, but experts say that's not nearly enough funding in context of the decennial census's ten-year cycle.
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