Government / Politics
Opposition to Transportation Sales Tax Rides BRT in Gainesville
The Alachua County Commission and the Gainesville City Commission are considering a countywide referendum to raise sales tax revenue for transportation projects. Road repair is an easy political win, but bus rapid transit...not so much.
California Bill Proposes Carbon Tax to Replace Cap-and-Trade
Decisions, Decisions. What's the best way to add transportation fuels to California's cap-and-trade program? Charge a carbon tax at the pump, as Senate leader Steinberg proposes, or charge refineries in the same manner as applied to other industries?
Keystone XL Dealt a Setback in Court—But Not from the Usual Suspects
The lawsuit comes from three private landowners who successfully sued to prevent their properties from being seized so that TransCanada can lay their pipeline—turns out the state Legislature was in too much of a rush in 2012 to approve the project.
Church Parking a Key Campaign Talking Point in D.C.
D.C. mayoral candidates are making big promises about easing parking restrictions on Sunday in response to reports that churches are fleeing the capital for locations in Maryland due to difficulties with parking.
Highway Trust Fund Projected to Become Insolvent Earlier than Expected
As we've noted numerous times, the Highway Trust Fund will become insolvent around the end of the fiscal year - Sept. 30, just when MAP-21, the transportation authorization bill, expires. We were wrong. The new HTF "ticker" explains the bad news.
Obama's Directive to EPA: Trucks to Get Leaner
Over strong objections from some auto and truck manufacturers, President Obama directed EPA to develop new fuel efficiency regulations for medium and heavy-duty trucks by March 2016 as part of his administration's effort to reduce carbon emissions.
New York Mayor de Blasio Details Vision Zero Traffic Safety Plan
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio gathered Police Commissioner William Bratton and Transportation Commissioner Polly Trottenberg to make the potentially historic policy announcement: the Vision Zero plan, which treats all traffic deaths as preventable.
Getting Stuff Done: What City Planning Is All About
How can cities and towns narrow the gap between promise and performance and, in doing so, build a solid brand? Ben Brown offers a one step to-do list: Get stuff done.
Comments Close for CEQA’s Level Of Service Revisions—What Now?
California’s retooling of Level of Service (LOS) analysis is one of the most closely watched regulatory changes in the country. With public comments on the issue closing on Feb. 18, how are planners reacting to the potential changes?
Exit Interview: D.C. Planning Director Harriet Tregoning Departs for HUD
During Tregoning's seven years at the helm of the Washington, D.C. Office of Planning, she pushed the city to adopt smart-growth policies touching all aspects of life--not just land use, but transportation, the economy, and more.
Looking Back on the 5th Anniversary of the Federal Stimulus
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) was signed into law on February 17, 2009, less than a month into President Obama's first term. The Council of Economic Advisers recently presented its final quarterly report on ARRA's impacts.
Felony Suspected at North Carolina Coal Ash Spill
The Feb. 2 spill of coal ash slurry from a Duke Energy containment pond has taken a new turn with a federal grand jury issuing subpoenas for records from both Duke Energy and the state environmental regulator.
Bridge-gate Widens to Include ARC Tunnel Cancellation
Remember the $8.7 billion Hudson River rail tunnel project that Chris Christie canceled in 2010 shortly after becoming governor? N.J. legislators investigating the September lane shut-down on the George Washington Bridge are now connecting the dots.
Modern Love Looks Like Parking Tickets
Fools rush in, they say—with a little push from the Cambridge Traffic, Parking, & Transportation Department.
Obama Picks Up the Resilience Buzz with $1 Billion Fund Proposal
President Obama is in California today to pitch a $1 billion “resilience fund” to help communities dealing with the weather impacts of climate change—including the state’s current drought.
Business and Labor Agree: Boost the Gas Tax
At a Senate Environment and Public Works Committee meeting on Feb. 12, leaders from big labor, big business, AASHTO, and AMTRAK testified to the importance of keeping the Highway Trust Fund solvent. The first two specified increasing the gas tax.
Big Oil vs. Big Corn in Transportation Fuels Fight
Say what you will about growing corn for fuel, and there are many criticisms even coming from the environmental community, corn ethanol has its benefits, and one of the most important is reducing oil's stranglehold on America's transportaton fuels.
A History of 'Jaywalking' Shame: Santa Claus, Boy Scouts, and Clowns
With jaywalking enforcement policies recently making news in New York City and Los Angeles, more of the media is pushing back on long-held assumptions about who rules the road. Here’s a primer on how jaywalking became a crime.
Change Management: Do Planners Lead Or Follow?
The world is changing, and so must we. Do we wait for external influences to force change, or can we lead our organizations to do better?
"Stop Mass Immigration" Referendum Passes In Switzerland
The vote to approve restrictions on immigration passed narrowly with 50.3 percent of the vote. The main repercussion may be how it impacts trading with its neighbors in the EU as immigration quotas may invalidate a 1999 treaty allowing free movement.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
