Infrastructure

The Origins of Speed Limits
Motor vehicle crashes claim over 30,000 lives per year, with related costs in the hundreds of billions. While we sometimes view that frightening statistic as inevitable, there are reasons to reexamine speed limits and how we set them.
President Obama Signs Three-Month Transportation Funding Bill
The Senate was hard at work on Thursday, passing not one but two transportation funding bills—first its controversial six-year (funded for three) transportation reauthorization bill, the DRIVE Act, and then, most importantly, the patch bill.
Northeast Rail Corridor Woes Extend Far Beyond Hudson River Tunnels
While Amtrak's century-old Hudson River rail tunnels may capture the public's attention, particularly when they are closed, infrastructure problems on the Northeast Corridor also plague the line from Rhode Island to Washington, D.C.
Blog Series Explores the 'Heart of the Arctic'
Hazel Borys chronicles an Arctic expedition adventure, rife with environmental insights. If you ever wondered what it felt like in the olden days to receive dispatches from explorers off in distant mysterious lands, maybe it felt something like this.
City Life in the Republic of NGOs
Haiti's weak government and heavy foreign aid presence has led some to refer to it as the "Republic of NGOs." Satellite explored how this dynamic plays out in the small city of Fort-Liberté, which has been shaken by recent protests over electricity.

Severe Underfunding Hurts Denver Bike Plan
According to an audit, the Denver Moves plan hasn't lived up to its goals, mainly because of a poor showing in the city's budget since implementation in 2011.
Guidance for Providing Safe Access to Parks
The American Planning Association has released new information on the role of planners in providing safe routes to parks.
Washington State to Increase Gas Tax by Seven Cents on Saturday
The phased, two-year, 11.9-cent gas tax increase is the largest since Pennsylvania's gas tax increase passed in Nov. 2013. On July 1, 2016, fuel taxes will be raised 4.9 cents. Taxes will fund a $16.1 billion package of transportation improvements.
U.S. Cities Rank Highly as Locations for Startups
The Startup Genome Project ranks the Silicon Valley as far and away the best location in the world for startup businesses, but other American cities appear all over the top ten.
Congressional Republicans Agree to Three-Month Transportation Funding Patch
Overcoming their differences, Republican leaders in both chambers agreed Wednesday to a three-month patch bill to continue transportation spending through Oct. 29. The bill must pass by Friday due to lack of funds in the Highway Trust Fund.
One Bridge on the Way, Another Still Possible on U.S.-Canada Border
With a request for qualifications for a new bridge, connecting Detroit with Windsor, Canada, and a proposal for another bridge on the table, it'a bridge building time on the U.S.-Canadian border.
Phoenix Sales Tax Measure Key to County's Transit Future
On August 25, voters in Phoenix and Maricopa County will determine the outcome of Proposition 104, a transportation sales tax measure that would raise $17 billion for a wide variety of transportation improvements, including extended light rail.
Foundations for First U.S. Offshore Wind Power Towed to Construction Site
Last week the foundations for five wind turbines were towed into place off Block Island, 13 miles east of Rhode Island in the Atlantic Ocean. Scheduled to go online in 2016, they will be the first offshore wind turbines in the United States.
TxDOT Ditches Proposal for Pierce Elevated Park
A proposal to transform the Pierce Elevated in Houston into a linear park joins the slag heap of Houston's history of never-built projects.

Revealed: Sweeping Redesign of LaGuardia Airport
Long a punch line of the airline industry, LaGuardia Airport will receive a dramatic upgrade—if a plan proposed by New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is approved.

Pedestrianization Models from China
For urbanization in China's cities to be truly human-centered, pedestrianization plans must be thoroughly considered.
America's Hidden Pothole Tax
A new report from TRIP has been released showing which regions have the worst maintained roads. United States drivers on average pay an annual 'hidden pothole tax' of $515, double that in Los Angeles and the Bay Area. Highway funding expires July 31.
What the Transportation Agenda of the Future Looks Like
All the talk about the Highway Trust Fund can make it seem like the U.S. transportation system. Robert Puentes and Adie Tomer argue that funding is only a symptom of the deeper problem.
Texas Central High-Speed Railway Reaches Funding Milestone
The Dallas-to-Houston project will be the first operating high speed rail line in the United States when it opens in 2021. The project received $75 million in private funding, allowing planning for the project to advance.
An Unexpected Advocate for Utah's Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fee
One would expect the Utah Taxpayers Association to oppose county measures to increase general sales taxes by .25 percent to fund transportation programs, so their endorsement of an alternative revenue option, the mileage fee, is surprising.
Pagination
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie