Infrastructure
Charlotte Streetcar Opens Today
The 1.5-mile, $37 million segment of Charlotte's controversial new LYNX Gold streetcar line is set to open July 14. A former mayor, Anthony Foxx, is now the U.S. Transportation Secretary. A federal grant is paying 68 percent of construction costs.
Chinese 'Sponge Cities' Will Capture Rainwater
Existing grey infrastructure in China cannot cope with rapid urban expansion and frequent droughts and floods. Several cities, with Beijing's approval, are experimenting with rainwater capture methods as an alternative.
Op-Ed: Airport Express Train Unnecessary in Chicago
Plans to construct a prestigious express line to O'Hare airport may be overkill. The existing Blue Line, which could benefit from some investment, already connects downtown Chicago and the airport.
10-Cent Fuel Tax Introduced by Conservative Republican
The basics of South Carolina Rep. Tom Rice's "Highway Trust Fund Certainty Act": Increase federal gas and diesel taxes by 10.1 cents in one year, index to inflation, and issue an income tax credit for $133.
Sunday Funday: Video Game Plays on Fears About Crumbling Infrastructure
The game is called INFRA—the action is set in a city where corruption in the private and public sectors has left the city on the brink of collapse.
Stormwater Improvements Linked to Freeway Project in Northeast Denver
The funding needed to complete the Two Basin Drainage Project in Denver would come as a package deal with a $1.2 billion plan to overhaul I-70. Residents are concerned that they might be getting more than they bargained for.
California Gas Tax Increase Hits Partisan Impasse
SB 16, Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill that would hike gas taxes by 10 cents, diesel taxes by 12, and increase other fees, is stuck in the Senate, lacking one vote to pass.
A Scathing Critique of the New Tappan Zee Bridge
A new book examines the convoluted history of one of the country's most controversial infrastructure projects.
Missouri Shows How Not to Expand Highways, Though Unintentionally
The Missouri Department of Transportation will adhere strictly to a "fix it" (as opposed to "fix-it-first") policy for the next five years, because there are no funds for roadway expansion.
Caltrain Hits Barrier of Litigation on Tracks to Electrification
The Surface Transportation Board's denial of Caltrain's request to provide an exemption from the California Environmental Quality Act gives the go ahead to the Town of Atherton's lawsuit requesting the rail board redo its Environmental Impact Report.
Iowa DOT Head Predicts Contraction for State's Highway System
When the director of transportation for the state of Iowa admits that the highway system is overbuilt, Charles Marohn asks the question: which of the 49 remaining DOT heads will also speak honestly about their systems?
California Governor Brown's Conflicting Road Budget Priorities
When his father was governor, California was awash in federal highway dollars. Now Jerry Brown's administration contemplates a risky tax hike, juggling the need for road improvements with a clean, transit-oriented agenda.
Pittsburgh Votes: Keep Our Bridges Gold
In a civic exercise only possible in Pittsburgh, residents voted online in resounding support of keeping the color scheme of the city's famous Three Sisters Bridges.
Need Convincing that Vehicle-Miles-Traveled Fees Make Sense?
Eric Jaffe's July 1 article in CityLab has 18 reasons, and not one in opposition. The date is significant as it marks the official kickoff of the Oregon Road Usage Charge program.
Millennials Lead in Alternate Mobility
It's no secret that Millennials will use alternate modes when they're available and accessible. It's also no secret that adapting streets to those modes—and using them—can be a bargain.
Self-Driving Cars as Public Transportation
No one in the business doubts that autonomous vehicles will have some role to play in the future of transit. But right now, questions abound and answers are still only speculative.
Bills to Hike Michigan Gas Tax by 15 Cents Squeak Through State Senate
Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley broke a tie vote in the state Senate on July 1 to pass a 15-cent gas tax increase over three years to raise $1.5 billion. In May, voters rejected a sales tax increase that would have triggered a gas tax increase.
Tribal Community Sues Over Phoenix-Area Freeway Plans
The 'South Mountain Freeway' would build a 22-mile freeway extension between Laveen and Chandler. The route's proximity to sacred tribal land has prompted a lawsuit, even after years of planning.
State Gas Tax Changes Effective July 1: Six Up; One Down
Carl Davis, Research Director of the Institute on Tax and Economic Policy (ITEP) writes where gas taxes used to fund transportation infrastructure increased, if only by decimal points, and about the aberration—the six-cent plunge in California.
Should City Planners Worry About Water Supply?
It’s a big question being tackled by land use planners and water providers in Colorado, where the traditional disconnect between water realities and land use decisions precludes a sustainable balance between water supply and urban growth.
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
