Seattle has been putting its money where its mouth is with policies to discourage driving.
"Seattle will develop a plan to toll city roadways as part of its efforts to reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse-gas emissions," reports David Gutman.
"Details of what such a plan might look like are sparse, and will hinge on a tolling study focused on downtown neighborhoods that should have initial results later this year," adds Gutman.
Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan announced the plan, so the concept of congestion pricing has more than a little support from its political leadership. Mayor Durkan also congestion could be in place by the end of her first term, in 2021.
Seattle made news last week for approving citywide parking reform that will lower parking requirements in transit oriented neighborhoods and for affordable housing. If congestion pricing were approved in Seattle, the city would take a national leadership role, by far, in approving policies to discourage driving and mitigate congestion.
An article by Angie Schmitt provides more details on the benefits of congestion pricing, such as for public health outcomes, for the international cities that have instituted the policy.
FULL STORY: Tolls on downtown streets? Seattle mayor pushes for plan to cut traffic, greenhouse gases
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New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
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Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
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FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association