Industry experts project growth for electric buses, which could have big impacts on air quality and emissions in cities around the world.

Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York have all made commitments to purchase battery-electric buses (BEBs) in the coming years. These completely electric vehicles are being manufactured by a number of suppliers including: Proterra, Volkswagen, Volvo and Hyundai. "As these companies scale up, it creates more and more of an actual industry, a supply chain of parts and expertise that aspiring new companies can draw on. With scale and learning come falling costs," David Roberts writes for Vox.
In addition to providing the possibility of curbing emissions, BEBs get air pollution out of the densest parts of cities. "For one thing, the world is rapidly urbanizing and particulate pollution — especially from diesel, the fuel of choice for older buses — is increasingly seen as a health crisis," writes Roberts. Without the large engines required in diesel buses, BEBs can ride lower to the ground, electric motors also provide a quieter ride.
FULL STORY: Electric buses are coming, and they’re going to help fix 4 big urban problems

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

DOJ Says Trump Has Power to Roll Back National Monuments
The opinion sheds light on how the administration may justify its effort to eliminate protected public lands.

Maryland Awards $1.25M in TOD-Related Grants
The state’s DOT is funding projects that prepare sites around transit stations for future mixed-use development and housing.

Judge Rules in Favor of Massachusetts TOD Law
The court rejected an argument that the MBTA Communities law, which requires zoning for multifamily housing, is an “unfunded mandate.”
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