Lobbyists from a diesel bus manufacturer, New Flyer, reached out to Miami's mayor after the company lost a bid for new buses in the city to electric bus company Proterra.
Miami-Dade County administrators have made steps to modernize the bus fleet with a purchase of new electric buses, but diesel bus manufacturer New Flyer is hoping the purchase won't go through. "With the estimated $23 million deal awaiting a final sign-off from Mayor Carlos Gimenez, a losing bidder is urging Miami-Dade to throw out the recommendation and buy its vehicles instead," Douglas Hanks writes for the Miami Herald.
New Flyer argues that the electric buses from Proterra could pose a risk to the county if they are delivered late or if the technology isn't as dependable as advertised. For his part Proterra's CEO,Ryan Popple, has countered that his competitor has spent its money on lobbying over innovation.
Meanwhile, Miami commuters are suffering. The city's public transit has been rated the least reliable in the country, partly because of frequent breakdowns.
FULL STORY: Miami-Dade is almost ready to buy its first electric buses. Enter the lobbyists
Miami Breaks Ground on All-Electric Transit Center
The terminal will have the capacity to power 100 electric buses.
Learning From Miami
Miami is denser than most American cities, but is more car-dependent than some less compact cities. Why?
Miami-Dade County Could Be Next on the Fare-Free Bus
A county commissioner is asking for a study of fare-free transit programs in Kansas City and Salt Lake City to inform the potential implementation fo a similar program in the South Florida county.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
.jpg){kind=link}
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)