The available funding could shift transportation priorities in Southern California’s San Gabriel Valley. But transportation leaders appear to be leaning toward more of the same.

The decision to kill plans to close the Interstate 710 gap left $400 million on the table to fund other transportation projects. With a steady stream of dire warnings about climate change, Carter Rubin says this is a major opportunity to change the course of the San Gabriel Valley's environmental future. The cities that would have been affected by the 710 project are located there, and these communities still face threats from the effects of pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
Rubin wants to see the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority make investments in sustainable transportation, but he says Metro's board of directors is not heading in that direction. Instead, it is considering a package of road projects, including plans to widen a number of roads, despite the fact that cities in the San Gabriel Valley asked for funding for public transit improvements.
He says these projects were developed with little input from these communities. "It’s time for Metro Directors to send this back to the drawing board, generate a true public process centered in the values of community health, equity and sustainability, and produce a list of projects that reduce vehicle emissions, improve mobility for those who need it most, and ensure the residents of the San Gabriel Valley can finally breathe clean air," urges Rubin.
FULL STORY: Metro’s $400 Million Roads Plan Is an Act of Climate Change Denial

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

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.

The Subversive Car-Free Guide to Trump's Great American Road Trip
Car-free ways to access Chicagoland’s best tourist attractions.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont