Pipeline breaks are a daily occurrence in the city, but funding for an expanded pipe-replacement program has been a contentious issue.

Jessica Boehm reports that Phoenix is at a crossroads in dealing with its aging waterline infrastructure. The city has 7,000 waterlines, many of which will need to be replaced now or in coming decades. The city deals with 4,000 waterline breaks annually that cause street closures and traffic problems and waste large quantities of water.
But, the city does not have the funds needed to expand its pipe-replacement program. The city council recently voted to increase the water rate by 6 percent this year and again next year in order to raise $500 million to replace pipes as well as build new wells to access groundwater.
The city council was split. Opponents say low-income residents are going to be unfairly burdened by the rate hike and funding needs to come from other sources. But supporters argue that Phoenix has to be proactive about upgrading its water infrastructure or it will face a water supply crisis in the future.
FULL STORY: Phoenix has 4,000 waterline breaks per year. Will water-rate hike solve the problem?

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

Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”

Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.

Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.

Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”

Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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