Transportation for America’s report argues that the growing cost of maintaining highways should refocus spending away from expansion projects, toward maintenance efforts.

Road conditions are deteriorating in the United States, and a report from Transportation for America argues that too many new roads is a big part of the problem. "Between 2009 and 2017, states added 223,494 highway lane miles — enough to crisscross the United States 83 times, T4A says. Those new highways add to the already crushing maintenance burden," Angie Schmitt writes for Streetsblog USA.
Many have suspected that incentives push state governments to build new assets for ribbon cuttings, instead of maintaining existing resources. This report confirms that contention. "If Congress really wants to improve infrastructure, it should attach some strings to any funding to prioritize maintenance over new construction," Schmitt suggests. Without these strings, states create a vicious cycle where each administration creates more assets to maintain while letting the ones it inherited fall further and further into disrepair.
FULL STORY: The Real Reason Roads Are In Bad Shape

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.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.

What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.

Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
Despite evidence that colorful crosswalks actually improve intersection safety — and the lack of almost any crosswalks at all on the nation’s most dangerous arterial roads — U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy is calling on states to remove them.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie