Voters might have approved transit funding multiple measures by wide margins in Los Angeles County in recent years, but actual project proposals still have trouble appealing at the hyper-local level.

Steve Scauzillo reports on the recent controversy over a proposed bus rapid transit route that would connect the neighborhood of North Hollywood, in Los Angeles, to Pasadena, located to the east.
The controversy was on full display at a recent hearing of the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council's Land Use Committee, when 100 residents and business owners from the neighborhood that lies about halfway along the route in Los Angeles showed up to voice concerns about the project.
"Members of a two-week-old group, with a website www.eaglerock411.com, were very concerned about the possibility that the rapid transit busway would use up the grassy median along a 2.3-mile stretch of Colorado Boulevard in Eagle Rock. They are also opposed to turning general traffic lanes in both directions into dedicated bus lanes and removing parking on both sides of the boulevard," reports Scauzillo.
The controversy has erupted since the Board of Directors at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority decided recently not to run the route along the 134 Freeway, and instead chose a route along streets in Eagle Rock. "After holding several meetings in 2017 and 2018, Metro determined that community members in Eagle Rock, a neighborhood of Los Angeles just west of Pasadena, as well as Glendale and Burbank wanted a bus rapid transit line that would maximize street stops and stop at local shopping areas and workplaces," according to Scauzillo.
More details of the opposition's opinions on the proposal are included in the article.
FULL STORY: Eagle Rock says not so fast to proposed Pasadena-to-North Hollywood bus line

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.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie