How outdated and inefficient city processes can hinder the progress of transportation projects and prevent the development of a comprehensive transportation strategy.

A new National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) report titled Structured for Success assesses the structural and bureaucratic challenges that impede the effective deployment of transportation projects. Jared Brey outlines the report’s findings in Governing.
In the new report, the group defines several typologies of organizational structures, from ‘transportation-focused’ to ‘transportation-diffuse.’ Those typologies help illuminate various challenges in cities that consolidate all transportation-related activities under one department versus those that have people working on transportation issues spread throughout multiple departments.
Brey spoke with Jenny O’Connell, a senior program manager at NACTO, who says the structure of organizations and bureaucratic workflows matters because “A lot of agencies are trying really hard to be responsive to their residents, but the systems that they have in place — challenging procurement processes, difficult contracting processes, administrative red tape — can make it really hard.”
When asked “How do you diagnose a structural problem or a process problem?,” O’Connell mentioned “challenges that come up in similar ways across agencies,” competition among agencies for funding, staffing, and resources, and redundancy across teams as red flags. O’Connell recommends a focus on having a “transportation champion at the head of an agency that deals with all of the transportation functions of a city” that can help coordinate efforts and keep transportation priorities front and center. “Generally what we see is that the agencies that are transportation-focused or transportation-inclusive tend to be able to solve some of those big structural challenges.”
FULL STORY: How Cities Can Solve Transportation Problems and Deliver Better Service

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.

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.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie