The recommendations issued by a panel of experts concluded that bus improvements could serve travelers sooner and more cost-effectively than the proposed AirTrain rail line.

A report from a panel of experts on how to best improve public transit connectivity to New York’s LaGuardia Airport does not recommend the controversial—and stalled—AirTrain plan, rendering it “effectively dead,” writes Eddie Small in Crain’s New York. The panel instead recommended improving the Q70 LaGuardia Link bus service and adding a nonstop shuttle from Astoria to the airport.
“Improvements to the Q70 bus line that they recommended included building a mile-long exclusive bus lane along the northbound Brooklyn-Queens Expressway between Northern Boulevard and Astoria Boulevard and creating an area specifically for bus pickups and dropoffs by Terminal C. The new shuttle service at the end of the N/W line would feature dedicated bus lanes on 31st Street and 19th Avenue to minimize travel time.”
The report was requested by New York Governor Kathy Hochul, who said she accepts the findings and looks forward to their implementation. Although a subway line would be ideal, the panel noted that high costs and long timelines for subway extensions make bus service a faster, more cost-effective way to improve connectivity. Bus improvement costs are estimated at roughly $500 million, while light rail options were projected to cost as much as $6.2 billion.
FULL STORY: LaGuardia AirTrain plan scrapped in favor of bus improvements

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

‘Train Daddy’ Andy Byford to Oversee Amtrak’s High-Speed Rail Efforts
Byford, who formerly ran NYC Transit and Transport for London, could bring renewed vigor to the agency’s plans to expand regional rail in the United States.

Seattle Bus Lane Cameras Capture Over 100,000 Violations
An automated traffic enforcement pilot program caught drivers illegally using transit lanes more than 110,000 times in less than a year.

Immigration Grows, Population Drops in Many U.S. Counties
International immigration to the country’s most populous areas tripled even as major metropolitan areas continued to lose population.

$616 Million in Development Incentives Approved for District Detroit
The “Transformational Brownfield” incentives approved by the Detroit City Council for the $1.5 billion District Detroit still require approval by the state.

Affordable Housing Development Rejected for Lack of Third Staircase in Connecticut
The New Canaan Planning Commission rejected a development proposal, including 31 below-market-rate apartments, for lack of a third staircase, among other reasons, at a time when advocates are pushing to relax two-staircase requirements.
Houston-Galveston Area Council
City of Malibu
Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
City of Lomita
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