The program, aimed at supporting highway removals and other projects that work to reverse the impacts of freeway construction, is light on accountability and performance measures, according to a new report.

A report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office found that the Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program does not have clear, measurable objectives or performance benchmarks, writes Dan Zukowski in Smart Cities Dive.
Reconnecting Communities targets projects that mitigate the damage of freeways by removing them, building accommodations for pedestrians and cyclists, or otherwise improve walkability and connectivity in the areas surrounding them. But without clear goals and measures, it could end up contributing to road expansion projects and band-aid solutions that only superficially improve neighborhood connectivity.
The report recommended that the Department of Transportation take three key steps to improve the program:
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Establish performance measures in line with the program’s objectives.
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Develop a plan to collect and analyze data from the program aimed at evaluating results.
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Find a way to share learnings from the program, such as whether the DOT is attracting enough high-quality projects and whether they can be completed in a reasonable timeframe.
FULL STORY: DOT’s Reconnecting Communities highway removal program lacks performance measures: GAO report

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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