Transit advocates say the state’s carbon reduction strategy reveals a continued preference for car-oriented infrastructure.

Texas transportation advocates say the state Department of Transportation’s ‘Carbon Reduction Strategy’ does “the bare minimum” to reduce emissions in the transportation sector, writes Erin Douglas in the Texas Tribune, noting that the document is a requirement to receive federal transportation funds.
“According to the TxDOT draft document, a chunk of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act money will be transferred to a highway program, and the agency says highway expansions could be eligible for the funds because they will reduce congestion, thereby reducing emissions from idling cars.” As Douglas explains, the plan projects an increase in vehicle miles driven as the state’s population grows and promotes highway projects as a way to reduce congestion, although “Both public transportation and environmental advocates are critical of the agency’s argument that improving traffic flow will reduce carbon emissions from vehicles.”
Douglas adds, “The draft strategy doesn’t use the words ‘climate change’ and nor does it state the importance of reducing emissions to avoid worsening effects of climate change.” Meanwhile, TxDOT largely places the burden of building public transit on local agencies, though “The draft strategy also includes improvements in bicycling and walking infrastructure and projects that support the use of public transportation, such as pedestrian bridges.”
FULL STORY: Texas could spend federal funds meant to cut carbon emissions on highway projects

Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.

Montreal Mall to Become 6,000 Housing Units
Place Versailles will be transformed into a mixed-use complex over the next 25 years.

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

LA Falling Behind on Housing Goals
Last year, the city permitted just 30 percent of the number of housing units needed to meet a growing need.

Connecting Communities to Nature Close to Home
Los Angeles County’s Nature in Your Neighborhood program brings free, family-friendly wellness and nature activities to local parks, making it easier for residents to enjoy and connect with the outdoors.

Palmdale’s Beloved Water Park Gets $2 Million Upgrade
To mark its 20th anniversary, DryTown Water Park has undergone major renovations, ensuring that families across the Antelope Valley continue to enjoy safe, affordable, and much-needed water-based recreation in the high desert.
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City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
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Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
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