The North Carolina college town boasts free transit and dozens of miles of bike lanes and greenways.

Writing in Yahoo News, Mike Taylor highlights the city of Chapel Hill, North Carolina’s success at building a comprehensive multimodal transportation network. The city and its neighbor Carrboro are home to “one of the largest free transportation systems in the world,” as well as 25 miles of greenways and 15 miles of bike lanes. “Bicycles are a popular mode of transportation, and Chapel Hill Transit in 2022 gave 3.4 million rides despite the cities’ combined population of just 83,396.”
Chapel Hill’s success is particularly impressive in light of the fact that 90 percent or more of North Carolina’s transportation budget is directed to highway projects. “The legislature also prohibits the use of state funds for standalone bicycle and pedestrian projects and limits public transportation expenditures.”
FULL STORY: Town lauded for innovative new public transportation model where ‘everyone wins’: ‘A critical step’

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

Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).

The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.

In These Cities, Most New Housing is Under 441 Square Feet
With loosened restrictions on “micro-housing,” tiny units now make up as much as 66% of newly constructed housing.

Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.

This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
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Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)