The agency will not be able to go forward with former plans to improve station facilities and transit safety, and expand service.
The New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority has halted some major infrastructure projects after Governor Kathy Hochul suspended the congestion pricing program that was expected to boost revenue.
According to an article by Sebastian Obando in Smart Cities Dive, “The pause in construction projects is a major setback for the city’s infrastructure development, particularly at a time when the city’s transportation network is in dire need of upgrades.”
Suspended projects include the much-anticipated Second Avenue Subway and improvements at two Queens stations. “[Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York Building Congress] expects construction firms, both large and small, to feel the immediate impact of these pauses, with a significant reduction in jobs and economic activity. Without timely action on congestion pricing, Scissura said New York City risks falling behind in maintaining and expanding its transportation infrastructure.”
On Wednesday, the MTA Board of Directors voted to uphold the governor’s suspension and scale back the agency’s maintenance and expansion plans.
FULL STORY: MTA halts 2 more NYC projects in funding fight over congestion pricing
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association