High Speed Rail Authority officials describe the milestone as "the moment this project truly begins to become a railroad."
After nearly a decade of construction, the California High Speed Rail Authority has awarded a construction contract of up to $3.5 billion to lay the system's first tracks. A joint venture of firms Kiewit, Stacy Witbeck and Herzog will construct the tracks between Merced and Bakersfield in phases, each requiring board approval.
"The board’s new chair, Steve Kawa, described the award as a turning point for a project that has been slow to clear environmental rules, acquire the necessary right-of-way and build out infrastructure," The Fresno Bee reports. "'Today the conversation changes,' he said during the meeting. “Track and system construction is the moment this project truly begins to become a railroad.'"
FULL STORY: CA High-Speed Rail OKs $3.5B contract that puts laying first tracks on new timeline
California High-Speed Rail Authority could be broke by the end of 2027
A report from the Office of Inspector General says the authority must borrow against state infusions to stay afloat.
TOD Opportunities Around America's First True High-Speed Rail Line
Brightline West hopes to break ground, in anticipation of a 2027 opening. Cities in the Inland Empire and High Desert areas of Southern California are looking to take advantage.
Brightline Opening to Central Florida Delayed
The high-speed rail connection between West Palm Beach and Orlando will not open on time for the holiday weekend as originally planned.
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