A study commissioned by NCDOT finds that HOV lanes for the research Triangle region are far more expensive than anticipated.
"Planners say the DOT told them initially that simple lanes would cost about $200 million, and complex lanes, double that.But last summer, Transportation Secretary Lyndo Tippett hit on the idea of an elevated highway, two lanes in each direction, that could carry buses, carpools and express traffic through the Triangle, or at least through congested RTP.Local planners suspected the price would be so high as to not be feasible. But the DOT was paying for the study.The study showed it would cost $3.6 billion to build 28 miles of viaduct, or $129 million a mile. It typically costs about $2.5 million a mile to add one lane in each direction to a freeway."
Thanks to Patrick McDonough
Read the full story: Carpool lanes face 'setback'
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority