Florida Department of Transportation is purchasing 30 homes to widen the State Road 826 in Miami-Dade County.
In what the department called a "relatively rare process," FDOT purchased 22 homes lining the west and east sides of the highway in the past year, and is in negotiations for eight others, officials said. Alex Casals, a right-of-way manager for the DOT, said that in the 15 years he has been with the agency, this is only the second roadway project that required residential homes to be taken. The expansion from Coral Way to Bird Road is not expected to begin until 2011, but the agency needs to have the land in its possession before it can get funding for the project. The department has paid homeowners between $197,000 and $290,000 each for their homes, a total of more than $5 million for the 22 homes. But some real estate brokers said that the ones purchased in the low $200,000s were worth more money.
Thanks to Silvia E. Vargas
FULL STORY: S.R. 826 widening squeezing out homeowners

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie