Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley has outgrown it's reputation as 'America's Suburb' and become a high-density community -- now complete with its own dedicated busway, modeled after the system in Curitiba, Brazil.
The Orange Line marks a compromise from an actual Valley rail line that transit planners long dreamed about but nearby residents opposed for almost two decades. Officials switched to the busway approach seven years ago after concluding that it would cost 75% less than a rail system. They traveled to Curitiba, Brazil, to see its system of busways that crisscross the region.
...But the Orange Line 'doesn't go anywhere you would want it to go,' said Joel Kotkin, a Valley Village resident and Irvine senior fellow at the New America Foundation, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. 'It's a tour of the industrial bowels of the Valley. And there's no place to stop to get a cup of coffee.' "
FULL STORY: Is a Busway the Valley Way?

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

USGS Water Science Centers Targeted for Closure
If their work is suspended, states could lose a valuable resource for monitoring, understanding, and managing water resources.

End Human Sacrifices to the Demanding Gods of Automobile Dependency and Sprawl
The U.S. has much higher traffic fatality rates than peer countries due to automobile dependency and sprawl. Better planning can reduce these human sacrifices.

Seattle Transit Asked to Clarify Pet Policy
A major dog park near a new light rail stop is prompting calls to update and clarify rules for bringing pets on Seattle-area transit systems.

Oregon Bill Would End Bans on Manufactured Housing
The bill would prevent new developments from prohibiting mobile homes and modular housing.

Nashville Doesn’t Renew Bike Share Contract, Citing Lost Federal Funding
The city’s bike share system, operated by BCycle, could stop operating if the city doesn’t find a new source of funding.
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