Besieged by growing traffic snarls, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners has voted to consider a light rail system in the greater Detroit area.
"Although the GOP’s anti-tax ideology is, for the moment, trumping its business-at-any-cost predilections, the enormous expense associated with all things having to do with roads is inviting a new reckoning about transportation investments. Oakland County and the state, for instance, are united in their zeal to reconstruct feeder roads and widen an 18-mile portion of I-75 from Eight Mile to M-59, at a cost currently projected to be roughly $1 billion.
But late last month, to everybody’s surprise, the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, by a near-unanimous vote, approved a resolution urging the county to much more seriously consider spending at a similar magnitude on a regional public transit system. The issue, in a new century of deficit, uncertainty and change is: Which is the wiser investment?"
FULL STORY: Roads not working
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