A political ban on building a subway through some of L.A.'s most dense neighborhoods is being lifted as traffic slows transportaiton to a crawl. But now, finding funding for a Red line expansion may prove nearly impossible.
"Rep. Henry Waxman's recent decision to lift his ban on federal funds for subway tunneling in the Fairfax district was great news for anybody who has ever been stuck in gridlock on the Westside. But Wilshire Boulevard commuters might want to leave the corks in their champagne bottles for now; it's still going to be a long fight to get a subway extension down L.A.'s densest corridor.
...L.A. transit planners have long dreamed of a Wilshire subway from downtown to the ocean. That's not going to happen anytime soon. Villaraigosa will be lucky if he can get a line from Western to Fairfax Avenue approved during his tenure as mayor â€" that three-mile project alone would cost more than $1 billion. His successor can worry about getting the line from Fairfax to Westwood."
Read the full story: Some green for the Red Line
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.
New tax cuts may slash $1.5 billion in funding for Miami transit, public parks
Amendment 3 will save Miami-Dade residents homeowners $2,700 in 2028.
Arizona, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania hope to finally advance climate goals post-midterms
The three states have spent years under Republican or divided control.
Democrats’ victory may threaten act to expedite energy projects
Democrats may decide to vote against the Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act, and negotiate a more favorable bill once the 120th Congress begins.
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
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority