Los Angeles has created a joint-powers authority to consider a regional magnetic-levitation train system. The $26 billion system would be funded and operated by a private firm.
"On the one hand, the City Council is exploring the possibility of something that's new, innovative, cost-efficient and would be a boon to the entire region."
"And on the other, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is pushing an idea that's old, outrageously expensive and would drain resources from most of the Los Angeles region."
"Call it maglev vs. subway to the sea - a study in contrasts."
"On Wednesday, the Los Angeles City Council gave initial approval to a $26 billion high-speed, magnetic-levitation train system by creating a joint-powers agreement with neighboring cities. The train system would start at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, run through downtown, and eventually reach Ontario Airport."
"When completed, the maglev would remove countless trucks from the road by moving cargo transit to rails. By including a passenger component, it would take commuters off the road, too, and facilitate airport regionalization, thus relieving pressure on the 405 Freeway and Los Angeles International Airport."
FULL STORY: Maglev vs. subway

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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