More than 750 traffic signals in Montgomery County, Maryland, were crippled last week after the failure of a piece of electrical equipment that was 37 years old. The old technology and the repercussions are being called a warning to other cities.
"The coincidence of twin mini-disasters for commuters last week might foreshadow scores of problems as cash-strapped governments stagger into the 21st century burdened by creaking 20th-century technology. Unlike businesses, which have had to keep pace with technological advances to stay competitive, government and public agencies facing budget woes more readily can postpone spending to replace old but still functional equipment.
'This is a wake-up to all municipalities across the nation and the area and underscores the dangers -- the ticking time bombs -- buried in our aging traffic engineering infrastructure,' said John B. Townsend II, spokesman for AAA Mid-Atlantic. 'We are playing catch-up, because lawmakers have been unwilling to fund upgrades.'"
The aging infrastructure that caused the problem was already a known risk, but the local government had few resources to replace it with newer technologies.
FULL STORY: Montgomery, Metro outages suggest more lapses coming
Cities and States Large Borrowing Causes Concern
As the economic downturn has caused many states and municipalities to borrow large amounts of money, some worry there may be a glut of them going bankrupt.
Engineers Gave America's Roads an Almost Failing Grade — Why Aren't We Fixing Them?
With over a trillion dollars spent on roads that are still falling apart, advocates propose a new “fix it first” framework.
Is This Urbanism?
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Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
Sean Duffy Targets Rainbow Crosswalks in Road Safety Efforts
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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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie