The newest transit safety bill was unveiled yesterday to cautious praise. While states are struggling to fund transit, FTA chief Peter Rogoff says the goal is to create a nationwide floor for transit safety.
"The transit safety legislation, which was transmitted to congressional leaders yesterday, would allow states to keep their current transit oversight structure as long as federal regulators find that it meets a minimum safety threshold. States would receive federal aid to defray the costs of hiring and training safety inspectors, as well as achieving financial independence from the transit agencies they monitor."
"The FTA was prohibited from setting national transit safety under a 1965 law that was modified in 1991, when Congress created an oversight system that allowed flexible state standards for light rail and subways. Some state groups, such as those in New York and Massachusetts, have maintained independent and active oversight, but other transit safety entities -- Washington D.C.'s, most notably -- have been exposed as toothless."
FULL STORY: White House Unveils Transit Safety Bill to Cautious Praise on the Hill
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
New Park Opens in the Santa Clarita Valley
The City of Santa Clarita just celebrated the grand opening of its 38th park, the 10.5-acre Skyline Ranch Park.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
How Urban Form Impacts Housing Affordability
The way we design cities affects housing costs differently than you might think.
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