In this editorial, blogger Kevin Buchanan argues that a Fort Worth streetcar is being delayed by political forces and should move forward for the benefit of the community.
Buchanan writes, "At the last council meeting, when the vote to hire HDR came up, it got delayed until April 6th. This latest in a string of delays has caused strong frustration within the city, within the business and development communities, and within the citizens who are eager for progress on the streetcar project. It now appears to us that this delay is due to a variety of forces attempting to kill the project before the study is even underway.
There appears to be an effort underway now to stop the study from happening, and to raid the NCTCOG grant money and turn it over to at-grade improvements for the infamous Tower 55 project. Put another way, various influential bodies and council members would like to take the streetcar study money and instead turn it over to helping BNSF and Union Pacific, the two railroad companies impacted by the Tower 55 situation."
FULL STORY: Streetcar Project In Jeopardy

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

San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.

The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.

Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.

As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.

With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)