With no US government or private funding available, the Canadian government has announced it will pony up the remaining funds for a new toll bridge connecting their country with Detroit, which they see as a jobs creator.
The Canadian investment isn't altogether altruistic- the funds come with the promise that Canada will get paid back out of bridge tolls.
But opponents of the project say there isn't enough traffic to warrant the new bridge and that the projected revenue is optimistic. Peter Samuel of TollRoadsNews looked at the construction company bids on the project:
"The respondents strongly favor an availability payments model, whereby they get paid for providing the bridge and operating it, regardless of toll revenues. This means the major business risk is carried by the governments, not the investors.
The unwillingness of responders to take any risk on toll revenues suggests they are highly skeptical about it as a self-financing project."
FULL STORY: Canadian Gov commits $550m loan to help Michigan cover costs of new Detroit River toll bridge
Detroit Launches Community Land Trust
A newly created CLT aims to support the building of affordable housing.
Detroit Transit Agency Requests $20M Budget Increase
The Detroit Department of Transportation wants to boost ridership by hiring more drivers, buying new buses, and enhancing station infrastructure.
Analysis: Just 5 Percent of Detroit Bus Stops Have Shelters
The city’s thousands of bus stops are sorely lacking in seating and shelters to protect riders from rain, snow, and sun.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
Savannah Reduces Speed Limits on Almost 100 City Streets
The historic Georgia city is lowering speed limits in an effort to reduce road fatalities.
A Park Reborn: Resilience and Renewal in Fire-Stricken Altadena
Rebuilt in just two months after the devastating Eaton Fire, Loma Alta Park now stands as a symbol of community resilience and renewal, even as some residents hope recovery efforts will continue to support housing stability and long-term equity.
Spain Moves to Ban 66,000 Airbnbs
The national government is requiring the short-term rental operator to remove thousands of illegal listings from its site as part of an effort to stem a growing housing crisis.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions