Tom Madrecki has compiled a roundup of how local land use and transportation related measures fared on Tuesday night. From Maine to Marin, voters approved initiatives to invest in transit, parks, redevelopment, and conservation.
"The good news," says Smart Growth America President and CEO Geoffrey Anderson, "is that across the nation last night, we saw widespread
support for investing in our existing communities. When voters see the
real benefits of putting their tax dollars into a project, they're very
much inclined to support it, no matter what kind of town they're from."
The approval of ballot measures in communities including Arlington, VA; Longmont, CO; and Everett, WA, "highlighted voters' strong support for neighborhood reinvestment and community building." Notable failures were in Alameda and Los Angeles, CA, were voters narrowly rejected sales tax for transportation measures, and Memphis where, "voters strongly rejected a one cent per gallon gas tax to fund transit operations."
"Where ballot initiatives passed, residents found common ground
strengthening their towns and cities at a local level," Anderson says.
"In an era where money is tight for governments and households, every
dollar is being scrutinized, so it's remarkable how many of these
initiatives passed. And of those that didn't, several nonetheless had
the support of a majority of voters."
Read the full story: Voters say ‘yes’ to great neighborhoods, transportation choices via Tuesday ballot initiatives
The Biggest Transportation Winner on the Nov. 4 Ballot
The ballot measure generating the most new transportation funds approved by voters this month was in Alameda County, Calif. Voters chose to double an existing sales tax to one percent and extend it to 2045, raising $7.8 billion over 30 years.
California city permanently bans data centers
A ballot measure to indefinitely ban data centers from Monterey Park was approved by roughly 86% of voters in a special election in June.
80% of Public Transit Measures Passed in Last Week’s Elections
Around the country, voters said yes to supporting public transit.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Judges permit Denver to divert 77,000 acre feet from the Colorado River for reservoir expansion
Overuse and climate change have caused the Colorado River’s water levels to plummet.
NYC DOT wants faster, more permanent street upgrades
The city is examining ways to build more concrete infrastructure without getting entangled in 'decades-long' projects.
'Something we’ve never seen before:' rising utility rates could strain city finances nationwide
Data centers, climate change and other factors have caused utility rates in the United States to increase by 38% since 2020.
Trump to overrule local leaders, lease millions of acres of America’s Pacific Island territories’ seafloors to mining companies
International law says that the Indigenous people of America’s territories have a right to prior and informed consent regarding projects that impact their countries.
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Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
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