New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, the last World War Two veteran to serve in the body, passed away on Monday. Kate Hinds looks at the record of 'the driving force between some of the country's most transformative transportation policies.'
"U.S. Senator Frank Lautenberg's final tweet was about a proposed train tunnel under the Hudson River," notes Hinds. "It was a fitting coda to a career driving transportation policy -- transforming everything from smoking on airplanes to instituting stricter blood alcohol standards for drivers. On train travel in particular, Lautenberg never flagged, securing $6 billion in federal funding for a transit tunnel under the Hudson River and feuding with Governor Chris Christie almost until the end of his life after Christie pulled the plug on the project."
“Every transit rider – not just in New Jersey but in America – owes a huge debt of gratitude to the efforts of Senator Frank Lautenberg,” said Peter Rogoff, the head of the Federal Transit Administration, at a transit conference in Philadelphia Monday.
FULL STORY: "Every Transit Rider In America Owes a Huge Debt to Senator Frank Lautenberg"
In New York's Next Penn Station, Function Does Not Always Follow Form
Some of the time and money invested in the visually spectacular Moynihan Station should have been spent looking at how well it actually works for commuters, writes Alon Levy.
Formidable Barriers Threaten Penn Station Renovation
Last month N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo proposed that Empire Station replace Penn Station, but many challenging parts, e.g., the Hudson River Tunnels, moving Madison Square Garden, could derail it. A related piece delves into the prior ARC tunnel project.
SoCal Leaders Debate Moving Coastal Rail Line
Train tracks running along the Pacific Ocean are in danger from sea level rise, but residents are divided on how to fix the problem.
Florida Considers Legalizing ADUs
Current state law allows — but doesn’t require — cities to permit accessory dwelling units in single-family residential neighborhoods.
HUD Announces Plan to Build Housing on Public Lands
The agency will identify federally owned parcels appropriate for housing development and streamline the regulatory process to lease or transfer land to housing authorities and nonprofit developers.
Conservatives’ Decongestion Pricing Flip-Flop
When it comes to solving traffic problems, the current federal administration is on track for failure, waste, and hypocrisy.
Research Shows More Roads = More Driving
A national study shows, once again, that increasing road supply induces additional vehicle travel, particularly over the long run.
Can Progressive Planners Appeal to Conservative Principles?
Trump’s approach to policies like NYC’s congestion pricing isn’t just irrational and wasteful — it defies the tenets of conservatism. But there are ways to reframe the issues.
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