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.
Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.
Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.
Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.
In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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