A controversial House bill that proposed drastic spending cuts to Transportation and Housing programs was pulled from the floor yesterday after Republicans balked at supporting the cuts outlined in Rep. Paul Ryan’s (R-Wis.) budget.
"Long-running Republican tensions over the Ryan budget’s deep spending cuts boiled over Wednesday as the chairman of the House Appropriations Committee accused his party of being unable to support them," report Russell Berman and Erik Wasson. "In a blistering statement, Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) said he was 'extremely disappointed' with his leadership’s decision to pull the Transportation and Housing and Urban Development spending bill from the floor."
"The THUD bill has $10 billion less in spending than a companion version being considered in the Senate that has divided upper chamber Republicans," Berman and Wasson note. "The House bill cuts $7 billion from 2013. Hardest hit in the GOP bill is the Community Development Block Grant program, which is cut nearly in half to $1.6 billion, a cut of $1.3 billion that makes its budget lower than in 1975. There is no funding for high-speed rail, and Amtrak gets a 21 percent cut to its operating budget."
"Democrats had suggested that Republicans were not comfortable with the cuts."
FULL STORY: Appropriations chief lashes out at GOP after spending bill is pulled
Texas High-Speed Rail Awarded $63.9M Federal Grant
In August, Amtrak received a $63.9 million grant from the FRA to continue its work to identify a high-speed rail corridor between Dallas and Houston.
Proposed NYC-to-Boston HSR Would Cut Trip to Under Two Hours
The proposed project would use a mix of new and old rail lines and bypass some cities to speed up the trip.
The Passenger Rail Revival Is Here
For the first time in decades, multiple rail projects are moving forward that could have a transformative impact on train travel in the United States.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Map: Where Senate Republicans Want to Sell Your Public Lands
For public land advocates, the Senate Republicans’ proposal to sell millions of acres of public land in the West is “the biggest fight of their careers.”
Restaurant Patios Were a Pandemic Win — Why Were They so Hard to Keep?
Social distancing requirements and changes in travel patterns prompted cities to pilot new uses for street and sidewalk space. Then it got complicated.
Platform Pilsner: Vancouver Transit Agency Releases... a Beer?
TransLink will receive a portion of every sale of the four-pack.
Toronto Weighs Cheaper Transit, Parking Hikes for Major Events
Special event rates would take effect during large festivals, sports games and concerts to ‘discourage driving, manage congestion and free up space for transit.”
Berlin to Consider Car-Free Zone Larger Than Manhattan
The area bound by the 22-mile Ringbahn would still allow 12 uses of a private automobile per year per person, and several other exemptions.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)