A new 14.1-mile light rail project through downtown Baltimore is among the 17 projects to be funded by Maryland's recent gas tax increase, Governor Martin O'Malley announced this week.
Streetscape improvements, highway widening projects, expanded commuter rail service, new railcars and $519 million towards Baltimore's new $2.6 billion Red Line are among the ambitious transportation projects to be funded by a gas tax increase approved by Maryland's legislature in March. As the first portion of an expected $4 billion in transportation spending over the next six years demonstrates, the gas tax is already "[changing] the environment for transportation construction in the state, reversing a trend of diminished ability — and ambition — when it comes to the state's taking on major projects," write Kevin Rector and Erin Cox.
Baltimore's proposed Red Line will run east-west across the city, stopping at 19 stations in Woodlawn, Edmondson Village, West Baltimore, downtown Baltimore, Harbor East, Fell's Point, Canton and the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center Campus. Average daily ridership is expected to reach 50,000 by 2030.
"In a statement, O'Malley described the transportation spending as 'making the modern investments a modern economy requires' to educate, innovate and rebuild the state."
FULL STORY: O'Malley to announce $1.5 billion for Baltimore-area transportation projects

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.

Walmart Announces Nationwide EV Charging Network
The company plans to install electric car chargers at most of its stores by 2030.

EPA Awards $267 Million to Clean Up and Reuse Contaminated Sites
The EPA is investing the funds to clean up and redevelop contaminated sites nationwide, supporting economic growth, community revitalization, and environmental restoration.

Knoxville Dedicates $1M to New Greenway
The proposed greenway would run along North Broadway and connect to 125 miles of existing trails.

Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot
The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.
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 Moorpark
City of Tustin
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