The transportation bill known as MAP-21 expires in a little more than a year, but the key interest groups and political players are already staking out their positions. The posturing is compounded by the worsening state of the Highway Trust Fund.
"Even in a Congress that’s not sure it can keep the government running two weeks from now, supporters are already hard at work on the transportation bill that comes due in October 2014," writes Kathryn A. Wolfe. Yet looming over the ad buying, polling, grass-roots letter-writing, and lobbying visits already under way is the Highway Trust Fund’s "worsening structural deficit."
"[New House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Bill Shuster (R-Pa.)] still seems to be singing the 'all of the above' gospel when it comes to potential funding solutions for the next bill," notes Wolfe, "but he has struck a more pessimistic tone when it comes to discussions about two things: raising the gas tax and widespread tolling of existing interstates."
"Regardless of what’s done about the revenue question, pushing the next transportation bill across the finish line could be a much more difficult hurdle than it was for the last bill, known as MAP-21," she adds. "That’s largely because of the sheer amount of streamlining and program consolidation that bill contained."
FULL STORY: Business starts early on next transportation bill
Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.
San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.
U.S. Rental Market Crosses a New Threshold of Affordability
In a first for the country's rental market, most U.S. apartments are asking for more than $2,000 to rent, according to data recently published by Redfin.
Supreme Court Guts the U.S. EPA’s Ability to Limit Carbon Emissions
The consequences of this ruling have long been foretold. With the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency now officially barred from the fight against climate change, Congress will have to act to reduce carbon emissions.
California Approves Revised Los Angeles Housing Element
State officials officially approved the city’s housing plan, which was initially rejected for not doing enough to enhance housing equity.
Lawsuit Could Open Public Access to Colorado Rivers
Colorado is one of few U.S. states that has decided that private property owners supersede the public when it comes to access to rivers and streams.
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
Texas A&M AgriLife Extension
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
