Might a recent agreement to fund water projects pave the way for more transportation spending? That's what positive signals out of Washington seem to indicate. Just one small obstacle stands in the way: how to finance road and bridge projects.
"In a Congress bitterly divided over budget and health policy, some lawmakers are optimistic that infrastructure funding could offer a small patch of common ground," reports Kristina Peterson. "Even lawmakers with clashing ideas over the appropriate size of the federal government have agreed recently that it has a role to play in building and maintaining the nation's roads, bridges and ports."
The next phase of sequestration cuts, which are set to take effect in January, may provide the impetus for finding common ground. "A bipartisan agreement that more spending is needed on infrastructure projects might give both parties an incentive to ease the sequester cuts," writes Peterson.
How would the government fund such improvements as the Highway Trust Fund nears insolvency? That's were agreement breaks down.
FULL STORY: Push for Transportation Funding Gains Steam
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
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