In the aftermath of a derailment that killed four passengers and other recent safety lapses, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation has ordered an unprecedented in-depth review of the "operations and 'safety culture'” of Metro-North Railroad.
"Federal transportation officials said on Thursday that they would begin an extraordinarily rare review of the operations and “safety culture” of the Metro-North Railroad — the first such investigation ever conducted for a passenger railroad," reports Matt Flegenheimer. The announcement of the review, dubbed "Operation Deep Dive", comes less than two weeks after engineer error allegedly caused a Metro-North commuter train to derail in the Bronx, killing four.
"Officials said the safety review was a consequence not only of the recent derailment, in which the train’s operator apparently became dazed at the controls as the train sped toward a sharp curve, but also a series of episodes on Metro-North this year," explains Flegenheimer. "These included a train collision in May on the New Haven line, which injured scores of passengers; the death less than two weeks later of a track foreman in West Haven, Conn., who was struck after a trainee rail traffic controller opened a section of track without proper clearance; and the derailment of a freight train in Spuyten Duyvil in July."
FULL STORY: U.S. Orders Sweeping Safety Review of Metro-North
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
Planning for Accessibility: Proximity is More Important than Mobility
Accessibility-based planning minimizes the distance that people must travel to reach desired services and activities. Measured this way, increased density can provide more total benefits than increased speeds.
World's Largest Wildlife Overpass In the Works in Los Angeles County
Caltrans will soon close half of the 101 Freeway in order to continue construction of the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing near Agoura Hills in Los Angeles County.
Eviction Looms for Low-Income Tenants as Rent Debt Rises
Nonprofit housing operators across the country face almost $10 billion in rent debt.
Brightline West Breaks Ground
The high-speed rail line will link Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
Colorado Bans No-Fault Evictions
In most cases, landlords must provide a just cause for evicting tenants.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.