For the first time since 2011, Congressional negotiators have agreed on a $1.012 trillion omnibus budget bill to fund the federal government. Tanya Snyder examines the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development winners and losers.

Though the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) portion of the bill saw a 2 percent decrease in overall spending levels, "[t]he results for multi-modal transportation programs [PDF] are better than we’ve grown accustomed to," observes Snyder.
The popular Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program sees its funding increased 20 percent, from $500 million in 2013 to $600 million in 2014. And while Amtrak gets a small boost in funding from last year to $1.39 billion, high-speed rail and the Office of Sustainable Communities and its Integrated Planning and Investment Grants (formerly known as Regional Planning and Community Challenge grants) will receive no funding.
Also of interest to planners: the House Appropriations Committee's summary [PDF] notes that "The bill contains $6.6 billion for Community Planning and Development programs – a cut of $145 million below last year’s level. The Community Development Block Grant formula program is funded at slightly over $3 billion, $82 million above the fiscal year 2013 enacted level."
FULL STORY: TIGER Funding Gets 20 Percent Boost in Final 2014 Spending Bill

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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