Take 260 trucks off the road for every train, avoid costs for maintaining highways maintenance cost, and create multiple other environmental and economic development advantages—states are reinvesting in their rail lines.
Steve Walters examines evidence of the reemerging priority states around the country are placing on rail.
“2014 appears to be a landmark year for state involvement in improving freight rail. States including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Michigan and New York have either created or rekindled grant programs in the past year dedicated to improving freight service. Pennsylvania is spending nearly $39 million on 24 rail improvement projects this year, and Wisconsin will spend $52 million in the current budget cycle. States like Florida and Wisconsin also offer low-interest revolving loan funds for rail-related projects.”
FULL STORY: States Reinvest in Once-Abandoned Freight Lines
Opinion: Prioritize Amtrak, but Don’t Demonize Freight
A proposed bill would tighten enforcement of a 1973 law that gives passenger trains priority over freight shipments.
AI and 5G Could Advance Port Automation
A vision for the future of automated ports with AI and 5G: harnessing technology for enhanced efficiency, reliability, and safety.
Madrid Uses Transit System for Parcel Delivery to Cut Emissions
A new pilot program uses trains to deliver packages at off-peak hours, lowering emissions from trucks.
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.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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 Clovis
City of Moorpark
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