Rachel Dovey provides a roundup of mayoral races that feature special interest and attention on the issues of public transportation and transit-oriented development.
Writes Dovey: "come November, new leadership in Austin, Washington, D.C. and San Jose will determine the future of several light rail lines and, in the so-called 'capitol of Silicon Valley,' a sprawling grid that needs to curb its dependence on cars."
Austin's election will hinge on Prop 1, which would bundle $600 million for light rail with $400 million for road improvements. "The ballot measure was the very first issue leveled at mayoral candidates at a forum on August 28th. Three candidates — Mike Martinez, Sheryl Cole and Steve Adler support it, while Randall Stevens and Todd Phelps do not."
Washington D.C. hinges on a 37-mile streetcar supported by Mayor Vincent Gray. The San Jose campaign features two leading candidates with differing views on how best to link transportation and land use planning.
In addition to the coverage (with lots more detail) of the highlighted mayoral races, the article also examines additional transportation initiatives to watch from around the country.
FULL STORY: How Transportation Is Shaping Three 2014 Mayoral Races
Austin Scores Highest on Pandemic Recovery; Bay Area and Baltimore Lowest
The Bay Area Council and CBRE created an economic tracker to measure how well the nation's 25 largest metropolitan areas have recovered from the public health restrictions imposed on their regions at the onset of the pandemic.
2020 Population Growth Rates for the 50 Biggest U.S. Cities
The Census Bureau released new data on May 27 that includes the first four months of the pandemic. Seattle tops the growth rate at 2.2% from July 1, 2019, to July 1, 2020, while Baltimore and San Francisco land at the bottom with -1.4%.
The Growing Urban Inequality Gap, Visualized
Inequality is growing faster in large metropolitan areas, according to a New York Times data visualization.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)