The acting head of the New Jersey Department of Transportation spoke of the realities of transportation investment in the current era of funding uncertainty.
Larry Higgs reports: "Acting transportation Commissioner Richard Hammer said the days of expanding interstate highways are over as the state focuses on fixing and rehabilitating existing roads and transit infrastructure, and finding funds to do the work."
Hammer's remarks came during an address to the New Jersey Alliance for Action's annual transportation summit. The key theme of his address: the need to identify a "real, recurring and predictable source of funding for transportation investment." But, like his predecessors, Hammer stopped short of making any solid recommendations.
But still, the following represents a strong statement for a state DOT head: "The days of system expansion in New Jersey are long over, we don't have the funds…" Those words echo similar sentiments from transportation officials in Iowa and Northeast Ohio, who earlier this year spoke of the need to contract the highway system and fix it first, respectively.
FULL STORY: Days of expanding highways are over until we fix N.J. roads, commish says

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Cleveland to Boost Bike Safety With New Bike Lanes, School Programs
The program, using curriculum created by Cleveland Bikes, is part of a broader effort to improve safety along school routes.

Florida Home Insurers Disproportionately Dropping Low-Income Households
Non-renewal rates are highest in inland counties, not the coastal areas most immediately vulnerable to storms.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.
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