Transportation planners in Bangor, Maine are accusing state officials of holding regional transportation projects hostage to force the construction of a controversial connector project.
Nok-Noi Ricker reports on a transportation planning controversy rising from conflict between regional and state authorities:
The group that plans improvements to roads and transportation infrastructure in Greater Bangor voted Friday to add the controversial Interstate 395-Route 9 connector to its list of projects after being told by state officials that funding for all projects in the region would be delayed if the plan wasn’t approved.
Members of the group, the Bangor Area Comprehensive Transportation System's (BACTS) policy committee, "said they did not like being forced to approve a new three-year plan that includes the Interstate 395-Route 9 connector or risk losing $57 million in road project funding this year for the Bangor urbanized region, which includes 10 neighboring communities."
The decision overturns the earlier approval by the BACTS committee of a list of projects for 2016-2019. Although the committee has traditionally approved al the projects desired by the Maine Department of Transportation, in this case, several BACTS member communities oppose the connector project.
The article includes more details about the political back and forth between the BACTS committee and the Maine DOT, as well as the opposition to the connector project.
FULL STORY: Planners claim state forced them to approve I-395 connector project
Oregon Passes Exemption to Urban Growth Boundary
Cities have a one-time chance to acquire new land for development in a bid to increase housing supply and affordability.
Where Urban Design Is Headed in 2024
A forecast of likely trends in urban design and architecture.
Savannah: A City of Planning Contrasts
From a human-scales, plaza-anchored grid to suburban sprawl, the oldest planned city in the United States has seen wildly different development patterns.
Washington Tribes Receive Resilience Funding
The 28 grants support projects including relocation efforts as coastal communities face the growing impacts of climate change.
Adaptive Reuse Bills Introduced in California Assembly
The legislation would expand eligibility for economic incentives and let cities loosen regulations to allow for more building conversions.
LA's Top Parks, Ranked
TimeOut just released its list of the top 26 parks in the L.A. area, which is home to some of the best green spaces around.
City of Rochester
Boston Harbor Now
City of Bellevue
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Birmingham, Alabama
City of Laramie, Wyoming
Colorado Department of Local Affairs
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.