An initial review by City Observatory's Joe Cortright doesn't find much to indicate that the new U.S. DOT 's performance measurement rule for transportation systems will set a new transportation policy agenda.

"We’ve just gotten our first look at the new US Department of Transportation performance measurement rule [pdf] for transportation systems," writes Joe Cortright, who begins the process of evaluating whether the new rule will address the longstanding shortage of quantitative standards for measuring transportation systems.
After arguing for the importance of these rule—and debunking the notion that standards such as these are the sole province of technocratic trivia—Cortright provides an initial assessment framed by the words "excessive" and "expectations." Perhaps unsurprisingly, Cortright quickly identifies shortcomings in the rule, such as its priority on vehicle, not personal delay. "So a bus with 40 or 50 passengers has its vehicle delay weighted the same amount according to this metric as a single occupancy vehicle," explains Cortright.
Although Cortright acknowledges that the new rule is an improvement over other measures, like the Texas Transportation Institute's Travel Time Index, the measure "seems to impart a strong 'build, baby, build' bias to the indicators." Cortright also notes specifically that only six pages of the 425-page document addresses greenhouse gas emissions. Even those six pages "read like a bad book report and a 'dog-ate-my-homework' excuse for doing nothing now."
FULL STORY: Excessive expectations: A first look at the DOT’s new road performance rules

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie