A new circulator system for Downtown Boise, Idaho is in the works, with the mayor gently throwing his support behind a light rail system. But questions over costs remain.

A new circulator system planned to connect Downtown Boise with Boise State University is taking small but meaningful steps forward. Sven Berg of the Idaho Statesman reports that a stakeholder group made up of local business leaders, government officials, and others will make a formal recommendation next month on proposed routes and whether the system should use buses or light rail. While Boise's Mayor Dave Bieter supports a light rail system, the question of how to fund such a system remains outstanding.
The train would cost far more upfront — $111 million, compared to $23 million for new buses — and 50 percent more to operate, according to estimates put together with the help of an engineering consultant. But the same estimates predict the rail system would attract 300 more riders per day and induce long-term economic development worth close to $600 million.
While partial funding of a light rail system could be put together through grants and other city revenue sources, plans for a local-option tax to fund the transportation system have been blocked by the Idaho legislature. Creating the local-option tax would require a statewide ballot initiative.
FULL STORY: Bus or train? Downtown Boise circulator group close to suggestion

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

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

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.

Downtown Pittsburgh Set to Gain 1,300 New Housing Units
Pittsburgh’s office buildings, many of which date back to the early 20th century, are prime candidates for conversion to housing.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service