Beset by delays and financial problems, the state of Rio is having trouble completing a new subway line before the Olympics start a month from now. The time crunch may cut into time for testing, presaging problems in August.
Line 4 was touted as Rio's most important Olympic infrastructure project, designed to transport passengers between Ipanema beach and the Olympic Park and Village.
Without the subway, athletes and fans will need to traverse the city's (internationally unpresentable) hills and shantytowns by road, and traffic jams will be inevitable. According to an article The Associated Press, transportation experts are beginning to worry that the system might not be fully tested before the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics on August 5.
Rio officials insist on their ability to complete the tests. "'Every hour counts,' Rodrigo Vieira, Rio de Janeiro's transportation head, told The Associated Press, insisting the job would be finished. 'We are working around the clock, 24/7 with 1,000 workers in each station.'"
On top of Brazil's presidential scandals, there's plenty to worry about going into the Games. Late last month, Rio state's acting governor declared a state of financial disaster. To make matters worse, other new infrastructure projects have encountered power outages, structural problems, and premature damage.
FULL STORY: Rio's new subway line is running out of time before Olympics
Rio's New Metro Crosses the Finishing Line Just in Time
It was a photo finish for Line 4—one of the signature infrastructure projects of the 2016 Summer Olympics—designed to transport passengers between Ipanema beach and the Olympic Park and Village.
Abandoned Olympic Venues Cast Doubt on the Value of Hosting
Though cities hope for an economic boost, these photos show it's far from guaranteed.
Rio's Pricey Sky Gondola Goes Full Stop
The sky gondola system built prior to the Rio Olympics has ground to a halt, leaving residents of the city's favelas with little to show for such a grand investment in infrastructure.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association