The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) is built atop of crumbling series of bridges. The city is expected to go in high gear on construction on Brooklyn's only interstate highway by the beginning of the next decade.

Dana Rubinstein reports on the ongoing need to repair a 1.25-mile stretch of the BQE in Brooklyn—at a cost of $1.7 billion. According to Rubinstein, the city has many bridges that are deteriorating and in need of repair of replacing, but this particular project could be particularly inconvenient:
New York City controls 789 bridges. Twenty-one, including three that comprise the base of the promenade, make up a 1.25-mile stretch of the BQE that the city admits is deteriorating. Within the next decade or so, the degradation will necessitate repairs, rendering that heavily trafficked portion of Brooklyn’s only interstate highway a construction-laden mess and sending tens of thousands of cars and trucks into the surrounding neighborhoods.
The city is expecting to begin construction on the BQE between 2020 and 2023; meanwhile an expected 12-year window of good repair is closing quickly. A spokesperson for the department of transportation has said this project is the city's number one priority—so much so that the department is "circumventing the normal chain of command."
"While a bureau inside the bridges department runs all other big-ticket bridge jobs, this project’s managers report directly to Robert Collyer, the department's deputy commissioner for bridges," according to Rubinstein.
Rubinstein also connects the problems with the bridges on the BQE with other large infrastructure projects like the ongoing project to repair the tunnels for the L Train under the East River, the delayed project to build a new cross-Hudson tunnel, and the renovation of LaGuardia Airport.

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