Department of Transportation

A map showing Brightline West's intended route from  Las Vegas to Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Brightline West’s future may rely on $6 billion federal loan

The company has until Nov. 2 to make a $400 million equity investment into its proposed high-speed rail line.

September 17, 2026 - Smart Cities Dive

A woman biking on a narrow bike lane next to a truck.

Op-ed: Federal austerity is funding what kills us

Tracing the backstory of the last year of cuts to multimodal transportation reveals an alarming definition of road safety that only serves one mode.

September 15, 2026 - Sam Orndorff

Large red freight truck parked curbside on street in New York City with two men in suits standing next to it.

DOT withholds $73M from New York over immigrant trucking licenses

The Trump administration is requiring states to revoke the CDLs of non-domiciled drivers without proof of citizenship or risk losing federal funds.

April 22, 2026 - Freight Waves

Bird's eye view of coastal erosion next to a roadway in Sunset Cliffs, California.

‘Innovative DOT’ Guide Offers Path to Resilience for State DOTs

A new resource offers concrete recommendations for thriving in a changing transportation landscape, prioritizing a ‘fix it first’ approach to infrastructure maintenance.

March 14, 2025 - Transportation for America

Skyline of Louisville, Kentucky with pedestrian walkway in foreground and vehicle bridge.

Louisville Creates its First Municipal DOT

The new department will be tasked with speeding up transportation and infrastructure projects.

July 17, 2024 - WHAS 11

Large brown wood conference table surrounded by black leather chairs.

State DOTs Don’t Resemble Their Constituencies — And That’s a Problem

Streetsblog calls attention to the lack of representation of women, people of color, and other groups in state departments of transportation that are largely dominated by white men.

April 1, 2024 - Streetsblog USA

Washington State Electric Car Infrastructure

Biden Administration Plans for 500,000 Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

The Biden administration this week took ambitious steps toward a new era of automobile transportation in the United States.

December 15, 2021 - E&E News

The Transit Agency formerly known as the Nashville MTA

Nashville Loses Out on Federal Transit Grant, Adding to Agency's Budget Woes

WeGo Public Transit did not receive a grant to build a transit center, and transit advocates say it’s a sobering setback in light of the agency’s other budget challenges.

November 22, 2019 - News Channel 5 Nashville

Atlanta streetcar

Mayor Wants to Create Atlanta's First-Ever Transportation Department

The proposal to create a new department in the city of Atlanta devoted to traffic and potholes came in the State of the City speech delivered this week by Mayor Keisha Bottoms.

March 16, 2019 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

MARTA Blue Line

Wanted in Atlanta: A Department of Transportation

While the Atlanta Department of City Planning includes a Office of Mobility Planning that spearheads efforts to provide new opportunities for non-automobile modes of transportation, the city lacks a consolidated transportation department.

July 27, 2018 - SaportaReport

Self-Driving Car

Trump Administration Issues New Rules for Self-Driving Cars

The U.S. Department of Transportation has updated its voluntary guidelines for companies looking to test self-driving cars.

September 14, 2017 - Mercury News

A bus next to the re-located light rail station at Denver's Union Station

Denver Could Create a New Transportation Department

Hoping to give more of a focus and priority to the issues of transportation, the mayor of Denver is proposing a reorganization of city departments.

July 12, 2017 - The Denver Post

Union Station Chicago

First on Chicago's Wish List from the Trump Administration: $1 Billion for Union Station

The Emanuel Administration has yet to secure needed funding for a big project to update Chicago's Union Station. Now it's up to the Trump Administration to supply a needed loan.

January 14, 2017 - Crain's Chicago Business

Shipping San Francisco Bay

Trying to Understand What Elaine Chao Will Mean for Transportation in the U.S.

Incoming transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, has a long history at the highest levels of American Federal government. Laura Biss looks at what her past may tell us about how Chao will govern.

December 4, 2016 - CityLab

Portland Bike

State Departments of Transportation Finally Turning Their Attention to Safety?

Angie Schmitt sees encouraging signs of a change of perspective in some state DOTs, which seem to be following the national lead of Vision Zero Campaign.

November 15, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Freeway Construction

Feds Lend Support to Freeway Removal

Communities divided by freeways for decades are now looking to reconnect, and the U.S. Department of Transportation is stepping in to offer support.

August 10, 2016 - Car and Driver

Downtown Oakland

Oakland Gets a Department of Transportation

Oakland's new DOT will take a "complete streets" approach to transportation planning.

June 19, 2016 - Piedmont Patch

Grow America Transportation Bill Would Open the Door to Tolling on Interstates

Although its unclear just how much influence the Department of Transportation's surface transportation authorization bill, called GROW AMERICA, will have (if any at all), the bill makes apparent a sea change with regard to tolling of the interstates.

May 1, 2014 - Washington Post

Obama Administration Releases 'Grow America' Transportation Budget Proposal

Calling the new transportation budget the GROW AMERICA Act, the Obama Administration's proposed transportation budget arrives as time is running out on MAP-21 and the Highway Trust Fund.

April 30, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

L.A.'s Top Transportation Official to Resign Following Staff Criticism

Jaime De La Vega, the General Manager of L.A.'s Department of Transportation announced his resignation yesterday effective Dec. 1st. During his two years on the job, the department shifted away from an auto-centric focus to embrace alternative modes.

November 1, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

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.

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Director, Strategy and Research

Greater Baltimore Committee

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

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Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

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