Federal Stimulus
The U.S. House of Representatives approved the Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions Act earlier this month. Transit advocates say the bill reinforces the car-centric status quo.
Streetsblog USA
U.S. transit agencies are hemorrhaging money as the majority of riders avoid trains and buses. People still need public transit, and public transit needs help to weather the storm.
Smart Cities Dive
Instead of doubling down on the unsustainable planning and building practices, the current crisis offers a chance to hit reset, according to this article.
Frontier Group
The Urban Institute simulated a model to predict the cost of a universal housing assistance program to support those who face homelessness.
Urban Institute
Congressional leaders are discussing the shape and size of the next federal stimulus bill. The following critique argues that the next bill should do more to expand testing, contact tracing, and quarantine capacity at the state level.
The New Republic
The National Multifamily Housing Council (NMHC) and the National Apartment Association (NAA) on the law's impact on multifamily housing.
The Planning Report
As the U.S. House of representatives approved the passive stimulus package approved by the U.S. Senate earlier in the week, more details emerged about the parts of the bill that will be relevant to planners during the coming weeks and months.
NPR
Feature
Cities, states, and the federal government are trying to prevent a repeat of 2008 while still facing the challenges of inequality and poverty that grew out of the previous recession.
The economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic has already hit public transit revenues hard, and the concerns of millions of renters around the country about how they'll afford to pay the rent are weighing heavily on the country.
The New York Times
Remember President Obama's 2009 economic stimulus program? Add another completed project to the program's successes: the restoration of the multi-modal 1874 iconic Eads Bridge connecting St. Louis and East St. Louis, Ill. over the Mississippi River.
AASHTO Journal
President Obama used a tour of Jaxport to promote infrastructure investment, e.g. accommodating larger ships and intermodal cargo transfer to trains to stimulate the economy and increase employment, and maybe convert some Republicans to the cause.
The New York Times - Politics
Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood recently warned incoming Republican governors in Wisconsin and Ohio that dedicated stimulus funds must be spent on high-speed rail or returned, CNN reports.
CNN
Officials in Atlanta are pushing forward with plans to build a streetcar, despite being left out of a recent federal stimulus-led package of transportation grants.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are in Florida today to announce a funding package for a variety of high speed rail projects. In total, $7.9 billion in funding is being announced.
The New York Times
Puerto Rico seems to be at the head of the pack in terms of jobs created by the federal stimulus bill. But the news isn't all sunny from the island territory, as the governor moves to slash thousands of public sector jobs.
Christian Science Monitor
The federal government has dedicated $8 billion to high speed rail projects. But with $50 billion worth of proposals, the challenge lies in how best to divide the funds.
The New York Times
A third-grader in Missoula, Montana has successfully rallied her city to build a new bike lane near her busy street.
The Missoulian
NPR looks at a few of the areas that have submitted proposals for high-speed rail funding.
National Public Radio
Thousands of stimulus-funded transportation projects are underway this summer, creating thousands of delays on the nation's roads.
The Christian Science Monitor
A 14-mile road segment that would connect two highways in Texas is a contender for stimulus funding in the state. But it would also cause the removal of at least 23 acres of wetlands. Environmentalists are upset the proposal is being considered.
The Houston Chronicle
