Transit Funding
$500 Million in TIGER Grants Awarded to 39 Projects
The seventh round of TIGER funding was announced last week. Louisville provides a case study of how cities engage with the competitive grant process.
House Transportation Bill Misses Mark on Transit
Transit advocates have little good to say about the recently-passed Surface Transportation Reauthorization and Reform Act. While it doesn't cut transit funding, it does nothing to expedite transit-based solutions.
Report: Nashville's Transit Fit for a Smaller City
The Nashville Metro Transit Authority recently released a "State of the MTA" report, detailing the system's need for additional funding to improve in pace with the needs of a growing populace.
The Partisan Transit Divide
It's not quite as simple as Republicans opposing transit and Democrats supporting it. It depends what level of government is discussing it. On the local level, demand for better transit can transcend partisan divides.
State Bill Would Add TIFs Along Transit Lines in Chicago
Expanded use of tax increment financing is on the table in Chicago—a city that invests less than its peers on building and running transit.
Chicago Transit Facing $36 Billion Capital Investment Shortfall
Chicago transit agencies are falling behind its needed capital investments. A new report estimates that the CTA, Metra, and Pace will need to spend $36 billion over the next decade to catch up.
Op-Ed: Time to End Property Tax Funding for Transit in Toledo
The Toledo Area Regional Transit Authority—one of the last agencies in the country to fund transit with property taxes—is unable to keep up with the times, according to an editorial arguing for a change.
D.C. Officials Dramatically Scale Back Streetcar System
In a recent move, officials from Mayor Vincent C. Gray's administration shortened DC's streetcar system to a much-shorter eight miles.
Commuter Rail Showdown: Houston versus Dallas
The rivalry between Dallas and Houston is well known, but Dug Begley recently made a compelling comparison between the two cities: their approach to commuter rail.
Can Miami Change, or is Car Culture in its DNA?
Esteban Bovo, chair of the Miami-Dade County Finance Committee, recently provoked the ire of transit advocates when he said that car culture is in the DNA of Miami.
St. Louis at a Transit Crossroads
A recent article tackles the counter-intuitive state of transit investment in the St. Louis region: “While the abundance of transit possibilities create a veneer of progress, the region is quietly in a public transit state of crisis.”
Could Chicago Transit Agencies Soon Have to Compete for Funding?
Chicago's Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) is considering overhauling how it distributes funds to the area's three transit operators: the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) bus and rail system, Metra commuter rail, and Pace suburban bus system.
Waiting for the Subway
When compared to China's accomplishments in completing subway lines, North America's cities look exceedingly timid, where construction timeframes can stretch into decades. Will Doig examined why.
Senate Approves Federal Funding for NJ Rail Tunnel
Despite cancelling the ARC Tunnel project last year, New Jersey may build an alternative tunnel using U.S. Senate funding.
Other Cities Look at L.A.'s Transit Funding Plan
Los Angeles has taxed itself to raise money for transit projects, and now officials want to borrow against those future earnings to speed up projects. This article wonders if that's a model other cities can and should follow.
Can 'Friends' Help Save Caltrain?
Former Palo Alto Mayor Yoriko Kishimoto has formed "Friends of Caltrain" to help prevent the train from spiraling downhill due to lack of funds. The tri-county train faces a $30 million deficit, with a total budget of just under $100 million.
Bridge Tolls Critical Missing Part Of NY Transit Funding Package
The Post's transit reporter looks at the substantial MTA budget shortfall resulting in major service reductions and fare increases, but one MTA board member regrets the state senate's refusal to do away with the 'free ride' to Manhattan.
Transit Aid: The Operating Vs. Capital Dilemma
Transit advocates are used to battling the 'road lobby', but this article reports on a clash between small and mid-sized transit agencies (who want more flexibility) against the larger ones, as well as the main transit lobbying organization, APTA.
Regional Taxes For Transportation?
The NYT looks at a provision in a state assembly bill to restore transit funding to beleaguered CA transit agencies by allowing voters in regions to approve gas fees. Not only was the provision dropped by the Senate - the governor vetoed the bill.
MTA Service Cuts, Block by Block
Regional Plan Association of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut has mapped out the impact of all MTA's service cuts for every State Assembly and Senate district in the region. There's also an interactive Google Map.
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.
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
County of Mendocino
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
Montrose County
Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA)
The Pocatello Development Authority
