Transportation Funding
Post Peak Driving, America Needs a Road (Construction) Diet
Though it may be too soon to say for sure, it looks like the United States has reached peak driving. So shouldn’t we cut back on new road construction?
Driverless Cars: A Boon to the Federal Budget?
The federal government is notorious for putting off road improvements. The good news? If driverless cars become a reality, they can keep putting them off—forever.
Opposition to Transportation Sales Tax Rides BRT in Gainesville
The Alachua County Commission and the Gainesville City Commission are considering a countywide referendum to raise sales tax revenue for transportation projects. Road repair is an easy political win, but bus rapid transit...not so much.
Will 2014 Bring a New Transit Tax Push in L.A.?
Los Angeles area officials are discussing options for placing a new transportation funding measure before voters. A similar effort in 2012 failed to pass the necessary 67 percent threshold by less than 16,000 votes (out of nearly 2 million cast).
Congress Contemplates Cooperating on Infrastructure Spending
Might a recent agreement to fund water projects pave the way for more transportation spending? That's what positive signals out of Washington seem to indicate. Just one small obstacle stands in the way: how to finance road and bridge projects.
The Effects of the BART Strike May Linger Long After it Ends
The acrimony caused by the second Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) worker strike of the year might jeopardize the revenue generating tax increases planned throughout the Bay Area.
Denver Faces Light Rail vs. Bus Decision
The financial data is clear: BRT costs much less to go further and serve far more riders. Case closed, or is it? The Denver Post editors look at HNTB's cost and ridership estimates for the Northwest Rail Line and offer a recommendation, sort of.
Congressional Congestion Threatens L.A.'s Transit Projects
Could L.A.'s ambitious transit expansion plans become a victim of Congressional budget battles? The extension of the city's subway and downtown Regional Connector are among the projects funded by the Senate but neglected by the House.
South Carolina's $1 Billion Transportation Bill Signed By Gov. Nikki Haley
Over the next decade, $1 billion will be spent to repair the state's deteriorating roads. Like many states unwilling to raise gas taxes, most will come from transfers from the general fund, though $41.4 million per year will be from car sales taxes.
Highway Robbery: America's Trillion Dollar Dirty Little Secret
It’s time to recognize that we can’t maintain the roads we have now, and that continuing down the path of highway expansion is both unaffordable and unnecessary, writes Stu Sirota.
Despite Driving Decline, U.S. Builds for Far More Cars
A new study from U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group projects three scenarios for Americans' future driving patterns that all fall short of current government projections. Transportation planning priorities should be reconsidered, the study contends.
Who Should Pay for Transportation Infrastructure? What is Fair?
Many people assume incorrectly that motorists pay their share of roadway costs through fuel taxes. Not so. Fairness would require much higher motor vehicle user fees to finance roadways.
TIGER Trains Transportation Planners to Think Different
In the first entry in a multi-part series looking at the federal government's Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) program, Tanya Snyder looks at the impact the program has had on transportation planning and funding.
Cracking Beneath the Surface: America's Invisibly Eroding Roadways
In need of an underground overhaul, the Capital Beltway exemplifies the deteriorating conditions of 1/3 of the nation's roadways.
Should the Feds Fund Transportation Projects?
The impending bankruptcy of the Highway Trust Fund a lack of clear purpose for national transport investment has Eric Jaffe asking if, after 120 years, we might be witnessing the end of federal transportation funding as we know it.
Obama's Grand Rail Plans: What Went Wrong?
Four years after a historic down payment was made on Pres. Obama's plan to connect 80 percent of Americans to fast trains, "the prospects for a national high-speed rail system seem bleak." Politics and funding challenges have derailed the plan.
Imminent Doom as Grand Strategy
What do three-pack-a-day smoking habits, triple-decker cheese burgers and sprawl have in common? They all offer immediate gratification and deferred consequences. But now the bill's coming due. Ben Brown lays out some ways to face the music.
Ideas Floated to Meet Texas's Road Funding Shortfall
Texas State Rep. Joe Pickett faults a recent TRIP report for not recommending a funding strategy to address the state's revenue shortfall for transportation needs. Two groups view vehicle registration fees as a funding option.
Where Should Your Toll Money Go?
Should the tolls you pay to traverse a bridge or highway go directly to the upkeep of that roadway, or should they go to fund transportation projects, such as public transit? Five experts debate this question in the New York Times Opinion Pages.
Why Cuts to Federal Funding for Bike Infrastructure May Be a Good Thing
Despite the rise in bicycling in many U.S. cities, federal funds have shrunk in the recent transportation bill. However changes in the way funds are allocated allows for more local control, and cities are stepping up.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)
