National Environmental Policy Act

"Environmentall sensitive area" sign on rustic wooden fence with tall green grass in background.

Misuse of Environmental Laws Betrays Their Intent

How laws written to protect natural resources and biodiversity are being reinterpreted by NIMBY groups to block development.

October 24, 2023 - Governing

A map of the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail system.

New Jersey Transit Extension Goes Back to the Drawing Board After Federal Reversal

The Federal Transit Administration rescinded a clearance it granted in 2007, and a planned extension of New Jersey light rail line will suffer the consequences.

September 5, 2023 - NorthJersey.com

An oil well in a mountainous and remote part of Utah.

Utah Oil Shale Extraction Dealt Major Setback

The Surface Transportation Board's approval in 2021 of a proposed 85-mile Uinta Basin Railway in Utah that would have enabled increased extraction of the world's largest source of oil shale was partially vacated by a federal appeals court last month.

September 3, 2023 - Progressive Railroading

View of George Washington Bridge between New York and New Jersey again sunrise or sunset sky

NJ v. U.S. DOT: Cordon Pricing in Manhattan

The State of New Jersey filed a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation on Friday to halt the Manhattan cordon pricing project approved in June by the FHWA, charging that they violated the National Environmental Protection Act.

July 24, 2023 - NJBIZ Journal

Construction Industry

One Year After the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act

The potential of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act is most unrealized as the federal government mobilizes the details of the $1.2 trillion bill. President Joe Biden signed the bill in November 2021.

November 28, 2022 - Route Fifty

Congestion

What Is LOS?

Level of Service (LOS) defines how well vehicle traffic flows along a street or road. LOS is one of the most influential metrics in planning, with critical relevance for both land use and transportation planning.

April 27, 2022 - James Brasuell

Pennsylvania

Lawsuit Challenges PennDOT's NEPA Process on Erie Bayfront Parkway

Despite 80% of survey respondents wanting a reduction in volume on Erie's waterfront parkway and improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the city's waterfront, PennDOT plans instead to double traffic as part of a $120 million high-speed bypass.

December 24, 2020 - Earth Justice

Biden administration

Biden Selects Energy Secretary and New National Climate Advisor

Former Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm, a U.C. Berkeley professor, is Biden's choice to lead the Energy Department. A new position, national climate advisor, will be filled by former Obama EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy, current head of the NRDC.

December 18, 2020 - Greentech Media

Maroon Creek, Aspen, Colorado

The Environment Hangs in the Balance on Election Day

Both the presidential election and numerous state and local ballot measures will determine the future of environmental policy in the United States.

November 3, 2020 - High Country News

Bears Ears National Monument

The Trump Administration's Trail of Broken Environmental Regulations

Critics of the Trump administration who chide the president for a lack of accomplishments should check the environmental record.

October 25, 2020 - The New York Times

Infrastructure

Trump's Latest Deregulatory Itch: The National Environmental Policy Act

In a move called "one of the biggest — and most audacious — deregulatory actions of the Trump administration," President Trump yesterday announced plans to weaken the National Environmental Policy Act for federal infrastructure projects.

July 16, 2020 - The New York Times

Freeway Construction

Trump to Suspend Environmental Regulation for Economic Emergency

Reports from the White House indicate that the Trump administration is planning to rollback federal environmental protections to expedite highway and other projects.

June 5, 2020 - The Washington Post

New York City Traffic

New York City Congestion Pricing Confounded by Federal Delay

While New York City's congestion pricing scheme waits for needed federal approval, political support seems to waver.

February 24, 2020 - Politico

Oil Pipeline

Trump Administration Proposes Changes to National Environmental Policy Act

Sources report that proposed changes to the National Environmental Policy Act would limit the kinds of projects subject to federal environmental review, and remove climate change as a consideration for large infrastructure projects.

January 6, 2020 - The New York Times

St. Paul, Minnesota

New U.S. DOT Policy Limits Page Length of Environmental Impact Statements

The U.S. Department of Transportation is following through President Trump's promises to ease the federal government's permitting and approvals processes for infrastructure projects.

August 25, 2019 - Politico

Fracking

Department of Interior Plans to Open 1 Million Acres in California to Fracking

The Bakersfield Office of the Bureau of Land Management released an environmental study that is the basis for undoing a 2013 de facto moratorium on fracking on federal lands in California. The Supplemental EIS triggers a 45-day public comment period.

April 28, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Coal Extraction

Judge Halts Sales of New Coal Mining Leases on Federal Lands

Once again, the president's efforts to undo his predecessor's environmental legacy were thwarted by a court ruling. In this case, the Interior Department's failure to conduct an environmental review of a Trump executive order ran afoul of NEPA.

April 23, 2019 - The New York Times

Donald Trump

Trump Signs Two Executive Orders Limiting States' Authority Over Energy Pipelines

The Trump administration's "energy dominance" agenda depends, in part, on growing the energy distribution network, namely pipelines, rail facilities, and ports. However, states can use the Clean Water Act to block pipelines and coal terminals.

April 15, 2019 - InsideClimate News

Robert Moses

The Robert Moses Nexus to Amazon's Cancellation of Queens HQ2

Last week, Amazon abruptly canceled its decision to invest about $2.5 billion and bring 25,000 high-paying jobs to Queens. A scholar blames their abrupt decision on an arcane state bureaucracy tasked with preventing Robert Moses-like takings.

February 21, 2019 - Politico Magazine

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

14 Potential Locations for a New Bridge Across the Chesapeake Bay

A long term plan to add an additional bridge connection across the Chesapeake Bay is underway in Maryland.

February 16, 2019 - WTOP

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.