California

With expected launch dates repeatedly missed, and no progress in sight, L.A.'s plan to partner with upstart Bike Nation on developing a citywide bike share system has been a failure. Mayor Garcetti is starting over with a regional approach.

October 21, 2013 - LA.Streetsblog

Recent controversies have called into question whether Los Angeles officials have done all they can to prepare the city for its next big earthquake. Mayor Eric Garcetti is making earthquake preparedness a top priority.

October 20, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Emily Badger is extremely impressed—and for good reason—with the City of Los Angeles' new neighborhood data portal, built in connection with the development a new health and wellness chapter for the city's General Plan.

October 19, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

For the second time in four months, during which time negotiations had continued, BART workers went on strike Friday morning, creating huge challenges for the 400,000 commuters who rely on it daily in four Bay Area counties.

October 18, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

The City of Davis has introduced a new tiered bicycle fine system to encourage officers to issue more tickets to those that break the rules. They hope more tickets will result in more safety and more cycling.

October 18, 2013 - Sacramento Bee

Calif. Gov. Jerry Brown served two terms as mayor of Oakland. His attempts to bring more downtown housing to the city led him to veto an inclusionary housing bill that would have required developers to supply affordable housing or pay an in-lieu fee.

October 18, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

A controversial plan to merge L.A.'s Planning and Building and Safety Departments has been scuttled, for now. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who supported the merger as a councilman, announced it will not go forward in January as his predecessor had planned.

October 16, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

A new law hopes to expunge the "impulse and accessibility" aspect of suicides from new or rebuilt bridges by requiring that they "consider" suicide barriers. The price for barriers can be greatly reduced when evaluated in the planning phase.

October 16, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

The same week that the City of L.A. made a big splash with its "Great Streets Initiative", a new program that has the potential to have a sizable impact on city streets went less noticed. Damien Newton reports on the city's "People St" program.

October 16, 2013 - LA.Streetsblog

Out of concern that L.A.'s downtown properties are not being put to the highest and best use, the City Councilman representing the district has "quietly authored" a motion to incentivize density and place a moratorium on low-rise development.

October 15, 2013 - Los Angeles Downtown News

In case you haven't noticed, California is big into alternative energy. Just how big? $1.6 billion was spent last year and $15 billion over the last decade as education and public services fought for scraps. The spending is attracting new scrutiny.

October 15, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

Former Treasury Secretary LaHood made distracted driving a pet cause. The dangers of walking and texting are well documented. But would could straphangers have to fear from smartphones? Plenty, as the death of a S.F. Muni rider illustrates.

October 15, 2013 - San Francisco Chronicle

By "protecting" San Francisco's physical character through down-zoning and NIMBY activism, the city has transformed its social character, as families, young adults, and others flee the city to find cheaper rents. A regional solution is required.

October 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Across Los Angeles, more than a thousand concrete buildings built before the mid-1970s are at risk of collapse during an earthquake. With the area overdue for a substantial shaker, time is running out to identify at-risk structures and save lives.

October 14, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

For those who think architectural history isn’t something to sniff at, a new exhibition at the California College of the Arts aims to convince otherwise.

October 14, 2013 - Archinect

After waiting more than five years, Elk Grove, one of the fastest growing cities in California and the country, will soon learn whether it can expand its planning area by another 8,000 acres to accommodate more residents.

October 13, 2013 - Sacramento Bee

The Hollywood sign is a global icon and magnet for travelers to L.A., who seem unwilling to admire it from afar. For the residents of the neighborhoods underneath the historic sign, the hordes of tourists bring safety and quality of life concerns.

October 13, 2013 - Los Angeles Times

In a keynote speech at the Urban Land Institute’s “Transit Oriented Los Angeles” conference, Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the launch of a "Great Streets" program to coordinate work on, and investment in, "the City’s largest public space asset."

October 11, 2013 - LA.Streetsblog

An estimated 79 percent of young adults with autism spectrum disorders reside with their parents. But a new residence built to house 16 autistic adults in Sonoma, CA aims to provide a supportive alternative to living at home, and a nationwide model.

October 10, 2013 - The New York Times

In the last week to sign bills, Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB 327 that allows utilities to charge all ratepayers for costs incurred to the grid by rooftop solar and allows those who have it to 'run the meter backwards', known as net metering.

October 10, 2013 - KCET