Virginia

Data in Virginia shows that more young families are choosing to stay in urban areas to raise their children. This is causing a rapid increase in school enrollment and fueling the fastest growth Virginia's urban areas have experienced since the 1950s.

May 5, 2014 - University of Virginia Center for Public Service

The derailment of the CSX oil unit train in downtown Lynchburg, Va. on April 30 and subsequent fire and oil spill into the James River caught Lynchburg, Va. officials off-guard, who were unaware of the oil shipments, let alone how to handle crashes.

May 3, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

Fortunately, there were no injuries in the restored, downtown waterfront district in this city of 71,000. Fifteen cars derailed; three exploded into a six-story-high fireball. Oil spilled into the James River, threatening downstream water supplies.

May 2, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

Despite the housing boom in certain markets (such as New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco), the real estate market is nowhere near the economic driver it once was.

April 25, 2014 - New York Times - The Upshot

Use of the 495 Express Lanes, a HOT variable toll, has been fetching a pretty penny this year for commuters looking to escape the notoriously congested Capital Beltway. The ongoing experiment in commute pricing should recede before a tipping point.

April 16, 2014 - The Washington Post

Following a Waterfront Small Area Plan adopted in January 2012, Alexandria, Virginia got its first look at proposed designs for the redevelopment of its Old Town waterfront this week.

April 11, 2014 - Washington Business Journal

While tolling will not fill the Highway Trust Fund gap, it can finance improvements for specific interstate highways that would otherwise be funded by a sustainable trust fund, not one approaching insolvency. Why not allow states the option to toll?

April 7, 2014 - The New York Times - U.S.

For all those cities that double population during the work day, here's a revenue thought to consider. But why restrict it to in-bound commuters? What about residents who commute-out of the city? Is the commuter tax a legitimate revenue source?

March 26, 2014 - Governing

Despite installing many innovative traffic management schemes over the years, the 41 miles of highway between Fredericksburg, Virginia and Washington D.C. are snarled by some of the worst traffic in the country. Can HOT lanes change that?

March 24, 2014 - Atlantic Cities

Late last week, Virginia state transportation officials shut down contract and permit work on the U.S. 460 expansion project. The project has already spent $300 million of a budgeted $1.4 billion—without even breaking ground.

March 18, 2014 - Richmond Times-Dispatch

In a recent speech, Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms announced that Virginia Governor Terry McAullife and Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne have pledged financial support for a $1.3 billion light rail extension.

March 16, 2014 - The Virginian-Pilot

The largest ever fine for polluting waterways, $27.5 million plus $200 million in clean-up costs was assigned to a coal company. NewsHour co-anchor Gwen Ifill interviews Dina Cappiello of The Associated Press to discuss water pollution from coal.

March 8, 2014 - PBS NewsHour

The 495 Express Lanes opened in Virginia in November 2012 and have yet to meet ridership projections. That might not be a problem when built by the public sector, but the road is a $1.4 billion investment by the Australian firm Transurban.

February 28, 2014 - WAMU

The Feb. 2 spill of coal ash slurry from a Duke Energy containment pond has taken a new turn with a federal grand jury issuing subpoenas for records from both Duke Energy and the state environmental regulator.

February 17, 2014 - The Charlotte Observer

The coal ash spill, 82,000 tons as of Feb. 8 after being detected on Feb. 2, comes from a pond adjacent to a closed, coal-burning Duke Energy power plant. It is said not to pose a threat to drinking water, though the river has turned black and grey.

February 8, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

The much maligned "Prius tax", an annual registration fee for hybrid and electric vehicles to ensure they pay their share of road costs that was part of former Va. Governor Bob McDonell's landmark transportation bill last year, may soon be history.

January 24, 2014 - Bloomberg BusinessWeek

With occupancy rates rising faster in urban than suburban locations, some suburbs are remaking themselves into mixed-use communities with hi-rise office and residential towers; Tysons Corner, Va. and Research Triangle Park, N.C. among them.

January 21, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal - U.S.

The Transportation Planner posts about an inexplicable crosswalk at a highway interchange located in McLean, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC.

January 19, 2014 - The Transportation Planner

Depending on who you're asking, Virginia's proposed Bi-County Parkway is either critical to supporting the state's growth or a sprawl-inducing gift to developers. With a key milestone in limbo, Governor Terry McAuliffe will have a chance to weigh in.

January 16, 2014 - WAMU

Sounds counterintuitive doesn't it? But a new study by researchers at George Mason University suggests that eliminating bus stops can drastically improve service without substantially reducing the number of riders served.

January 3, 2014 - Governing