Virginia
Lack of Walkability in Suburban Areas Threatens Kids' Safety, Health
A recent fight over school-bus service in Loudoun County, Virginia highlights the ways in which suburban growth patterns hamper walkability and harm the health of children.
D.C.'s Gridlock Has Improved; What Can Be Done to Sustain Recent Gains?
Recent studies report a noted decrease in traffic congestion in the D.C. area. Robert McCartney credits two trends and asks how the area should spend additional transportation revenues that will be generated by recent tax increases.
Proposed Virginia Parkway: Gift to Developers or Necessary for Region's Growth?
In Northern Virginia, where D.C.'s suburbs dissolve into rural landscape, the state's Department of Transportation is planning the Bi-County Parkway. Opponents question whether the state should provide a multi-billion dollar subsidy to developers.
What's Being Done to Keep D.C. Affordable?
Across the D.C. metro area, the supply of market-affordable apartments has dropped dramatically over the past decade as the region's economy has boomed. Nonprofit groups and local governments are working to improve affordability.
Rural Transit: A Matter of Life or Death, and in Danger
Public transit that serves rural communities is no less essential to the everyday needs of their users as those systems that serve cities. So, why do some states seem so eager to cut subsidies to rural transit providers?
Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Fees are Here to Stay, and Spreading
It may seem counter-intuitive to charge extra fees for the cleanest, most fuel-efficient vehicles on the road today - including those that qualify for a federal $7,500 credit. But ten states are doing just that to keep roads well-funded.
How the Best Laid Smart Growth Plans go to Waste
Since the 1990s, Maryland has been at the forefront of Smart Growth planning at the statewide level. However, a new study shows that the state's incentive-based approach may not be adequate for inducing the changes envisioned by planners.
Trend Watch: Swapping Gasoline Excise Taxes for Wholesale Sales Taxes
The D.C. Council is going the way of neighbors Virginia and Maryland by approving new wholesale sales taxes on gasoline and diesel. In it's budget approved on May 22, the council swapped the current 23.5-cent excise tax for a new 8.3% fuel tax.
New Jersey Drops VMT Fee for EV Fee
NJ legislation highlights the need to ensure that those who drive EVs pay their fair share of taxes to keep roads in good repair. A bill that would have charged a mileage fee for all vehicles was scrapped for a $50 flat registration fee for EVs.
The Ups and Downs of the Bike Sharing Economy
What makes Capital Bikeshare, the largest such program in the U.S. with nearly 2000 bikes, a success? What are its shortcomings? Mohana Ravindranath investigates.
Gas Tax Debate: USA Today vs. Rep. Earl Blumenauer
The USA Today editorial board argues that increasing the gas tax is the best way for states to fund transportation while Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) extolls Oregon's VMT fee pilot project, which the editors calls complex and bureaucratic.
D.C. Suburbs Squeezed by Federal Budget Cuts
After a decade of phenomenal growth driven by security and stimulus spending, recent cuts to the federal government's budget are being felt throughout D.C. As office vacancies fall nationwide, they're rising in the Washington area.
Vermont Gas Tax Increases on May 1
Vermont became the third state this year to legislatively increase its gas tax when Democratic Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill on April 29 that raises the gas tax by 5.9-cents and the diesel tax by 2-cents on July 1 and 1-cent next year.
Gas Stations Get Guzzled as D.C.'s Suburbs Densify
Reflecting a nationwide trend, gas stations across the Washington D.C. metro area are disappearing, as rising land values and shrinking margins have station owners eager to sell.
Gas Tax Legislation Facing Uphill Battles In VT, NH, NV
Now that Maryland has joined Wyoming in increasing its gas tax, who's next? Gas tax legislation in New Hampshire and Vermont have advanced to their Senates where going is rough, and a new, "two-cent a year for a decade" bill is proposed for Nevada.
Transformation of D.C. Area Commute On Track for This Year
With construction of the D.C. subway system's newest extension 90 percent complete, the Silver Line is set to transform the region's transportation patterns, and Northern Virginia's in particular.
Amended Virginia Transportation Bill Backtracks on Prius Tax
In signing the funding bill that eliminates the state's 17.5-cent gas tax, Gov. Bob McDonnell reduced the new registration fee on hybrid vehicles to $64. While environmentalists remained disappointed, Moody's bond rating agency praised it highly.
D.C. Mustn't Look Far to Find Lessons for Reducing the Nation's Worst Congestion
Washington D.C. holds the dubious distinction as the nation's most congested city. As D.C. seeks ways to reduce its traffic, Arlington County, in suburban Virginia, has made great strides in convincing commuters to ditch their cars.
What Type of Bus Stop Does $1 Million Buy You?
Arlington County, Virginia has opened the new $1 million Columbia Pike bus stop to popular disbelief. The prototype station will eventually accommodate buses and streetcars.
Maryland Gas Tax Bill May Raise the Bar
One of the nation's most-watched and complex gas tax bills made significant progress in the House of Delegates. It retained one of its most significant parts, indexing the tax (and transit fares) to inflation, overcoming opposition by Republicans.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority
