United States

How Widespread Is the Coronavirus in Your Metro Area?
Do you know the COVID risk level where you live, work and play? Many COVID data trackers provide county and state-level data, but metropolitan area data had been more difficult to find until now, thanks to Covid Act Now.

Chicago DOT Strategic Plan Update Centers Mobility Justice
The city, which has been slow to implement complete streets initiatives during the pandemic, promises closer collaboration with community groups to advance equity in transportation.

U.S. Car Prices Cross the $40,000 Threshold
Car prices have been going for a while, but even by recent standards a December jump in car prices is likely to be an outlier.

Resources for Safe, Convenient Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure
Despite the stated goals of state and federal agencies to encourage active modes of transportation, there's still a long way to go to make sure that all cities and communities have safe, convenient sidewalks and bike lanes.

How Working From Home Is Changing Where We Live
Remote workers are flocking to small, amenity-rich towns in the West, changing their social and economic landscape.

More Cities Legalizing 'Granny Flats'
Accessory Dwelling Units continue to gain steam as one approach for increasing affordability, but experts caution that housing affordability requires broader solutions.

Report: Lackluster Bike Parking Reduces Cycling and Undermines Public Safety
Widely available, secure bike parking can go a long way toward encouraging cycling and keeping New Yorkers safe, a new report says.

American Automobile Manufacturers Talking Seriously About Flying Cars
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is partnering with electric aviation startup Archer to mass-produce flying automobiles, really more like helicopters or drones. General Motors also released designs for an autonomous flying car recently.

City of Compton Introduces Two-Year Guaranteed Income Pilot
Proponents of universal basic income and general income programs say direct cash payments to low-income residents would reduce inequality and alleviate poverty.

AICP Certification Maintenance Program to Include Equity Requirement
Two new mandatory topic areas will be required of AICP members to maintain professional certification.

Fifth Ward Residents Oppose Houston's Interstate Expansion
The downtown freeway expansion will displace thousands of housed and unhoused residents and hundreds of small businesses.

Economic Justice Includes Highway Removals
A $435 billion "economic justice" bill proposed by Democrats in the U.S. Senate includes $10 billion for projects that remove highways and build community-oriented assets in their place.

Affordable Housing for LGBTQ Seniors
LGBTQ elders are more likely than their age-peers to have experienced discrimination, leaving them more likely to be poor and have chronic health problems. LGBTQ-friendly senior housing aims to provide a safe and supportive place to age.

U.S. DOT Releases Pair of Autonomous Vehicle Plans
On January 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation released "Ensuring American Leadership in Automated Vehicle Technologies: Automated Vehicles 4.0 (AV 4.0)." On January 11, it followed up with the Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan (AVCP).

Economic Shock Lowers U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Below 1990 Levels, Report Says
The decrease in U.S. economic activity during the pandemic year of 2020 reduced the country's greenhouse gas emissions by 10.3 percent.

Transportation Equity Lessons from the Pandemic
Almost a year into the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Urban Institute assesses what we've learned about transportation equity—and what these lessons mean for the future.

Leadership Change at the Congress for the New Urbanism
The Congress for the New Urbanism will begin the search for a new CEO after Lynn Richards announces plans to depart.

Street Made Entirely of Recycled Plastic Asphalt
The material, now being tested on California roads, is made using recycled PET plastic and promises longer-lasting road treatments.

Transportation Secretary's Resignation Announcement Greeted With Derision
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao became the first cabinet secretary to announce her resignation due to the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, but at least one high-profile member of congress has derided the announcement.

Coronavirus Daily Deaths Top 4,000 in U.S.
For the first time in the pandemic, over 4,000 Americans died on one day, January 7, from a disease that had no name before Feb. 11, 2020.
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