James Brasuell, AICP is the former editorial director of Planetizen and is now a senior public affairs specialist at the Southern California Association of Governments. James managed all editorial content and direction for Planetizen from 2014 to 2023, and was promoted from manging editor to editorial director in 2021. After a first career as a class five white water river guide in Trinity County in Northern California, James started his career in Los Angeles as a volunteer at a risk reduction center in Skid Row. Prior to joining Planetizen, James worked at the Cal Poly Pomona College of Environmental Design, as an editor at Curbed LA, as editor of The Planning Report, and as a freelance contributor for The Architect’s Newspaper, the Urban Land Institute – Los Angeles Chapter, FORM, KCET, and the California Planning & Development Report.

Contracts Signed, Funding Still TBD: Texas Central High-Speed Rail Moves Forward
Texas Central has its construction contracts and a court decision in its favor, but significant obstacles remain for the high-speed rail project connecting Houston and Dallas to get underway.

How to Improve Bus Service and Performance on Busy Corridors
A new report collects the lessons and best practices of several years of bus priority projects in the Boston region.

U.S. Traffic Fatalities Increased Most for Black Americans During the Pandemic
Two new reports confirm the racial disparities of traffic violence in the United States, revealing more proof about who stayed home during the pandemic, and who was forced to navigate the risks of the pandemic in public.

Bikelash Wins in Phoenix
Neighborhood opposition overwhelmed a plan to reduce the number of vehicles lanes on North Central Avenue to make space for a new bike lane, despite evidence of the benefits of the proposed street reconfiguration.

Inland Empire City Pauses New Gas Station Development
The reasons for a ten-month moratorium on gas station development in the city of Rancho Cucamonga portend a major shift in transportation and land use priorities in the near future.