Government / Politics

New Year's Day State Gas Tax Increases, Decreases, and What Lies Ahead
Pennsylvania, the state that had the highest gas tax last year, saw the highest gas tax increase of 7.9 cents per gallon, the final increment of a 2013 law. Michigan's 7.3 cents tax increase, signed into law in 2015, is the second largest increase.

The Upside of the Looming Resource Crisis
The concept of the circular economy is starting to take hold on governments and business throughout the world. Peter Moskowitz discusses the various ways the concept is being translated into practical, real-world solutions.

8 Planning Terms to Retire in 2017
A collection of planning and transportation experts humbly submits a list of words and terms that have lost their value (if they ever had any to begin with).
Shock at Mexican Fuel Price Hike Turns to Pandemonium
Reaction to the 20 percent hike in fuel prices on New Year's Day has been swift, causing riots and looting resulting in four deaths and arrests of over 700 people, but President Enrique Peña Nieto continues to justify the need to end fuel subsidies.

13 Years Later—Environmental Review for San Francisco Bus Rapid Transit Project Complete
The California Environmental Quality Act-mandated review process for a proposed bus rapid transit project in San Francisco took 13 years to complete.

New Housing Report Finds California Fails to Produce 100,000 Units Annually
The report by the state Department of Housing and Community Development is in the form of a draft assessment that solicits comments. For the last 10 years, the state produced on average 80,000 units annually, while the need was for 180,000 units.

New Year's Shock Greets Motorists at Mexican Gas Stations
Mexico began deregulation of gasoline prices to the dismay of motorists, as gas prices jumped about 20 percent on New Year's Day. People are so upset that pundits suggest the decision may imperil President Enrique Peña Nieto's re-election next year.
Carl Weisbrod, Head of NYC Planning, Stepping Down
Carl Weisbrod will step down from his position at the head of the Department of City Planning in New York at the end of the month, and the de Blasio Administration has already identified his successor.

Trump: The Ultimate Unintended Consequence
In Sacramento, a protracted fight involving the California Environmental Quality Act downsized a proposed development. It also added fuel to the pro-Trump, anti-development fire that swept the nation on November 8.

European Cities Forcing Airbnb to Play by the Rules
European cities have taken a proactive role in regulating Airbnb.

New Mayor Has Harsh Words for Portland's Office of Neighborhood Involvement
A recent city audit has empowered Portland's new mayor, Ted Wheeler, to criticize the Office of Neighborhood Involvement in Portland.

An Exit Interview with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx
A CityLab interview with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx, who served in the position since 2013 during some of the most frantic technological innovation in transportation since the dam of the age of the automobile.
Michigan the Latest to Preempt Municipalities from Banning Plastic Bags
Michigan has joined a small but growing list of states that have passed laws prohibiting municipalities from banning single-use plastic bags or charging for bags, as is done in California. Critics assail it as an 'attack on local control.'
Report: California Should Treat Housing Crisis like Climate Change
The California Apartment Association released a report on what it will take to solve the state's chronic housing shortage. Cities that are loath to permit new residential developments, both affordable and market rate, will not be pleased.

The Political Map of 2016 Looks Like the Carbon Emissions Map of 2016
There's a trend here.

Wisconsin's Department of Natural Resources Is Purging Climate Change
The state of Wisconsin, following in the footsteps of Florida, is pretending that the climate change doesn't exist.

Feds Want Their Money Back After Cleveland Changes Public Square Plans
The city of Cleveland knew that the Federal Transit Administration expected buses to run through Public Square. Now that there will be no buses, the FTA says there will be no grant money.

Georgia Looking to Consolidate Regional Transit Agencies
The carrot at the end of a possible re-organization of the state of Georgia's regional transportation agencies would come in the shape of state funding for transit.

Grading Obama's Urban Policy Legacy
Some of the effects of the Obama Administration will take years to appear, but a new book already begins the process of taking stock of the administration's efforts to support and improve cities.
San Luis Obispo County Leaders Ponder What's Next After Transportation Measure Fails
The November 8 sales tax measure fell 0.37 percent short, but there's new hope from Sacramento with the reintroduction of a gas tax measure. Democrats now hold the bare supermajority in both the Assembly and Senate needed to pass tax increases.
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