Infrastructure

Indianapolis Going Big on Transit Planning
The IndyGo transit system is wrapping up a period of free fares for its new Red Line bus rapid transit line before another big launch scheduled for spring 2020.

After Compromise, 'Streets Master Plan' Headed for Approval in New York City
The New York City Council is expected to pass a "Streets Master Plan" this week that City Council Speaker Corey Johnson describes as designed to "break the car culture."

A New 26-Mile Light Rail Line Considered for Charlotte
The Charlotte Area Transit System (CATS) would like to add an ambitious, expensive project to its capital investment plans, but funding the project is more daunting than the last time the system expanded.

Bus Rapid Transit Chosen for Big Mayo Clinic-Adjacent Economic Development Program
Rochester, the third-most-populous city in Minnesota and birthplace of the Mayo Clinic, has approved a plan to build bus rapid transit.

Post-Christie, NJ Transit Finding a New Way Forward
This opinion piece celebrates the new era of transit funding and planning currently underway in the state, but also calls for more: progress, action, and work.

City to Resident: You Can Tear Your House Down But You Can't Build a New One
The curious case of Cynthia Dunne in Ladue, Missouri, who was permitted by the city to tear down her house, and then subsequently informed that a lack of water pressure prohibited building a new one.

Trump Administration Finds a Way to Divert California Water to Farmers
A new federal program will clear the way for more water to be delivered to the state of California's agriculture industry, overruling environmental safeguards that protected fish.

An Enticement to Ride BART to the Airport: A Shorter Security Line
Airport and transit planners in the Bay Area are considering adding a perk for transit ridership for travelers to and from San Francisco International Airport.

Plan Would Shift High-Speed Rail Funds to Burbank-Anaheim Commuter Corridor
Improvements to the commuter rail connections between Los Angeles and Orange counties are among the possibilities for the future of rail planning in California as uncertainty about high-speed rail continues.

Busy Section of L.A. Rail Transit Had Quicker Service in 1916
Over a century ago, the Pacific Electric Railway operated a line between downtown Los Angeles and Long Beach that competed its journey ten minutes faster than LA Metro's Blue Line does. What gives?

Bipartisan Coalition of Mayors Support Tax Credits for Solar Power
One issue has solidly bipartisan support at the local level: tax credits for investments that build new solar power capacity.

Seattle Suburbs Prepare for Light Rail With Zoning for Transit-Oriented Development
Mountlake Terrace is the latest Seattle suburb to make substantial space for new development in anticipation of a forthcoming Link light rail line extending north of Seattle.

High-Speed Rail Connecting Atlanta to Charlotte Studied
The Georgia Department of Transportation and the Federal Railroad Administration recently released a draft study of a plan to link Atlanta and Charlotte via high-speed rail.

The Universal Need for Better Sidewalks
The "8 Principles of Sidewalks" guide has been translated from Portuguese to English and is available to download.

Insufficient Groundwater for Arizona County's Planned Development
New projections for Pinal County in Arizona show that water demand will exceed the area’s supply.

Philadelphia's Waterfront Cap Park Enters Final Design Phase
The $225 million Park at Penn's Landing is expected to compete transform the city of Philadelphia's relationship with its waterfront.

Engaging, Then Planning, for Equity
The interdisciplinary work of the Kounkuey Design Initiative, led by executive director Chelina Odbert, and deeply committed to the homegrown potential of neighborhoods and communities.

House Legislation to Fund Vision Zero Investments Proposed
Long-time bike and pedestrian safety champion Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) is among the authors of a new bill to provide federal funding for Vision Zero projects.

Robert Moses Inspires 'Motherless Brooklyn'
A new movie starring Edward Norton, based on the novel of the same name by Lionel Essrog, gives a central role to a Robert Moses doppelgänger, as portrayed by Alec Baldwin.

Study: Sprawl Costs Local Governments More
Even when fewer people live in sprawling suburban communities than dense urban communities, one of these settlement types has the benefit of being much cheaper to serve.
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