In the waning days of the Obama Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation saw reason to investigate the civil rights implications of a decision to cancel funding for the Baltimore Red Line light rail project.
Angie Schmitt reports on the latest twist of the Baltimore Red Line saga: The Trump Administration has quietly ended an investigation into the question of whether Governor Larry Hogan's decision to kill the project violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act.
"Now, six months into the Trump presidency, U.S. DOT has quietly terminated the civil rights investigation, without elaborating why," according to Schmitt. The article also includes a passage from a statement by NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Sherrilyn Ifill in response to the decision.
According to Schmitt, the Red Line investigation could have had groundbreaking scope and impact: "If investigators had ruled against Hogan, U.S. DOT could have frozen all federal transportation funds to Maryland until the problem had been remedied."
FULL STORY: Trump DOT Shuts Down Civil Rights Probe of Larry Hogan’s Decision to Kill the Red Line
U.S. DOT Brings Maryland Purple Line Back From the Dead
The U.S. Department of Transportation and the state of Maryland are expected to sign a funding agreement next week for the Purple Line between Montgomery and Prince George's counties.
Maryland Transportation Planning Decisions Under Civil Rights Scrutiny
The infamous cancellation of the Red Line, a decision made by Gov. Larry Hogan shortly after he took office, is a high-profile example of how the state's transportation decisions are short-changing people of color.
Maryland Bills Push Back on Anti-Transit Governor
Maryland legislators are considering a rating system for transportation projects recently approved in Virginia. The bill would also check the power of the state's governor in killing project proposals.
National Parks Layoffs Will Cause Communities to Lose Billions
Thousands of essential park workers were laid off this week, just before the busy spring break season.
Retro-silient?: America’s First “Eco-burb,” The Woodlands Turns 50
A master-planned community north of Houston offers lessons on green infrastructure and resilient design, but falls short of its founder’s lofty affordability and walkability goals.
Delivering for America Plan Will Downgrade Mail Service in at Least 49.5 Percent of Zip Codes
Republican and Democrat lawmakers criticize the plan for its disproportionate negative impact on rural communities.
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Balancing Bombs and Butterflies: How the National Guard Protects a Rare Species
The National Guard at Fort Indiantown Gap uses GIS technology and land management strategies to balance military training with conservation efforts, ensuring the survival of the rare eastern regal fritillary butterfly.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service