The agency argues that the city cannot introduce lane reductions on a state road, putting a long-planned bike lane project in jeopardy and superseding local decisionmaking.

Bike advocates often face an uphill battle in their efforts to build safer bike infrastructure in their cities. But even well-meaning local efforts to improve road conditions for people on bikes can be thwarted by state agencies. This is the case with San Antonio, as reported by Jared Brey in Governing.
“Like a lot of other big cities, San Antonio has tried to make some of its streets safer for bikers and pedestrians. In 2017, voters approved a bond measure to fund a range of public-realm improvements, including 200 miles of new sidewalks.” One project funded by this bond, a two-mile redesign of Broadway that would have added bike lanes, was nixed by the Texas Department of Transportation, who claimed that, as a state route, the road could not be narrowed from its six driving lanes, despite having worked with the city on the project for years.
“The moves are in keeping with state leaders’ focus on reducing traffic congestion on state roads, and part of a broader culture war over transportation” that Planetizen readers are undoubtedly familiar with (see examples here, here, here, and here, for starters). City planning professor Sara Bronin points to the inherent conservative nature of engineers, saying, “What we’re seeing in the traffic context is that the inclination to rely on established safety standards has resulted in complacency, and that has led to these standards not being questioned by the majority of decision-makers.”
For now, San Antonio policymakers are faced with a project in limbo until TxDOT agrees to a plan.
FULL STORY: Can San Antonio Become a Better Bike City? Not on State Roads.

Manufactured Crisis: Losing the Nation’s Largest Source of Unsubsidized Affordable Housing
Manufactured housing communities have long been an affordable housing option for millions of people living in the U.S., but that affordability is disappearing rapidly. How did we get here?

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Greening Oakland’s School Grounds
With help from community partners like the Trust for Public Land, Oakland Unified School District is turning barren, asphalt-covered schoolyards into vibrant, green spaces that support outdoor learning, play, and student well-being.

California Governor Suspends CEQA Reviews for Utilities in Fire Areas
Utility restoration efforts in areas affected by the January wildfires in Los Angeles will be exempt from environmental regulations to speed up the rebuilding of essential infrastructure.

Native American Communities Prepare to Lead on Environmental Stewardship
In the face of federal threats to public lands and conservation efforts, indigenous groups continue to model nature-centered conservation efforts.
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