State-administered roads in rural parts of Texas have some of the highest speed limits in the state, and see more fatal crashes than urban roads.

Reporting for the Houston Chronicle, Dug Begley outlines the plight of Texas’s rural roads, which, “Despite carrying about 21 percent of the state’s daily miles driven, … represent 34 percent of all highway deaths.”
As Begley writes, “In ‘Keeping Rural Texas Connected,’ researchers found that 251 projects to improve highways outside metro and suburban areas were completed since 2015, at a cost of $7.5 billion, and another 127 valued at $7.2 billion are under construction according to the Texas Department of Transportation.” Yet the Texas Trunk System, “the 30-year-old goal state officials set to make sure every area of Texas with a population of more than 20,000 is connected by a safe, four-lane divided road,” is still short $27.8 billion in backlogged projects.
“One of the challenges to garnering support for rural roads,” according to Texas Transportation Commissioner Alvin New, “is that Texas is becoming more urban, but much of its transportation needs remain decidedly rural.”
Begley writes that “Safety advocates argue Texas highway officials must combat one of the most common reasons for severe crashes — excessive speed. As roads are rebuilt and widened, care needs to be made to not enable faster trips that actually increase risk, they say.” As Jay Crossley, executive director of nonprofit Farm & City, puts it, “In rural, suburban, and urban Texas, the facilities designed for the highest speeds are our state on-system roadways, where there are terrible results of someone driving 70 miles an hour every day.”
FULL STORY: $27B backlog in rural road projects could pose risk to drivers, Texas economy, report finds

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.

Minneapolis Bans Rent-Setting Software
Four cities have enacted restrictions on algorithmic software that can inflate rent costs.

Oakland to Add 244 New EV Chargers
Oakland plans to launch its new charging network at eight locations by the end of 2025.

Jane Goodall Inspires with Message of Hope, Resilience, and Environmental Action
Speaking in Pasadena, Jane Goodall offered a hopeful and inspirational message, urging global compassion, environmental responsibility, and the power of individual action to shape a better future.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
City of Moreno Valley
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
City of Cambridge, Maryland