After residents rejected transit expansion proposals in 2019 and 2020, local officials went back to the drawing board, removing heavy rail plans and focusing on microtransit and local buses.

Georgia’s Gwinnett County is asking its voters to approve an ambitious $17 billion Transit Development Plan that would expand on-demand transit and bus service and create a new 26-mile bus rapid transit (BRT) line.
According to an article by Jared Brey in Governing, the plan would be funded via a one-cent sales tax increase. Brey points out that “It’s a proposal with a lot of uncertainty, given that county voters rejected a similar tax in both 2019 and 2020, and voted against transit expansions in the 1990s and the 1970s.”
However, the new plan focuses on improving mobility within the county, rather than making connections to the city of Atlanta, which many in the county have long opposed. Brey explains that “residents made it clear they don’t want to be part of MARTA, and the new plan favors countywide microtransit service along with lower-cost bus rapid transit, instead of rail.”
County officials say the microtransit expansion would benefit all residents, even those who don’t use transit, by reducing congestion on local roads. A referendum has not been scheduled, but could be on the ballot next November.
FULL STORY: Atlanta Suburbs Will Try Again to Expand Public Transit

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.

Updating LA’s Tree Rules Could Bring More Shade to Underserved Neighborhoods
A new USC study finds that relaxing Los Angeles’ outdated tree planting guidelines could significantly expand urban tree canopy and reduce shade disparities in lower-income neighborhoods, though infrastructure investments are also needed.

California's Canal Solar Projects Aim to Conserve Resources and Expand Clean Energy
California’s Project Nexus has begun generating electricity from solar panels installed over irrigation canals, with researchers and state agencies exploring statewide expansion to conserve water and boost clean energy production.

HHS Staff Cuts Gut Energy Assistance Program
The full staff of a federal program that distributes heating and cooling assistance for low-income families was laid off, jeopardizing the program’s operations.
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