For the second year in a row, the city failed to meet legally required targets for building protected bike lanes and bus lanes.

Writing in Streetsblog NYC, Dave Colon outlines the lack of progress made by New York City on its safe streets goals, noting that “In 2023, Mayor Adams failed spectacularly in meeting a legal mandate to construct 50 miles of protected bike lanes and 30 miles of protected or ‘enhanced’ bus lanes.”
Despite the 2019 law mandating these targets, Colon notes that the city likely won’t face any consequences. “Far from meeting the established benchmarks, the city under Mayor Adams has run away from high-profile fights, delayed and slow-walked contentious projects and failed to adequately staff DOT.”
Colon describes the history of the law, signed by then-Mayor Bill de Blasio, which faced setbacks as the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc on the city and its budget. The Department of Transportation lost staff during 2022 and has yet to fully recover.
Colon places much of the blame for the city’s lackluster 2023 performance on Mayor Eric Adams and his “true disregard for the legal benchmarks in the master plan.” As Colon explains, “Projects lived or died based on his nebulous ideas of community support. Some disappeared for no reason.” At the core of the issue is the lack of enforcement mechanisms in the Streets Master Plan. “The City Council has registered its disapproval, but little else, via Transportation Committee Chairwoman Selvena Brooks-Powers.” It remains unclear if the council will take steps to make the administration comply with the law.
FULL STORY: Year in Review: In 2023, NYC’s Ambitious ‘Streets Master Plan’ Was Just Pretty Paper And Maps

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

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.

Washington State Plans Ambitious ‘Cycle Highway’ Network
The state is directing funding to close gaps in its existing bike network and make long-distance trips more accessible.

Homeowners Blame PG&E for Delays in ADU Permits
The utility says it has dramatically reduced its backlog, but applicants say they still face months-long delays for approvals for new electrical work.

Rethinking Wildfire Defense: How a Landscape Approach Can Protect Neighborhoods
Post-fire analysis of the Eaton Fire reveals that a landscape approach — including fire-resistant vegetation, home hardening, and strategic planning — can help reduce wildfire risk, challenging assumptions that trees and plants are primary fire hazards.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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