The country is building tens of thousands of miles of rail service that is expensive to maintain and, in some cases, redundant.

In the last two decades, China has built over 30,000 miles of high-speed rail, reports Brian Spegele in MSN News. “The plan sticks to a well-worn economic model built on maintaining growth through infrastructure spending—even though China already has much of what it needs.”
However, the country’s rail operator has amassed nearly $1 trillion in debt and liabilities, and questions are being raised about how necessary many of the new rail lines, particularly those running to rural areas, are. “The line connecting Shanghai and the tech hub of Hangzhou, home to Alibaba, drew an average of around 100,000 passenger trips every day during its first decade between 2010 and 2020, according to state media.” But a similar line in rural Fushun County only reported roughly 9,000 daily trips, and some rural lines replicate existing services, rendering them unnecessary.
According to Spegele, “China is now practically duplicating some routes. High-speed trains have operated for years between the inland cities of Chongqing and Kunming, a journey that takes about five hours. China State Railway says a new $20 billion line being built between the cities, following a different path, will cut travel time to about two hours, while supporting the regional economy and promoting national unity.”
FULL STORY: China Is Building 30,000 Miles of High-Speed Rail—That It Might Not Need

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.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

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.

Houston Mayor Promises Dedicated Austin Street Bike Lane After Public Backlash
Although the one-way bike lane won’t be protected by physical barriers, the proposal is an improvement over the mayor’s initial plan to only include sharrows on the Austin Street project.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.

Philadelphia Could Lose Free Transit Program
The city’s upcoming budget doesn’t include the Zero Fare program, which offers free SEPTA fare to more than 24,000 residents.
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