Transportation seems like an afterthought on the campaign trail, but Transportation for America is shining light on the issue by providing an evaluation of each campaign's transportation plan.
Transportation for American recently published an evaluation of the campaign platforms of President Donald Trump as well as the remaining Democratic field for the nomination, using three guiding principles: prioritizing maintenance, safety over speed, and access to jobs and services.
More specifically for each of those guiding principles, does each candidate's transportation plan cut the maintenance backlog in half, does it address speed as the major cause of roadway crashes, and is the plan organized around connecting people to jobs and services.
The president fails all three principles of the organization's evaluations: "Both President Trump’s proposed infrastructure package and the Senate bill that POTUS endorsed during the most recent State of the Union—America’s Transportation Infrastructure Act—fails to achieve our three principles." Moreover, according to the article, "Our 45th president is under the false impression that the private sector will “gift” government money to fix our infrastructure. But it will never happen."
As for the Democratic candidates, the current frontrunner, Senator Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont), fails all three principles. Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota) also fail on all three principles, as does former Vice President Joe Biden. Former mayors Pete Buttigieg and Michael Bloomberg, however, pass all three principles.
FULL STORY: What’s inside presidential candidates’ transportation plans?
Potential Presidential Election Outcomes for U.S. Transportation Policy
Experts opine on the consequences of the presidential election for U.S. transportation policy.
The Star-Studded Discussion of the National Housing Debate
Residential zoning has long been considered a local issue, but some presidential candidates have started weighing in on zoning and housing. Journalists, pundits, and researchers have plenty of complexity to examine as the debate changes venue.
Good Trump, Bad Trump
The Trump Administration is sending out mixed signals on public transit issues. Why?
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
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.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Waymo Gets Permission to Map SF’s Market Street
If allowed to operate on the traffic-restricted street, Waymo’s autonomous taxis would have a leg up over ride-hailing competitors — and counter the city’s efforts to grow bike and pedestrian on the thoroughfare.
Parklet Symposium Highlights the Success of Shared Spaces
Parklets got a boost during the Covid-19 pandemic, when the concept was translated to outdoor dining programs that offered restaurants a lifeline during the shutdown.
Federal Homelessness Agency Places Entire Staff on Leave
The U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness is the only federal agency dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness.
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service