Senator Mark Kirk presented details yesterday about his plan to lease public transportation assets to private companies or partner with them to expand transit.
The cash generated by the leases or sales be reinvested in infrastructure, writes reporter John Hilkevitch:
"The initiative to loosen the reins on privatization, coming at a time of record federal and state deficits and the prospect of declining government spending on public infrastructure, runs counter to legislation that Democrat Durbin introduced Friday."
Hilkevitch reports on the controversies in Chicago over privatizing public infrastructure such as parking meters.
FULL STORY: Kirk unveils plan to ease transit privatization
Chicago to Install New Parking Meters to Lessen Impact of Bad Contract
The city of Chicago will install 752 new parking meters in 2017—but still fall far from the Shoupian ideal.
The Lingering Consequences of Chicago's Parking Meter Privatization
An article examines "Exhibit A for bad public contracting"—a 75-year lease between Chicago a Morgan Stanley-led private consortium for 36,000 parking meters—as a cautionary tale about the lingering impacts of bad deals.
Chicago for Sale
Mick Dumke dives deep on Mayor Rahm Emanuel's ambitious plans to "exchange public space and public rights for private cash." Has the city learned anything from the parking meter debacle?
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
In Both Crashes and Crime, Public Transportation is Far Safer than Driving
Contrary to popular assumptions, public transportation has far lower crash and crime rates than automobile travel. For safer communities, improve and encourage transit travel.
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