Checking in with the South Central light rail extension that will add six miles and 11 stations of light rail transit serviced in Phoenix.

"Just five years from now, the Valley’s existing light rail system is scheduled to reach south Phoenix," reports Joseph Flaherty.
According to Flaherty planners and designers are hard at work on final elements like station design and public art, and "a variety of unknowns regarding how construction, increased traffic, and a business upswing may impact the historically underserved community."
Flaherty is reporting on the project as Valley Metro hosts a series of community meetings to gather input on the final phase of the project. Flaherty attended one of the first community meetings, gathering the temperature of residents on the forthcoming work. Final work on the project accelerated after the Phoenix City Council approved $50 million in funding in 2016, and voters approved Transportation 2050, a 35-year transportation plan, in 2015. The federal government provided final environmental clearance for the project at the beginning of 2017.
FULL STORY: Let the Countdown Begin: Light Rail Inching Toward South Phoenix

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?

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.

Report: Zoning Reforms Should Complement Nashville’s Ambitious Transit Plan
Without reform, restrictive zoning codes will limit the impact of the city’s planned transit expansion and could exclude some of the residents who depend on transit the most.

Judge Orders Release of Frozen IRA, IIJA Funding
The decision is a victory for environmental groups who charged that freezing funds for critical infrastructure and disaster response programs caused “real and irreparable harm” to communities.
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