Federal Highway Administration

Close-up of car tailpipe emitting smoke

Federal Rule Would Require Regional Emissions Reduction Targets

A rule shelved during the Trump administration would require states and metropolitan areas to set targets for reducing tailpipe emissions, but advocates say it doesn’t go far enough to mandate results.

August 18, 2022 - Governing

Freeway Interchange Construction

Biden Administration Proposes New Rule to Track Emission Reductions by State DOTs

Some skepticism is warranted about the potential impact of a proposed federal rule for states and regional planning agencies to track greenhouse gas reductions from transportation investment.

July 10, 2022 - Federal Highway Administration

Bus Lane

The Benefits of Bright Red Bus-Only Lanes, Explained

Richmond, Virginia is adding red paint to 2.5 miles of bus-only lanes. An article in the local newspaper explains why the change is more than an aesthetic consideration.

June 30, 2022 - Richmond Times-Dispatch

Gas station prices sign

'Are Gas Prices Too High?'

Nominal gas prices have never been higher. But are they too high? The question was posed by the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy & Natural Resources to the Secretary of the Interior during a committee hearing on May 19.

May 29, 2022 - The Washington Post

Main Street

Federal Highway Administration Moving Toward Complete Streets

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report to Congress this week that takes initial steps toward making complete streets the default model for funding and designing federally controlled roads.

March 3, 2022 - Federal Highway Administration

I-84 to I-5 Interstate Freeway in Portland Oregon with Long Exposure Vehicle Traffic Motion

Feds Toss the Environmental Assessment for Portland Controversial Freeway Widening Project

It's back to the drawing board for the I-5 Rose Quarter Improvement Project.

January 20, 2022 - The Oregonian

A photo of the Cleveland Clinic hospital.

A New Master Plan for Midtown Cleveland

The neighborhood community development corporation has created a new vision for a Cleveland neighborhood frequented by daytime work populations and people passing through.

July 6, 2021 - Smart Cities Dive

Pedestrians

NACTO Suggests Changes to MUTCD

The association's proposed changes to the manual include a focus on eliminating road deaths, improving pedestrian safety, and creating a more inclusive public process.

May 21, 2021 - NACTO

Pennsylvania

Lawsuit Challenges PennDOT's NEPA Process on Erie Bayfront Parkway

Despite 80% of survey respondents wanting a reduction in volume on Erie's waterfront parkway and improved pedestrian and bicycle access to the city's waterfront, PennDOT plans instead to double traffic as part of a $120 million high-speed bypass.

December 24, 2020 - Earth Justice

Pedestrian Crosswalk

U.S. DOT Releases First-Ever Pedestrian Safety Plan

Record numbers of pedestrians have been killed by drivers in recent years. The federal government says a "team effort" will be necessary to stop the carnage.

December 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Racing Cars

New Research Documents the Tragic Consequences of Noise Pollution

In the United States, busy roads shorten lives in more ways than one, but when it comes to the ill effects of noise pollution, almost no efforts are made to reduce the damage.

September 17, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Northern California Toll Lane

Tolling All Freeway Lanes in the Bay Area?

What's more surprising is seeing who is making the proposal and why. The first step would be to have the concept included in Plan Bay Area 2050.

August 26, 2020 - San Mateo Daily Journal

Monongahela River

Pennsylvania to Shift Funding from Local Roads to Interstate Highways

To prevent losing funding if the state's interstate highways fall below new federal standards, Pennsylvania is rushing to change its capital investments plans.

February 10, 2020 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Indiana

Bike-Friendly City in Indiana is Known for Plentiful Roundabouts

Indiana's fifth-largest city, of just under 100,000, residents has 120 roundabouts, more than any city in the U.S., and only 14 traffic lights. The average traffic fatality rate is 83 percent lower than the national average.

February 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Interstate 80

Wyoming Legislation Would Add Tolls to Interstate 80

A new bill would grant the Wyoming Transportation Commission the authority to impose tolls on all lanes of over 400 miles of I-80 to fund infrastructure needs on the roadway.

January 17, 2020 - CDLLife.com

Washington, D.C. Bus Lane

Red Bus Lanes Easier to Install Thanks to Federal Green Light

Bus lanes covered in a red carpet of paint are gaining popularity in urban areas, but only with a very tentative kind of approval from federal regulators. Red bus lanes took a big, but not final, step toward full regulatory approval in December.

January 6, 2020 - The Washington Post

New York City, New York

Queens Losing its Place as a Home for Immigrants

As non-owner-occupied homes increase in number in Queens neighborhoods, it's becoming harder for immigrants to afford a first home.

December 7, 2019 - Next City

Protected Bike Lane

Nation's Top Safety Board Recommends Protected Bike Lanes

The NTSB chair issued a stark warning on Nov. 5: "If we do not improve roadway infrastructure for bicyclists, bicyclists will die who otherwise would not," stated Robert Sumwalt in introducing their first report in 47 years devoted to bike safety.

November 19, 2019 - National Transportation Safety Board

Crash

Traffic Fatalities Declining, But Not for Pedestrians and People on Bikes

After several years of increasing traffic fatalities, the total numbers of people killed by cars every year in the United States is finally declining. The same can't be said for pedestrians and people on bikes.

October 22, 2019 - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Vancouver, British Columbia

Resistance to Federal Highway Administration's Anti-Painted Crosswalk Position

As the Federal Highway Administration continues its anti-painted crosswalk crusade, attracting new attention at the national level, cities are resisting the notion that rainbow crosswalks are a safety liability.

October 11, 2019 - The New York Times

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

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