Transportation Planning

Environmental Study Released for $7 Billion Houston Highway Project
The final environmental impact statement for the controversial North Houston Highway Improvement Project is available for public comment, courtesy of the Texas Department of Transportation.

Big Business in Portland Doesn't Want to Pay for Metro Transportation Funding Measure
A heated dispute over a $5 billion Metro transportation funding ballot measure has erupted between climate activists and a group representing Portland's big business interests.

Gone by 2035: Gas-Powered Car Sales Have an Expiration Date in California
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced yesterday an executive order that would ban the sale of cars powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. California is the first state in the country to take such action.

Tolls Not Included: Toll Proposals Keep Ending Up in the Dustbin in Texas
Another example of the growing political and planning opposition to the idea of tolling new roads in Texas.

Constitutional Amendment Would Shift Some Gas Tax Revenue to Transit Spending in Nevada
Democratic legislators in Nevada are considering a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to use gas tax revenues for transportation projects other than road construction, maintenance, and repair.

Key Virginia Rail Bridge Project Completes Environmental Review
A $1.9 billion project to add a second set of rail tracks to the Long Bridge that connects Virginia to D.C. is ready to move forward with a recently completed Environmental Impact Statement.

Tracking Complete Streets Progress in Milwaukee
The city of Milwaukee's commitment to Complete Streets is still in early stages, as a new progress report details with an eye toward the future.

Big Highway Widening Plan Faces Public Scrutiny in Maryland
First proposed in 2019, Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan's highway widening plan has been trimmed everywhere but the bottom line.

Debunking Traffic Safety Myths as Pedestrian Fatalities Increase
Angie Schmitt, former editor at Streetsblog USA, has written a new book about pedestrian fatalities, which works to dispel some of the myths about traffic safety in the United States.

Virginia DOT Bound by New Law to Study Transportation Demand Management
A new requirement for the Virginia Department of Transportation took effect on July 1. The state's transportation planners and engineers now must study Transportation Demand Management as an approach to congestion management.

Beyond Complete Streets: Could COVID-19 Help Transform Thoroughfares Into Places for People?
Key considerations for those with a vision to make change on city streets.

Audit Faults Oregon DOT for Lack of Public Engagement
Faulted for lack of attention to pedestrian and bike advocates, the Oregon Department of Transportation will soon have opportunities to redeem itself.

The Outdated Models That Continue to Guide Transportation Planning
Transportation demand models offer predictions that are used to make important decisions, but their accuracy is questionable. The real issue, however, might be about the goals of planning and how urban life and livability are quantified.

Professional Planners Anticipate Post-Pandemic Active Commuting
Many planners say they want to try out active commutes when in-office work becomes possible. How will a fresh look at their local streets influence planning professionals and planning practice?

Book Review: 'Ghost Road' and Visions for Autonomous Transporation
Anthony M. Townsend's new book goes beyond autonomous automobiles to examine autonomous transportation in a larger context.

Metropolitan Planning Organizations, Explained and Evaluated
Knowing is half the battle, and most people have a lot to learn about metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) and how they maintain the status quo of transportation planning and spending in the United States.

Bus Lanes, Desired by Advocates for Chicago's Lake Shore Drive Project, Back on the Table
After releasing a list of project alternatives that didn't include new bus lanes in the existing roadway, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has changed its mind.

New Layer of Equity Analysis Considered for Regional Planning in Northeast Ohio
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) is considering a new policy that will add considerations about regional economic inequities when evaluating potential highway projects.

The Future of the Typical, Solo Car Commute
A study finds that a third of workers would prefer to work remotely every day of the workweek, potentially removing nearly 50 million cars from U.S. roadways.

Car-Centric Choices Shortchange the Walkability Goals of the 2010 Tysons Comp Plan
Ten years after Tysons, an unincorporated community in Fairfax County, Virginia, approved an award winning comprehensive plan, there's still work to be done to achieve its ambitious goals.
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