Omaha's 400 Shared E-Bikes Are Now Free to All Residents
Metropolitan Omaha’s Heartland bike‑share system has made its fleet of 400 electric bicycles free for all residents aged 16 and older. The fare‑free "Free Rides" program offers unlimited 60‑minute trips and is funded for a one‑year pilot, after a model that only recouped 10‑15% of operating costs through rider fees. The e‑bikes can travel across the Iowa border, positioning Heartland as one of the few multi‑state micromobility providers in the United States. CEO Benny Foltz hopes the pilot’s benefits will justify a permanent rollout.
Federal Road Safety Plan Focuses on Enforcement, Driver Behavior
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration unveiled the P2SS traffic‑safety initiative, shifting emphasis from infrastructure to driver behavior. The plan outlines eight pathways, including harsher enforcement for egregious speeders, expanded night‑time seat‑belt checks, and renewed collaboration with law‑enforcement agencies. It...
Chattanooga Selects Churches to Build up to 400 Affordable Homes
Chattanooga’s city government announced the first eight churches selected for its Faith‑Based Development Initiative, a program that lets houses of worship use or lease underused land for housing. The partnership with Enterprise Community Partners will provide training, technical assistance and...
DOT Withholds $73M From New York over Immigrant Trucking Licenses
The U.S. Department of Transportation is withholding $73 million from New York after a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration audit revealed that more than half of commercial driver’s licenses issued to non‑domiciled drivers were granted without verifying lawful presence. The state...
California Robotaxi Rides Surged by 500% in 19 Months
California’s autonomous‑vehicle rides exploded from under 200,000 in May 2024 to more than 1.2 million by December 2025, a 500% surge in just 19 months. The jump reflects rapid deployment by Waymo and other robotaxi operators across the state. Meanwhile, lawmakers passed AB1777,...
Five Reasons Infrastructure Costs Are Spiking
A Pew‑Governing report highlights five drivers behind soaring U.S. transportation‑infrastructure costs, including a $105 billion maintenance backlog that grew as state spending fell after the early 2000s. Simultaneously, material and labor prices have surged while federal funding remains flat, eroding the...
San Diego Budget Axes Multimodal Team at DOT
San Diego’s draft 2027 budget eliminates the transportation department’s multimodal team, the engineers who design bike lanes, pedestrian crossings and other complete‑street features. The cuts also threaten pending bike‑lane projects and delay other traffic‑safety improvements. While funding for the “Fatal...
Seattle Mayor Pledges to Build 500 Shelter Units by June
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson announced an ambitious plan to add 500 shelter units by mid‑June 2026, positioning the city to address its chronic homelessness crisis. The first batch of supportive housing will be overseen by the King County Regional Homelessness...
Uber Says More Waymos Are Good for Uber Too
Uber told investors that the rise of Waymo and other robotaxi services is boosting overall ride‑hailing demand, not cannibalizing it. The company highlighted significant trip growth in Austin and Atlanta, where Waymo rides are booked through the Uber app, and...
Traffic Deaths Rise by 15% on Major Album Release Days
Harvard Medical School researchers found that traffic fatalities in the United States jump 15% on days when blockbuster albums drop, such as releases by Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny. The study compared those dates with the same calendar days in years without...
San Antonio Sets New Rules for Immigration Detention Facilities
San Antonio’s city council approved amendments to its zoning and Unified Development Code that tighten oversight of private immigration detention facilities. The ordinance adds notification, review and council‑approval steps for any new or converted private detention site, and imposes distance...
NYC Announces New 'Pied-À-Terre Tax' On Second Homes
New York City announced a "pied‑à‑terre" tax on luxury second homes valued above $5 million when the owner’s primary residence lies outside the city. The measure, championed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul, is designed to deter absentee ownership...
This Florida Town Gives Residents a Free Golf Cart with Each New Home
Babcock Ranch, a planned community in Florida, now includes a free golf cart with every new home purchase, reinforcing its brand as a "golf‑cart‑living" haven. The town boasts over 100 miles of bike trails, 10 mph speed limits in school zones,...
Portland Approves Expedited Permitting for Multifamily Housing on the Eastside
Portland’s city council approved a resolution to fast‑track zoning changes on the Eastside, aiming to boost multifamily housing production. The measure requires the city administrator to deliver a 90‑day report outlining how to accelerate rezoning, with a target to enact...
Pasadena Approves Plan for 710 Stub but Tables Restorative Justice Elements
Pasadena’s city council voted to adopt most of the Reconnecting Pasadena vision, a redevelopment blueprint for the 50‑acre “710 stub” that was seized by Caltrans in the 1970s for a never‑built freeway extension. The approved elements include a California Environmental...
Will Tucson Take Back Its Power — Literally?
Tucson Electric Power's 25‑year franchise is ending, forcing the city to decide whether to renew the private contract, negotiate a multi‑billion‑dollar buyout, or launch its own municipal utility. A city‑commissioned feasibility study suggests public ownership could save households up to...
Virginia Officials End Support for Proposed Data Center Next to Civil War Battlefield
Virginia officials in Prince William County voted to end support for a proposed 2,100‑acre data center adjacent to the Manassas National Battlefield Park. The project, which would have added 22 million square feet of space across 34 buildings, required a controversial...
New Idaho Laws Promote 'Starter Homes' With Lots as Small as 1,400 Square Feet
Idaho lawmakers approved two bills aimed at expanding affordable starter‑home options. SB 1352 allows municipalities to approve residential lots as small as 1,400 square feet, the smallest minimum lot size in the United States, and eases traditional setbacks. SB 1354 bars local...
Iowa City's Free Bus Program Made Ridership Spike by 68%. Now, It Could Go Away.
Iowa City’s fare‑free bus pilot sparked a 68% jump in ridership during its first two years and delivered about $3 million in savings for riders. The program, initially funded by the Infrastructure and Investment Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan,...
Chicago Eliminates Parking Requirements Near Transit
Chicago has eliminated parking minimums for new housing within roughly a half‑mile of CTA stations and bus stops, complying with Illinois' People Over Parking Act. The rule change removes a long‑standing barrier to denser development near transit corridors. Simultaneously, the...
Five Simple Zoning Changes that Any City Can Make to Increase Housing Affordability
Cities can boost housing affordability by tweaking zoning rules rather than overhauling entire planning systems. Five pragmatic changes—allowing medium‑density housing in commercial and institutional zones, expanding missing‑middle types in single‑family districts, removing artificial density caps, and shifting to administrative approvals—can...
Maine Legislature Passes Nation's First Data Center Moratorium
Maine’s legislature approved LD 307, the nation’s first state‑level moratorium on new data centers consuming 20 megawatts or more, effective until November 1, 2027. The bill creates a Data Center Coordination Council to evaluate grid reliability, environmental impact, and ratepayer protection while...
Waymo's Glitchy Nashville Rollout
Waymo launched its robotaxi service in Nashville this month, marking the company’s latest push into mid‑size U.S. markets. Within days, residents posted videos showing Waymo vehicles driving into active construction zones, damaging fresh asphalt, and blocking intersections, which caused traffic...
Tesla Gains First European Approval for 'Full Self-Driving' Mode
Tesla has secured the first European approval for its Full Self‑Driving (Supervised) system, granted by the Dutch regulator RWD. The Dutch version requires owners to pass a safety quiz and replaces the U.S. “Sloth‑to‑Mad Max” speed profiles with a single...
Colorado Announces New Train Between Denver and Fort Collins
Colorado officials announced a joint service plan between the Regional Transportation District and the Front Range Passenger Rail District to launch a passenger train between Denver and Fort Collins. The $333 million one‑time capital cost will be split between RTD and...
US Workers Spend Nearly an Hour a Day Commuting
U.S. workers are spending nearly an hour commuting each day, with the average one‑way trip climbing to 27.2 minutes in 2024—almost back to pre‑pandemic levels. Return‑to‑office mandates are a primary driver, pushing commuters back onto congested roads after years of...
Atlanta's First BRT Line Opens April 18
Atlanta’s Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) will launch the city’s first bus rapid transit (BRT) line on April 18. The five‑mile corridor runs from downtown to Capitol Gateway, Summerhill, Peoplestown and the BeltLine’s Southside Trail, featuring 14 stops. Dedicated...
El Paso to Build $16M Bus Maintenance Facility
El Paso is allocating $16 million to construct a new bus maintenance facility, replacing the Sun Metro shop damaged by a February 2025 blast. The project, financed through state and federal transit grants, aims to modernize the fleet’s upkeep, improve reliability, and support...
Without Data Centers, Nonresidential Construction Would Be Down by 12.7%
Data centers drove March nonresidential construction growth. The Dodge Momentum Index rose 1.8% month‑to‑month, while commercial planning increased 7% overall. Excluding data‑center projects, construction activity would have fallen 12.7% year‑over‑year. The surge in data‑center builds offset declines in institutional, education,...
NJ Transit Assures Commuters They Won't Be Paying World Cup Prices
NJ Transit CEO Kris Kolluri told a state Senate committee that regular commuters will not see fare hikes during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, even as the agency prepares for a surge of event‑related riders. The transit authority expects to...
NYC Opens Nation's First 'Deliverista Hub'
New York City has launched the nation’s first Deliverista Hub outside City Hall Park, converting an abandoned newsstand into a high‑tech oasis for its roughly 80,000 delivery workers. The facility features 40 battery‑charging cabinets designed to mitigate lithium‑ion fire risks,...
Report: California's Density Bonus Is a 'Win-Win' For Developers and Affordable Housing
A new Circulate Planning & Policy report finds California’s revamped density‑bonus law is now the state’s most effective tool for creating housing. Reforms, especially AB 2345 in 2020, lifted the bonus from 35% to 50% for projects that set aside more...
These Las Vegas Tiny Homes Can Be Assembled in an Hour
The Las Vegas city council approved a $6 million tiny‑home community built with Boxabl’s modular units. The project will place 50 custom 360‑sq‑ft homes on a 2.25‑acre vacant lot, each renting for roughly $1,000 per month. Boxabl’s patented design allows each...
Buses Are Very Safe. The Walk to and From Stations, Not so Much.
A University of Tennessee‑Knoxville study for the Center for Pedestrian and Bicyclist Safety finds that while buses themselves are among the safest transit modes, the walk to and from bus stops poses a disproportionate risk. Pedestrian‑involved crashes are five times...
University of Michigan Launches Urban Technology Master's Program
The University of Michigan’s Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning will debut a one‑year Master of Urban Technology, the first such accelerated degree at a U.S. university. The program expands on the school’s existing four‑year bachelor’s track and shifts...
Connecticut Developer Fee Brought in $8M for Affordable Housing — but Fewer Affordable Homes Are Being Built
Stamford, Connecticut, collected more than $8.5 million in developer fees earmarked for affordable housing in 2025, yet the city approved only 12 on‑site affordable units that year. The Principal Housing Planner noted a growing preference among developers for paying the fee‑in‑lieu...
Only One US City Makes the Happy City Index Top 50
The 2026 Happy City Index, which ranks cities on 64 metrics such as affordability, mobility and healthcare access, placed Copenhagen, Helsinki and Geneva at the top. Only one U.S. city cracked the top‑50 – San Francisco, landing at rank 45 – while...
What Do the Gilmore Girls, Happy Days, and Full House Have in Common? ADUs.
A new Connecticut bill would permit accessory dwelling units (ADUs) across most of the state, reviving a housing model popularized in shows like "Happy Days" and "Full House." Proponents argue ADUs provide low‑impact, affordable housing, letting seniors downsize, families stay...
Seattle's Transportation Levy Had a Fruitful First Year
Seattle’s 2025 Transportation Levy Annual Report shows the city deployed $77 million of voter‑approved funds to repair potholes, upgrade sidewalks, and expand bike infrastructure. Crews fixed more than 17,000 potholes, completed nearly 21,000 sidewalk safety improvements, and added over four miles...
Waymo Robotaxis Are Now Finding Potholes
Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis are now detecting potholes across five test markets, transmitting the information to city agencies and the Waze navigation app. The fleet’s lidar and camera sensors feed high‑resolution road‑condition data into a shared platform, enabling real‑time alerts for...
Maryland Unveils Plan for 5,000 Homes Near Transit
Maryland announced the Baltimore Regional Transit‑Oriented Development Strategy, targeting roughly 5,000 new homes on 134 acres of state‑owned land near transit stations. The first phase focuses on a 9‑acre parcel adjacent to the Rogers Avenue Metro station, with a plan...
Chicago's Endangered Greyhound Terminal: A Visual History
Chicago’s historic Greyhound intercity bus terminal, operating since 1928, is under threat of sale and demolition as a real‑estate developer eyes redevelopment. The city issued a late‑2025 proposal to purchase the facility and run it like a public rail station,...
Voters in Wisconsin City Pass Nation's First Data Center Referendum
Port Washington, Wisconsin voters approved a referendum that forces city leaders to obtain voter consent before granting tax incentives to data‑center developers, making it the nation’s first voter‑approved data‑center restriction. The measure does not halt the $15 billion Vantage Data Centers...
Portland Finds $106M in Unspent Housing Funds
Portland discovered $106 million in unspent housing bureau funds after a series of audits revealed years of accumulated cash. The city’s new governance structure enabled officials to identify the surplus and allocate $56 million to a suite of affordable‑housing programs, including a...
Milwaukee Announces 60 Vision Zero Projects for 2026
Mayor Cavalier Johnson unveiled Milwaukee's 2026 Vision Zero agenda, committing to 60 road‑safety projects aimed at eliminating traffic fatalities by 2037. The portfolio ranges from a $50 million National Avenue reconstruction to modest Safe Routes to School enhancements near Alexander Mitchell...
Richmond's New 'Stadium District' Will Include Hundreds of Homes, Offices, Jobs
Richmond, Virginia is launching a private‑public "Diamond District" anchored by the new CarMax Park minor‑league baseball stadium. The mixed‑use plan adds 161 middle‑income and 730 market‑rate housing units, office space and job opportunities. The city issued roughly $130 million in bonds...
NYC Mayor Walks Back Free Buses Promise
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced that the city will delay its high‑profile "fast and free" bus initiative. The postponement stems from a shortfall in funding and coordination hurdles with transit agencies. State officials in Albany have not provided...
NYC Launches Curb Management Office to Rein in Delivery, Parking Chaos
New York City has created an Office of Curb Management to oversee its 6,300 miles of curbside lanes, which are currently overloaded with delivery trucks, ride‑hailing cars, garbage collection, bike traffic and outdoor dining. The office will consolidate DOT functions,...
Despite 47% Growth in Ridership, Caltrain Could Close a Third of Its Stations
Caltrain’s ridership jumped 47% after the rollout of new electric trains, yet the agency faces an estimated $75 million annual shortfall beginning in 2027 without a regional sales‑tax approval. The board is weighing drastic measures, from eliminating weekend service and reducing...
Officials in Talks to Build Train From Tucson to Mexico Border
Officials from Pima County, the state of Arizona, and Mexico are in early talks to extend a passenger rail line from Nogales at the U.S.–Mexico border to Tucson. The proposed spur would add roughly 63 miles of track, linking the...