The Latest
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Los Angeles’ decade-old street safety plan must be implemented, voters decide
A recently passed ballot measure aims to make streets safer for pedestrians, cyclists and transit riders. But disagreements remain about the plan’s $3.1 billion cost and impact on first responders.
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Want to improve your transit system’s sustainability? A relaunched FTA program can help.
The Federal Transit Administration's two-year program includes an environmental review, virtual workshops and two audits and requires the participation of transit agency executives.
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Atlanta office conversion goes to foreclosure
Atlanta, like many cities, has plenty of office conversion candidates. However, those projects come with challenges.
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California’s nature-based solutions ambitions laid out in 81 goals
The state’s lands emit more greenhouse gas emissions than they absorb from the atmosphere. California aims to turn things around, but climate advocates question where funding will come from.
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Facing expensive climate threats, NYC’s transit system unveils a resilience plan
The $6 billion climate resilience plan is meant to address rising sea levels, more intense storms and extreme heat events that will impact subways, buses and commuter trains.
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Energy Department finalizes rule to phase out fossil fuels in federal buildings
The elimination of on-site fossil fuel use in new projects after 2030 is part of the Biden administration’s push for net-zero emissions from federal facilities by 2045.
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NYC fare-free bus experiment to end
Although funding to continue the program was not included in the recently passed state budget, two lawmakers are looking to expand the program with new legislation.
Updated April 30, 2024 -
Results are in for a Los Angeles cool pavement experiment
The covered neighborhood saw cooling benefits, a new study finds. But some researchers contend shade is king when it comes to protecting people from heat.
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White House earmarks $1.5B in push for freight decarbonization
The largest piece of the president’s plan provides $1 billion to cities, states and tribes to replace heavy-duty vehicles.
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A first-in-the-nation home repair program sees overwhelming demand
A "gaping need" exists nationwide for programs that improve housing quality, said a senior research analyst at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies.
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To increase job access, try dedicated bus lanes, this study says
Urban Institute researchers found that well-enforced bus lanes could reduce costs for transit agencies and help provide equitable access to employment opportunities.
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Labor Department will raise overtime salary threshold to $44K in July, $59K next year
The final rule expands overtime pay eligibility to millions of U.S. workers, the department said.
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For Cruise robotaxi business, GM considers ‘outside investments’
Despite billions in losses attributed to its Cruise subsidiary, General Motors CEO Mary Barra said the company believes in the technology.
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What 54 climate adaptation plans say about how communities are preparing
Nature-based approaches constitute the largest category of total planned strategies, researchers found. They highlighted examples of progress and innovation from a variety of communities.
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EPA awards $7B to 60 low-income solar access programs
The funds will support community solar programs as well as initiatives to provide loans and grants to low-income households looking to install rooftop solar, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
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Want a 7-day forecast of heat risk near you? Check out this new federal tool.
The tool accounts for how unusual heat is in a specific location and pulls in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data on what that means for public health, federal officials said Monday.
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California’s clean-truck rules: a fleet owner’s view
Although the state’s rules face legal pushback from trucking interests and 19 states, one pioneering fleet owner found surprising benefits as he began buying heavy-duty electric trucks.
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$12B Vegas-to-California high-speed rail project breaks ground
The privately led Brightline West passenger rail line will slash travel times between Las Vegas and the Los Angeles area.
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Are homeless encampment bans ‘cruel and unusual?’
The Supreme Court begins to examine laws that restrict camping even when no shelter space is available as advocates for the homeless and city officials weigh in.
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Transit riders with disabilities in the San Francisco Bay Area to see accessibility improvements
The San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District settled a lawsuit brought by disability rights advocates and agreed to repair, renovate and clean station elevators and escalators.
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US EPA designates 2 types of PFAS as hazardous substances
The long-awaited move is meant to hold polluters accountable. The Environmental Protection Agency says it won’t focus on enforcement at municipal landfills and water utilities.
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How 5 commuter railroad leaders envision their future
“The face of commuter rail is evolving,” one commuter railroad CEO told lawmakers during a House Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittee hearing.
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Air quality data is now widely available, but what should communities do with it?
With air quality sensors now costing as little as $100, some communities are hoping for more federal guidance on how to use them to support decision-making and regulation.
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Maryland doubles fines in road work zones
The legislation, which raises maximum fees for those caught speeding in construction areas, comes a year after six workers were killed in what police say was a speeding-related collision.
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Amtrak taking lead on Dallas-Houston high-speed rail project
Bullet trains could be running by the 2030s, said Amtrak's head of high-speed rail development programs, but the company is still conducting due diligence.