A commercial block in Downtown Tacoma on Pacific Avenue. (Credit: Stephen Fesler)

A housing czar: Does the Biden administration need a housing czar?

Delayed: Dublin’s first metro line may be delayed now until 2034.

Public order problems: Many American cities face public order problems on transit.

€9 ticket: How is Germany’s €9 ticket for public transit going?

Tunnel vision: Austin is planning a new set of rail transit expansions and is showing off tunnel designs.

Drunk driving penalties: Some pending state bills could ratchet up penalties for drunk driving.

Bad street design: A report indicates bad street designs are escalating the traffic safety crisis.

BI ferry terminal changes: Changes are afoot at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal affecting people who walk, roll, and bike.

Same standards: What if we held transit and traffic to the same safety standards?

Office park redevelopment: How might the lonely suburban office park gain new life ($)?

SB9: There was a lot of opposition to California’s SB9 housing bill, but it’s not resulting in tons of proposed projects ($).

Relief extension: King County is considering extension of its rent relief program.

Office to housing: Pittsburgh is considering legislation that would seek to fund conversion of offices to housing in the city.

Nothing to learn here: In a bizarre move, the US wants to advise other countries on transportation.

Taxing heavier cars: Is it time to start taxing heavier cars more in cities?

Decongesting Manhattan: Decongestion pricing in Manhattan may be coming in 2023.

No right on red: Portland is adding another bike box and banning right turn on red at an intersection.

Responding to demand: As development slows to a crawl, San Francisco is considering changes to its inclusionary zoning program ($).

Cayton Corner Park: The Cayton Corner Park is moving forward in Capitol Hill.

SBUX floundering: As Starbucks battles unionization efforts and economic shifts, the company is closing some stores.

Evictions still happened: In California, 36,000 households faced eviction last year ($).

Freeways live on: A bill to halt freeway expansions in California has died in committee.

Be like France: Why did French and American traffic deaths go in dramatically different directions?

ADUs in Montana: Whitefish, Montana has loosened accessory dwelling unit regulations.

Climate fee: Portland has added a climate fee to parking rates.

Feds want action: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to reduce speeding and regulate autonomous vehicles.

BRT: Atlanta is a step closer to building bus rapid transit (BRT). Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has begun work on its first BRT line.

A safe street: What’s the first sign of a safe street?

Tackling commercial vacancies: Commercial vacancies have jumped in the Bay Area, but can pop-up storefront uses help reactivate empty storefronts ($)?

A dying breed: Capitol Hill’s last laundromat has closed.

Gateway Tunnel greenlight: New York and New Jersey have agreed on the Gateway Tunnel project.

Reopening the commons: The Ballard Commons park may reopen this summer.

CAHSRA funding: California has allocated another $4.2 billion for high-speed rail.

Freeing housing: Oregon may finally be freeing affordable housing developments from minimum car parking mandates.

Lower speeds: San Jose has started lowering speed limits.

Article Author

Stephen is a professional urban planner in Puget Sound with a passion for sustainable, livable, and diverse cities. He is especially interested in how policies, regulations, and programs can promote positive outcomes for communities. With stints in great cities like Bellingham and Cork, Stephen currently lives in Seattle. He primarily covers land use and transportation issues and has been with The Urbanist since 2014.