Regional Spotlight

Preparing the Next Generation of Leaders

To engage the next generation of leaders, some regional councils are putting on innovative programs for high school students. The Atlanta Regional Commission is now recruiting for its next round of its Model Atlanta Regional Commission program, bringing together 50 high school students from its 10-county region to learn about the issues shaping metro Atlanta. The program’s participants practice effective leadership, communication, and collaboration skills through the development of actionable ideas and efforts to promote positive change in the region.

Broward Metropolitan Planning Organization has been visiting various high schools in the region hosting “Think Like a Planner” workshops to teach students how to make their area more accommodating and safe for pedestrians, cyclists, transit users, and motorists. After walking around their local area, the students present their ideas for improvement to a panel of business professionals, showcasing what they have learned about urban planning and transportation decision-making.

Fight Coming Over Clean Air Regulations

The Trump administration signaled this week that it could end California’s long-standing authority to set its own limits on air pollution, largely over a disagreement regarding fuel efficiency standards. The administration faces an April 1 deadline to decide if more stringent fuel efficiency standards for cars and light trucks, established by the Obama administration, are attainable or need to be reworked. The federal government is seeking to leverage the waiver granted by Congress to California in 1970 that allows the state to set pollution standards that are more stringent than the federal Clean Air Act requires, using it as a wedge to convince California to agree to reductions in fuel efficiency standards. Automobile manufacturers are concerned that separate standards at the federal and California level – the state where more cars are sold than any other – would be overly burdensome.

Cost and Timetable of California High-Speed Rail Shifts Again

According to a newly-released business plan, the cost of California’s high-speed train between San Francisco and Los Angeles has increased by 20 percent – from $64 billion to $77 billion – and will open in 2033, four years later than anticipated. The connection from San Francisco to the Central Valley is projected to open in 2029, also four years later than initial projections.

Broward MPO Program Video

Broward MPO in Fort Lauderdale, Florida prepared a short video to highlight their Complete Streets and Other Localized Initiatives Program (CSLIP). The video explains the program and application process for receiving federal grants. Mobility hubs, traffic technology advancements, and intersection improvements are all acceptable projects for CSLIP funds, which are available to local governments, transit agencies, school districts, and other local and regional agencies.

Drivers May Pay $11.52 to Enter Manhattan’s Congested Areas

A new proposal from a panel created by Governor Andrew Cuomo would require drivers coming into central Manhattan to pay a $11.52 daily fee. Vehicles entering the central business district between 6 AM and 8 PM would pay, with a higher fee for trucks and a lower fee for taxis and ride share. The plan would raise an estimated $180 million and reduce traffic by 13 percent. Revenue would fund transit improvements on the city’s decaying subway system. New York would be the first city in the U.S. to implement congestion-zone fees, following in the footsteps of London, Stockholm, and Singapore, which have experienced increased average speeds, greater mass transit use, and improved air quality. Read more about it in this Bloomberg article.