The Latest

  • Six construction workers stand on rebar along a viaduct.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    California high-speed rail project faces $6.5B shortfall, possible federal investigation

    The California Office of the Inspector General warned that work on the initial segment could slip behind schedule.

  • Roger Garbey (top) and Andres Hernandez, from the Goldin Solar company, install a solar panel system on the roof of a home a day after the Trump administration announced it will impose duties of as mu
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    EPA funding freeze endangers $7B Solar For All program

    “We don't know how much money got out the door, we don't know how much money the administration can seek to claw back,” said Vote Solar’s executive director, Sachu Constantine.

  • Bald man in dark suit seen from his left side standing on a dark stage.
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    Tristan Fewings via Getty Images
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    Uber CEO outlines robotaxi fleet plan

    Customers in Austin, Texas, can now sign up to be one of the first riders of Uber’s autonomous vehicles when they become available in the city in March.

  • Scott Tuner, HUD secretary, testifying before Congress
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    Scott Turner confirmed as HUD secretary

    Turner helped establish opportunity zones, an economic development tool, when he served in the first Trump administration.

  • An electric bike is locked to a street sign in front of a red fire truck, with caution type surrounding it
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Opinion

    E-bike fire crisis won’t be tamed without federal support

    Lithium-ion battery fires are causing deadly incidents across the country. Attorney Michael Mezzacappa points to New York as an example of how cities can respond but calls for Congress to take greater action on safety standards.

  • Seated man in dark blue suit with a microphone and a many other people seated behind him.
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    Kevin Dietsch via Getty Images
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    On housing, mayors see path forward with Trump

    “Housing should not be a partisan issue,” one mayor said during a National League of Cities housing summit. But the president’s immigration policies are a concern.

  • Nischal Newar, Shima Mohebbi and Pavithra Sripathanallur Murali made up the three-person team, spearheading the project.
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    Permission granted by George Mason University
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    How Arlington County used AI to improve emergency preparedness

    The Virginia county’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management worked with George Mason University researchers to develop AI-enhanced video games for skills-building.

  • A Waymo autonomous vehicle passes in front of San Francisco City Hall
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    San Francisco illegally fired workers seeking COVID vaccine religious exemption, 9th Circuit says

    The record didn’t show that the City and County of San Francisco “seriously considered any religious accommodation,” according to the court.

  • Overhead view of a modern commuter train at a station with a large crowed on the platform.
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    Courtesy of MARTA
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    Atlanta gets the first of 56 new electric train sets

    The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority unveiled its new trains last week. It also plans to redesign more than 100 bus routes, it said.

  • The Boston Harbor and Financial district in Boston, Massachusetts, USA at sunrise showcasing its mix of contemporary and historic buildings.
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    Marcio Silva via Getty Images
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    Boston expands net-zero emissions requirements to new buildings, large additions

    The zoning change requires most new buildings to be net zero when they open. The city previously set similar performance standards for existing buildings.

  • Waymo J.D. Power mobility index
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    Mario Tama via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Tesla, Waymo will add more robotaxis to city streets

    A more favorable federal regulatory and legislative environment may help propel the growth of driverless ride-hailing vehicles in the United States.

  • Crowds of people walk on a city street
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    rarrarorro via Getty Images
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    2025’s top smart city conferences

    Smart city technology, housing, climate action, road safety and more will take center stage at events in 2025.

    Updated Jan. 31, 2025
  • Three people stand by U.S. flags as one raises his hand, the other on a bible.
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    Win McNamee via Getty Images
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    US DOT says it will tie funding to birth, marriage rates

    The agency issued a memo after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took the reins this week and authorized a series of actions to advance President Trump’s agenda.

  • An illustration of a high-speed train in California's Central Valley.
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    Courtesy of California High-Speed Rail Authority
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    Tracker

    US high-speed rail projects: The latest news

    The high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California anticipates completing construction by the end of 2028 and beginning passenger service the following year.

    Updated Feb. 3, 2025
  • A homeless couple on the floor of a train station with two standing outreach workers wearing orange.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    How cities could tackle homelessness in 2025

    U.S. cities are connecting residents to housing, but adequate funding remains an issue as rates of homelessness remain high.

  • View of the White House with flowers and fountain in front.
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    OlegAlbinsky via Getty Images
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    The Smart Cities Outlook for 2025: Change is coming

    From new federal policies to growing technologies like AI and robotaxis, cities will encounter many changes while they continue to tackle housing, homelessness, climate and equity issues.

  • Lee Zeldin sits at a desk
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    Anna Moneymaker via Getty Images
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    Zeldin is confirmed as the new EPA administrator. What’s next?

    The former New York representative will helm the agency as it navigates executive orders pausing climate programs and reviews pending regulations that could affect the waste and recycling industries.

    Updated Jan. 30, 2025
  • Green hydrogen plant.
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    stock.adobe.com/rufous

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    California cities launch nation’s first public hydrogen utility

    Although the Inflation Reduction Act's 45V tax credit was critical to its formation, the new utility hopes to avoid dependence on the federal incentive.

  • Person riding a blue Lyft bike against a background of barren trees and tall buildings.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Chicago sets new record for shared bike and scooter trips in 2024

    The Midwestern city had over 11 million shared bike and e-scooter trips last year, according to a Jan. 8 news release.

  • Construction workers and a backhoe working on a highway.
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    John Moore via Getty Images
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    What Trump’s infrastructure funding pause means for cities

    On Monday, the Office of Management and Budget ordered a freeze on nearly all federal grants and loans. A federal judge paused the administration's freeze until Feb. 3.

    Updated Jan. 29, 2025
  • Transportation Secretary Duffy: ‘We will usher in a golden age of travel.’

    President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Transportation Department was confirmed by the Senate Jan. 28. His first act was to start reversing Biden administration increases to federal fuel economy standards.

    Updated Jan. 29, 2025
  • A white bus with a blue and yellow stripe seen from the rear as it drives through an intersection.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Boston to implement bus transit signal priority citywide

    The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and the city of Boston saw 8% faster travel times and fewer delays along two test routes last year.

  • Algorithmic pricing, RealPage, Salomon, Washington state
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    MichaelVi via Getty Images
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    State lawmaker seeks ban in new shot at algorithmic pricing

    Landlords’ use of automated rent-setting software is “plainly illegal,” Sen. Jess Salomon in Washington state says.

  • A view of an intersection along a busy city street with a sign, "No turn on red."
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    DoraDalton via Getty Images
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    Right turns on red puts pedestrians at risk, Mineta study says

    A 1970s-era federal law requires states to allow right turns on red lights. Mineta Transportation Institute researchers say it’s time to change that.

  • A close up  of bottles and other trash floating in a river
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    Beck Harlan via Getty Images
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    D.C.’s proposed bottle bill aims to tackle high-profile pollution in Anacostia River

    Bill sponsors say a bottle bill could help alleviate pollution that has long affected communities of color. It calls for a 10-cent deposit starting in 2028, with a recycling rate target of 70% the first year.