The Latest

  • A car with front-end damage is being loaded onto a flatbed truck while several more crashed vehicles are seen behind it on an expresway near downtown Chicago.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images

    US DOT launches roadway safety call to action

    Nearly 50 governments, non-government organizations and private-sector partners have committed to taking specific actions this year to reduce roadway deaths.

  • The left front of a green bus on a street is marked as "Electric Bus."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scharfsinn86 via Getty Images

    Transit agencies’ zero-emission bus adoption increased in 2022

    California, New York, Florida, Texas and Massachusetts together added more than 1,500 zero-emission transit buses to their fleets.

  • A new multifamily housing development.
    Image attribution tooltip
    agil73/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    Florida Republicans propose state rent control ban with affordable housing funding and incentives

    Senate Bill 102 would prohibit local rent controls and use tax incentives, gap financing and additional state funding to boost affordable housing. Affordable housing advocates say the proposal leaves renters vulnerable.

  • A city skyline during the day with several office buildings behind trees.
    Image attribution tooltip
    hallojulie via Getty Images

    More urban trees could prevent heat-related deaths: study

    As extreme heat and its negative health effects become more widespread, researchers draw a link between increasing tree cover and minimizing mortality.

  • The entrance to the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from GAO.

    Federal agency seeks input on AV safety documentation

    With the Department of Transportation pushing to reduce vehicle-related fatalities, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is weighing whether additional federal rules on autonomous vehicle safety are warranted.

  • Two young children are crossing the street at a crosswalk while a car waits for them.
    Image attribution tooltip
    KatarzynaBialasiewicz via Getty Images

    US DOT awards $800M toward street safety

    The allocation comes from the first funding round of the Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program, part of the 2021 infrastructure law.

  • A view of downtown Austin, Texas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle/Staff/Getty Images News via Getty Images

    10 US cities ready for a ‘smart city future’

    Tomorrow’s smart cities will have robust technology and green infrastructure, along with strong tech job markets, according to a report from real estate technology company ProptechOS.

  • A stack of concrete pipe.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Kwanchai_Khammuean via Getty Images

    New Jersey adopts law spurring low-carbon concrete

    Heralded as a first-of-its-kind law in the U.S., the policy will create tax credits to incentivize the development and procurement of concrete that lowers or captures emissions associated with the highly polluting industry.

  • A train going through a tunnel
    Image attribution tooltip
    Drew Angerer via Getty Images

    Baltimore’s B&P rail tunnel on track for $4.5B replacement

    The 150-year-old Baltimore and Potomac Tunnel is the largest rail bottleneck between Washington, D.C., and New Jersey, according to the White House.

  • Electric cars driving on the wireless charging lane of the highway. Solar panel station and wind turbine on the roadside.
    Image attribution tooltip

    adobe.com/chesky

    ChargePoint, Stem strike EV charging and battery storage deal for highway corridor fast-charging networks

    Combining charging, battery storage and AI-driven energy management will save money for EV site operators, the companies say.

  • Many people exit and enter a silver New York City subway trains at a Manhattan underground station.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
    Deep Dive

    To close budget gaps, transit agencies face hard decisions in 2023

    Remote work, crime and reduced service are deterring riders and cutting into fare revenue, leaving agencies to look for new funds or cut service.

  • Image attribution tooltip
    Astrid Stawiarz via Getty Images

    New York City to reform zoning to add housing in Midtown Manhattan

    During his State of the City address last week, Mayor Eric Adams also announced new funding to enforce tenant protection laws and expanded free broadband services for residents who live in public housing.

  • A close-up angular view of a government building in Washington, D.C. with a sign reading "United States Environmental ProtectionAgency"
    Image attribution tooltip
    Skyhobo via Getty Images

    EV transition not keeping pace with US climate goals: report

    Gas-powered cars need tighter regulations for the U.S. to meet its 2030 emissions target, while not enough urban charging or utility upgrades could constrain electrification, one report author said.

  • Computer-generated image of creative office working space with plants.
    Image attribution tooltip
    alvarez via Getty Images

    Office conversions will soar this year: report

    Apartments have made up one-third of office conversion activity since 2016, according to a report by commercial real estate firm CBRE.

  • The entrance to the Department of Transportation in Washington, D.C.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from GAO.

    FTA makes $21B available to transit agencies, communities

    The public transportation funding for the 2023 fiscal year could enable new bus and rail car purchases, help with repair backlogs, and support fleet modernization and adoption of climate-friendly technologies.

  • An aerial view of Washington, D.C. that includes the Washington Monument.
    Image attribution tooltip
    LUNAMARINA/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    DC launches public shared micromobility dashboard

    The District of Columbia also announced that VeoRide would operate shared electric scooters and bikes in the city, but Helbiz and Bird will not.

  • Rendering of vast airport space with floor to ceiling windows on the right and skylights above.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey

    7 projects to watch in 2023

    From an NFL stadium to a major airport expansion and a massive manufacturing plant, these high-profile, high-impact projects are expected to hit significant milestones this year.

  • Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Wong via Getty Images

    Shared-Use Mobility Center highlights opportunities for micromobility in city climate action plans

    The role of micromobility is not discussed much in climate action plans, but that could be improved going forward, one Shared-Use Mobility Center representative explained during a webinar last week.

  • Black Lives Matter demonstrators protesting in Los Angeles.
    Image attribution tooltip
    David McNew/Stringer/Getty Images News via Getty Images

    Black and Latino-majority cities are key ‘to finding a real world Wakanda’: report

    Combined Black and Latino-majority cities may have “greater opportunities to improve local prosperity through shared initiatives,” according to a Brookings Institution report.

  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers second state of the city address at the Queens Theatre in Queens, New York, on Jan. 26, 2023.
    Image attribution tooltip
    (2023). "Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Second State of the City Address" [Video]. Retrieved from NYC Mayor's Office.

    NYC to require zero-emission fleets from Uber, Lyft by 2030

    “That’s zero emissions for over 100,000 vehicles on our city streets. And it will be achieved with no new costs for individual drivers,” Mayor Eric Adams said in the State of the City address Thursday.

  • An installed Portland Loo public toilet. Philadelphia plans to install six Portland Loos starting this fall.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by The Portland Loo

    Phoenix launches 24-hour public restroom pilot at a homeless shelter

    The city will install The Portland Loo, which was created to help cities and nonprofits provide people experiencing homelessness with access to a public restroom.

  • New York City Mayor Eric Adams delivers second state of the city address at the Queens Theatre in Queens, New York, on Jan. 26, 2023.
    Image attribution tooltip
    (2023). "Mayor Eric Adams Delivers Second State of the City Address" [Video]. Retrieved from NYC Mayor's Office.

    New York to have citywide curbside composting by end of 2024, mayor says

    The timeline gives the city less than two years to bring curbside composting to all five boroughs, a long-held goal that has eluded city officials through administration changes and budget cuts.

  • A building with a wooden exterior.
    Image attribution tooltip
    IGphotography via Getty Images

    How green building policy could evolve in 2023

    After reducing energy use in buildings, cutting embodied carbon is next on the green policy agenda for state and local leaders, potentially prompting a shift from concrete and steel to materials like timber or straw, experts say.

  • Red and white Tesla cars are parked in front of a brick showroom in Brooklyn with a Tesla sign on the building.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Spencer Platt via Getty Images

    Tesla sets sales record as safety concerns mount

    California banned automakers from advertising self-driving capabilities that still require a driver in control, while NHTSA is investigating Tesla’s Autopilot system.

  • An electric bus charging on a public street.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Scharfsinn86/iStock/Getty Images Plus via Getty Images

    Illinois investing nearly $114 million in downstate transit

    The money will go to a wide range of transportation improvements, including electric and hybrid-electric transit vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations, new bus shelters, solar panel installations and facility expansions.