Electric shuttle service partnership provides last-mile travel options in West Dallas

The weekday Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Toyota and Circuit initiative transports passengers free of charge from light rail, bus and commuter rail stops to healthcare, retail and other locales within a three-mile radius.

By Dan Zukowski • March 20, 2023

Now’s the time to apply for commercial motor vehicle safety grant funding

Learn about grant funding with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and when to apply.

March 20, 2023

Explore the Trendline➔

Smart Cities Dive 2023 Outlook

In the year ahead, city leaders will continue to face economic headwinds while tackling the housing shortage, rethinking land use, dealing with changes in travel behavior and implementing federal spending programs to electrify and decarbonize cars, buses and buildings.

By Smart Cities Dive staff

Is your city minimobility-ready? To accommodate smaller vehicles, many cities will require sweeping changes

Cities must transition from favoring full-sized cars and SUVs to prioritizing slower, smaller passenger vehicles that can meet more travelers’ needs in less space, transportation experts say.

By Austyn Gaffney • March 20, 2023

On climate change, this group of mayors thinks globally and acts locally

Climate Mayors Executive Director Kate Wright discusses how the organization is helping mayors lead on climate policy and implement provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act and 2021 infrastructure law.

By Michael Brady • March 17, 2023

7-Eleven unveils new EV charging network and app

The 7Charge proprietary EV charging network is part of the retailer’s 2021 commitment to build 500 chargers in North America. 

By Jessica Loder • March 16, 2023

Complete Streets local funding match requirement waived through 2026, FTA says

Bike and pedestrian trails, intercity passenger rail and transit-oriented development planning are among the activities eligible for federal funds.

By Dan Zukowski • March 16, 2023

Chicago tests new parking enforcement tech, smart loading zones

Mayor Lightfoot asked the city council to consider the pilot projects to increase road safety in January, after the parents of a young girl killed in a traffic collision filed a lawsuit alleging the city allowed unsafe road conditions.

By Michael Brady • March 16, 2023

Driverless trucks are coming to Dallas-area grocery stores

Kroger plans to grow its fleet with autonomous-vehicle supplier Gatik to transport products between an e-commerce warehouse and several stores during the second quarter of 2023.

By Sam Silverstein • March 15, 2023

$10 million US DOT grant to NYU supports smart transportation policy efforts

The grant is one of 34 awards, totaling $435 million, for university transportation centers announced in February.

By Dan Zukowski • March 15, 2023

California court defends independent contractor status for gig workers

A California court upheld the independent contractor provision of Prop 22 but struck down portions that would’ve made it almost impossible to amend the law. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 14, 2023

$700 million for community EV charging now available from federal grant program

Cities, counties, other local governments and tribes can apply for grants for public charging in urban and rural communities.

By Dan Zukowski • March 14, 2023

Skanska predicts construction costs will rise above inflation in many US cities

The new report examined construction costs in 21 U.S. markets, including Dallas; New York City; Orlando, Florida; Phoenix; San Francisco; and Seattle.

By Zachary Phillips • March 14, 2023

Can tech startups make delivery less of a headache for cities?

The proliferation of delivery services was a boon during the pandemic, but traffic, parking and labor concerns have followed. Tech and startup leaders spoke recently about how to reduce those impacts.

By Maylin Tu • March 13, 2023

Massachusetts governor seeks to expand intercity passenger train service to Western Massachusetts

With Western Massachusetts currently served by just one daily round-trip train from Boston, Gov. Maura Healey's proposed fiscal 2024 budget includes $12.5 million for the East-West rail project.

By Dan Zukowski • March 13, 2023

Dynamic curbs could make cities more livable but would require getting more people out of cars, experts say

During the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, cities allowed sidewalk dining streeteries and parklets. Now they’re “tearing half of them down to turn them back into parking spots,” a Lyft executive said.

By Maylin Tu • March 13, 2023

Biden 2024 budget asks Congress to allow transit capital funds to be used for operating expenses

The “historic policy change” could stave off drastic fare hikes and service cuts as transit agencies face budget shortfalls in the coming years.

By Dan Zukowski • March 10, 2023

New transit workforce dashboard can help agencies tackle labor shortages

The dashboard creates a one-stop shop for “visualizations and digestible information about the transit workforce” that will be continually updated, the Transit Workforce Center said.

By Dan Zukowski • March 9, 2023

Philadelphia kicks off project to reconnect Chinatown neighborhood divided by expressway

The Chinatown Stitch project will develop a plan to “cap” a less than one-mile stretch of Interstate 676, called the Vine Street Expressway, that split the community more than 30 years ago.

By Michael Brady • March 9, 2023

Self-driving cars have people worried: survey

Although manufacturers tout their potential to reduce accidents, "driverless vehicles are nowhere near ready for prime time," a safety advocate said.

By Dan Zukowski • March 8, 2023

NYC cuts proposed delivery worker wage floor by almost $4

Grubhub, Uber Eats and DoorDash persuaded the city to reduce its 2025 target base pay by $3.86 an hour, arguing workers would be compensated by “multi-apping.”

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 8, 2023

To fight e-bike fires, New York state and city lawmakers crack down on unsafe batteries, chargers

“Reconditioned and untested batteries are contributing to a serious threat to the health and safety of New Yorkers in their homes and in their jobs,” state Sen. Liz Krueger said.

By Michael Brady • March 8, 2023

San Francisco transit agencies face “worst-case scenarios” for revenue, potential service cuts, leaders say

California, facing a $22 billion budget shortfall, may cut state funding for transportation just as major transit agencies struggle to regain riders and find new revenues.  

By Dan Zukowski • March 7, 2023

US DOT and Austin, Texas, launch first-of-its-kind $22 billion transportation partnership

It’s the first time the Transportation Department has entered an emerging projects agreement with a city to fast-track networks of related projects rather than using a piecemeal approach.

By Michael Brady • March 7, 2023

National League of Cities calls for congressional action to improve rail safety

The letter calls for specific improvements to rail safety as legislators consider new bipartisan action in response to the Ohio train derailment in February.

By Dan Zukowski • March 6, 2023

Point-counterpoint: should garages be the “gas station” of the future for electric vehicle charging?

Experts at the International Parking & Mobility Institute (IPMI) are driving innovation, transformation, electrification, and the future of parking and mobility.  Plug in to the conversation on when, where, and how to charge electric vehicles for maximum impact.

By Mary Smith, PE, and Andrew Sachs, CAPP excerpted from articles in Parking & Mobility Magazine • March 6, 2023