U.S. Department of Transportation

San Jose Arterial Street

Approaching Land Use and Transportation as Interconnected Issues

One researcher argues that the division between transportation and land use policymaking at the federal level has harmed communities of color and encouraged unchecked sprawl.

May 20, 2021 - Urban Wire

Federal Transit Administration

How Much Will Buttigieg Change Federal Transportation Policy?

The USDOT secretary is making big promises, but an entrenched system makes it difficult to implement long-lasting, systemic change.

May 19, 2021 - Governing

Biden administration

New RAISE Grant Program Replaces BUILD Grants at the U.S. Department of Transportation

The policy whiplash from the Obama administration to the Trump administration and now to the Biden administration continues.

April 14, 2021 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Freeway houses

U.S. DOT Says Mileage Charge Is Not in Biden's Plan

Secretary Pete Buttigieg's statement that the per-mile-tax concept "shows a lot of promise" caused a stir, but a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Transportation later claimed it won't be part of Biden's forthcoming infrastructure package.

March 31, 2021 - Business Insider

Elaine Chao

Report Finds Conflicts of Interest in Elaine Chao's Time as Transportation Secretary

The U.S. Department of Justice in the final weeks of the Trump administration rejected an attempt to broaden the investigation into former Secretary Elaine Chao's potential ethics violations.

March 8, 2021 - The New York Times

Salt Lake City, TRAX Red Line

U.S. DOT Grant Program to Allocate Funds for Climate and Environmental Justice Projects

The Infrastructure for Rebuilding America program will, for the first time, support projects aimed specifically at reducing emissions and fighting the effects of climate change and environmental racism.

February 28, 2021 - TechCrunch

2020 Presidential Campaign

Notes on the Buttigieg Confirmation Hearing

Takeaways from last week's Senate confirmation hearing for the nominee to be secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg.

February 2, 2021 - Transportation for America

COVID-19 and Public Health

Biden: Masks, Not Vaccines, Are Best Defense in Near Term

President Joe Biden is calling on all Americans to wear masks for the next 100 days to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, issuing two executive orders that require wearing masks on federal property and in domestic and international travel.

January 26, 2021 - The Washington Post

Automated Vehicle

U.S. DOT Releases Pair of Autonomous Vehicle Plans

On January 8, the U.S. Department of Transportation released "Ensuring American Leadership in Automated Vehicle Technologies: Automated Vehicles 4.0 (AV 4.0)." On January 11, it followed up with the Automated Vehicles Comprehensive Plan (AVCP).

January 12, 2021 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Elaine Chao

Transportation Secretary's Resignation Announcement Greeted With Derision

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao became the first cabinet secretary to announce her resignation due to the storming of the Capitol by Trump supporters, but at least one high-profile member of congress has derided the announcement.

January 11, 2021 - CBS News

Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao

Elaine Chao Resigns as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation

The fallout from this week's attack on the U.S. Capitol Building includes numerous resignations of top Trump administration officials, including Elaine Chao, secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation.

January 8, 2021 - NPR

East Nashville

What Biden's First 100 Days Will Look Like for Transportation

The new administration's policies are likely to promote clean energy and equity goals and focus resources on maintenance of existing infrastructure.

January 5, 2021 - FreightWaves

Los Angeles Freeway

Buttigieg Promises to Undo Racist Freeway Policies

The U.S. Department of Transportation nominee acknowledged the impact the interstate highway system has had on communities of color and vowed to mitigate the damage.

January 3, 2021 - Streetsblog USA

Thomas/Central Avenue Station

$544 Million in Transit Capital Investment Funding Announced

The latest round of funding for the Federal Transit Administration's Capital Investment Grant funding program was announced this week.

December 20, 2020 - Federal Transit Administration

2020 Presidential Campaign

Mayor Pete Is Biden's Pick for Transportation Secretary

President-elect Joe Biden is expected to nominate a former rival in the Democratic presidential primary and the former two-term mayor of South Bend, the fourth largest city in Indiana, to head the Transportation Department.

December 16, 2020 - CNN

Pedestrian Crosswalk

U.S. DOT Releases First-Ever Pedestrian Safety Plan

Record numbers of pedestrians have been killed by drivers in recent years. The federal government says a "team effort" will be necessary to stop the carnage.

December 2, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Electric Car Charging Station

U.S. Transportation Department Key to Biden Meeting Paris Agreement Targets

Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S, making President-elect Biden’s choice for Transportation Secretary—and the department’s policies on emissions, electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles—critical.

November 24, 2020 - Robert Fischer

Proterra Electric Bus

Studying AI's Potential to Optimize Public Transit Systems

Three projects are underway to optimize the efficiency and cost of public transit systems, thanks to government funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).

October 29, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Highway Construction

$1 Billion in Transportation Grants Announced by U.S. DOT

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced $1 billion in BUILD transportation grants, once again showing a preference for car-centric, rural projects in selecting the winners of this competitive grant process.

October 12, 2020 - Transport Topics

New York City Traffic Cop

Federal Inaction Delays Congestion Pricing by at Least a Year in New York City

Bad news for one of the most innovative transportation planning schemes in the country, with long-term impacts on planning and construction in New York City.

July 15, 2020 - New York Daily News

Top Books

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Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.