Virginia
![Green and blue GRTC Pulse bus in Richmond, Virginia](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/GRTC_Pulse_travelling.jpg.webp?itok=Quk7Ti8j)
Greater Richmond Announces Microtransit Program
The three-year program will expand transit to rural and suburban areas that currently lack access to the region’s fixed-route bus lines.
![Large historic homes and white picket fences line a street.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Arlington-Homes.jpg.webp?itok=sWAGG5ML)
The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.
![A toll payment facility in Florida.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Florida-Toll.jpg.webp?itok=fUAqxCDo)
Tolling All Lanes
Bay Area transportation planners are studying a radical idea to reduce traffic congestion and fund driving alternatives: tolling all lanes on a freeway. Even more radical, the plan considers tolling parallel roads.
![Red brick homes with blooming wisteria in foreground in Arlington, Virginia](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1716107218.jpg.webp?itok=bKms_YIb)
Arlington ‘Missing Middle Housing’ Plan Faces Scrutiny
A proposal to legalize more housing types in northeastern Virginia has prompted vigorous debate among stakeholders.
![Glass towers, part of Amazon HQ2 in Arlington, Virginia under construction](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2128896020.jpg.webp?itok=ENVZjDvx)
Construction Halted on Amazon’s HQ2
The company is pausing construction on its much-anticipated second headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
![View of empty multi-lane freeway next to historic brick buildingin Richmond, Virginia](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2079406186.jpg.webp?itok=toHL_bm1)
Virginia Receives Nearly $3 Million Reconnecting Communities Grant
Two Virginia cities were awarded federal funding aimed at improving connections between neighborhoods cut apart by freeway construction.
![Close-up of line of cars at electric vehicle charging station](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_471343589.jpg.webp?itok=5LUAoGkc)
Virginia Ties Clean Car Standards to California
The last obstacle to a 2021 bill linking Virginia’s emissions standards to California policy was defeated on a party-line vote in the state’s legislature, paving the way for a shift to electric vehicles.
![Aerial view of dense single-family homes in neighborhood still under construction](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2199121115.jpg.webp?itok=Dobd3TkF)
How Virginia Counties Use Zoning to Stifle Development
Some state legislators are proposing action at the state level as counties block development using zoning and development requirements even as housing prices rise sharply in the region.
![Parent and child walking, holding hands on mixed-use trail with trees](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Family%20in%20park.jpg.webp?itok=yy1OXQFf)
The Benefits of Walking in Urban Green Spaces
A new study by researchers in Virginia found that walking in a quiet urban setting with shade and greenery can significantly improve mood and reduce stress.
![Virginia](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Richmond-Virgnia.jpg.webp?itok=0vFj9Uwm)
How High Costs Derailed Richmond’s Speed Limit Change
After voting to lower speed limits citywide, Richmond found itself with a $5.2 million bill for new signage, prompting the city council to pull the ordinance.
![The Yards Park, in Washington, D.C.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_580702030.jpg.webp?itok=sjayatWo)
Want to Swim in the Potomac? Army Corps to Study the Possibility
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers could soon study how to legalize swimming in the rivers around the nation’s capital—a scenario that would have seemed impossible in the not-too-distant past.
![Red "Vote Here" sign with white text and arrow pointing left on green lawn next to curb](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2225836627.jpg.webp?itok=0alsKdW5)
The Crucial Role of Suburban Voters in the Midterms
Suburban voters were instrumental in preventing a 'red wave' on Election Day and on December 6 in the Georgia U.S. Senate runoff election, enabling the Democrats to win a 51st Senate seat.
![View of intersection in Fairfax, Virginia with three-story building and cars in intersection](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1673596846.jpg.webp?itok=MaGbrGMp)
Shifting the Focus for Transportation Planning in Fairfax County
Fairfax County wants to move away from a heavy reliance on level of service in favor of more pedestrian- and transit-oriented planning.
![A wide highway with a few cars on a gloomy day. Low-rise commercial buildings and more car infrastructure is visible to the side of the road.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Ashburn-Virginia.jpeg.webp?itok=_hxLsz4W)
Causes and Effects of Widespread Data Center Development
While it’s unlikely to expect local and state governments to insist that data center developments locate somewhere else, specific policy steps can ensure a more positive impact for communities.
Fairfax County Considering Bicycle Parking Minimums
Similar to vehicle parking requirements, the proposal would create a tiered system for minimum bike parking spots in new developments.
![A conceptual rendering of new buildings around the Huntington Metro station in Virginia.](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/Huntington-Metro-Area.png.webp?itok=q0_Ho2QE)
A New Transit Oriented Vision for Fairfax County, Virginia
A new transit station area plan is reaching the finishing line for the Huntington Metro station, serving the WMATA’s Yellow Line in Northern Virginia.
![Aerial view of Alexandria, Virginia from over Potomac River](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_2071303766.jpg.webp?itok=wpE5xrKn)
Alexandria Could Undertake Major Zoning Reform
The city is developing a plan to address housing affordability and equity and encourage more housing production.
![Intercity Rail](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1305019873.jpg.webp?itok=hWnF_sda)
Virginia Amtrak Ridership Soars Above Pre-Pandemic Levels
The four state-managed Amtrak lines are seeing increases of as much as 65 percent in ridership.
![The High Cost of Free Parking](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_490870234.jpg.webp?itok=oD_oYVPk)
The United Nations Calls on U.S. Planners to Break Land Use, Transportation Status Quo
“We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.”
![Two-story wooden homes with big tree in front in Arlington County, Virginia](/files/styles/small_400/public/images/shutterstock_1741426841.jpg.webp?itok=8IzaQ1nV)
Housing Density Dividing Voters in Arlington County
The race for the county’s only board seat pits proponents of ‘missing middle housing and higher density against residents concerned about outsized growth.
Pagination
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