Infrastructure

EPA proposes all lead pipes be replaced within 10 years

The requirement would be a “massive unfunded mandate,” said a group representing local water utilities. But it does give cities, particularly those with lots of lead pipes, some leeway.

  • By Kery Murakami

$1.5 billion now available in federal transportation grants

A variety of road, transit, rail and trail projects are eligible for funding under the Transportation Department’s popular RAISE program.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

Where is noise pollution the worst? Redlined neighborhoods.

Nearly all of them are subject to noise levels linked with hearing loss, a study shows.

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

The 15-minute city is a popular planning approach, but relies on ableist assumptions

COMMENTARY | The 15-minute city relies on residents’ abilities to walk and bike. But what what if a resident’s body doesn’t walk or bike in what is considered a normative sense?

  • By Ron Buliung, The Conversation

State workers fear federal grants won’t reach many disadvantaged communities

Amid historic federal investment in climate and environmental initiatives, employees tasked with distributing federal grants say they are overwhelmed and don’t have the bandwidth to ensure underresourced communities get the help they need.

  • By Kery Murakami

After a pandemic pause, Detroit restarts water shut-offs—part of a nationwide trend as costs rise

COMMENTARY | Cities are turning to water shut-offs as more water service bills go unpaid as utility costs continue to climb.

  • By Elizabeth Mack, Edward Helderop and Tony Grubesic, The Conversation

One solution to fight climate change? Fewer parking spaces.

Less parking could pave the way for denser housing and more accessible public transportation.

  • By Siri Chilukuri, Grist

The future of the Colorado River hinges on one young negotiator

J.B. Hamby, California’s representative in talks about sharing water from the Colorado River, holds the keys to a quarter of the river’s flow—and its future.

  • By Mark Olalde and Janet Wilson, ProPublica

Ahead of busy Thanksgiving travel, improvements to air transportation touted

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg highlighted a low airline cancellation rate, airport upgrades and the hiring of more air traffic controllers. He also cautioned that funding squabbles in Congress could hurt progress.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Despite setbacks, states are still counting on offshore wind

Canceled projects threaten more than half the offshore wind capacity under contract with states.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

Where are the best 'climate havens' in the U.S.? Wherever you build them.

A refuge isn't something nature hands us, but something we have to create ourselves.

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

Urban planning has long ignored women’s experiences. Here are 5 ways we can make our cities safer

COMMENTARY | Women are most likely to feel unsafe in their cities or towns, but planning authorities have rarely listened to them. Here's how urban planners can change that.

  • By Nicole Kalms, Charishma Ratnam, Gill Matthewson, Murray Lee and Rebecca Wickes, The Conversation
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Sewer rates soar as private companies buy up local water systems

New state laws have unleashed dozens of buyout attempts.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

Passenger rail gets ‘unprecedented’ $16B investment

The grants to replace aging infrastructure along the Northeast Corridor come as Republicans in Congress look to cut back funding for Amtrak.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Public power is on the ballot in Maine. Will voters take a leap of faith?

The state has a chance to oust unpopular investor-owned utilities—and set a precedent for the rest of the country.

  • By Akielly Hu, Grist

LA explores new options as copper thieves target streetlight wiring

Transportation departments are scrambling to cope with a spike in copper wire thefts that leave their roads darker and more dangerous.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

Earth is getting extra salty, an ‘existential threat’ to freshwater supplies

Salt pollution, like that used to make roads safer after snow or ice storms, is contaminating the nation's water supplies and corroding underground pipes. States are exploring salt alternatives to combat the “existential threat to our freshwater."

  • By Kate Yoder, Grist

Feds ease capital requirement for broadband funding

The rule, which required internet companies to put down millions of dollars upfront, would have excluded all but the biggest providers.

  • By Kery Murakami

Western states look to these lands for new affordable housing

State-owned trust lands were created to support schools and other community benefits.

  • By Alex Brown, Stateline

Interest rates are rising, but states aren’t worried yet. Here’s why.

State and local governments generally use bonds to finance major infrastructure projects. But higher rates won’t bust budgets just yet. Plus, more news to use from around the country in this week's State and Local Roundup.

  • By Daniel C. Vock

A new federal proposal looks to take on digital redlining

The rules, which observers anticipate will be challenged in court, would allow the FCC to penalize broadband companies for providing poorer service to low-income customers.

  • By Kery Murakami