Infrastructure

Report: Stop Lines do Little to Encourage Drivers to Stop

Stop lines, the thick white bars painted ahead of intersections, do little to prevent crashes or influence driver behavior, a 14-year study found.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Stop Worrying About Budget Deficits

COMMENTARY | Red ink isn’t a problem as long as the country is spending on the right things.

  • By Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic

Mile-by-Mile, Proposed Nationwide Bike and Foot Trail Sees Progress

Advocates for the trail say there are now over 2,000 miles of segments complete and that more money flowed toward the project this past year.

  • By Bill Lucia

Updated Building Codes Prevent Billions in Disaster Damages. Many Localities Don’t Have Them in Place.

Almost two-thirds of local governments haven’t adopted modern building codes.

  • By Bill Lucia

Electric Cargo Bikes Are Debuting in City Fleets

Under a pilot program, parks employees in Portland, Oregon will conduct trail maintenance using zero-emission bikes that were specifically designed for municipal employees.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Lawmakers Want Data to Decide the Future of America’s Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure

New legislation would launch a $10 million grant program to set the scene for what’s to come on the EV-use landscape.

  • By Brandi Vincent

Study: The Best—and Worst—State Highway Systems

North Dakota maintained its first-place ranking in the 25th Annual Highway Report, which uses 13 categories to evaluate the condition and cost-effectiveness of state-run highways.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Under Biden, Infrastructure Is Back in Play. But Making a Deal Will Still Be Tough

If Republicans keep control of the Senate, many of the obstacles to a package under President Trump will remain. But advocates along the political spectrum still see hope for a compromise.

  • By Bill Lucia

Austin Embraces $7 Billion Transit Investment Plan

City voters approved a tax hike that will fund a new rail system, bus routes, and shuttles, in addition to investments in bike lanes, sidewalks, and urban trails.

  • By Emma Coleman

Pelosi Touts Possible Bipartisan Cooperation on Infrastructure After Election

The House speaker also said she has no plans to stop pressing for a big coronavirus relief deal. Meanwhile, at least one top Senate Republican also indicated it’s possible Democrat and GOP lawmakers could come together on a public works plan.

  • By Bill Lucia

The Pandemic Could End Waiting in Line

Theme-park designers, architects, and engineers have been fighting against queues for decades. Covid-19 could finally kill them for good.

  • By Elissaveta M. Brandon, The Atlantic

Climate Change Amplifies Colorado’s Water Diversion Debate

Booming communities on the state's "Front Range" want to move forward with a plan to pump water over the Rocky Mountains for use in their cities. But conservationists say climate change should instead be prompting new thinking about how water is used in the state.

  • By David O. Williams

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Work Zone Crashes Climb During Pandemic, Even as Traffic Ebbs

"Speeding has really come to the forefront during COVID."

  • By Jenni Bergal, Stateline

How I Mastered the Art of Ventilating My Home

Let me tell you about my fans.

  • By Craig Mod, The Atlantic

In a Cross-State Aquifer Spat, a View of a Water-Stressed Future

Mississippi sued Memphis over its use of a deep aquifer. A possibly paradigm-shifting Supreme Court decision looms.

  • By Leanna First-Arai, Undark

Covid Lockdowns Expose the Digital Have-Nots in Rural Areas—These Policies Can Get Them Connected

COMMENTARY | Fewer than 50% of rural residents in some states have a broadband connection available where they live.

  • By Brian Whitacre and Roberto Gallardo, The Conversation

Parks Prove Popular During Pandemic—But Budget Cuts Loom

A June survey by the National Park and Recreation Association found that a majority of Americans consider parks an essential government service, but decreased revenue from the coronavirus pandemic is likely to threaten parks funding in the future.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Electric Grid Investment on Track to Fall $208 Billion Short Over Next Decade, Civil Engineers Say

The new estimate comes as California, Iowa and Louisiana have all seen significant power outages in recent weeks.

  • By Bill Lucia

How to Design a Street for Hands-Off Play

In New York City, there are far fewer play streets than two decades ago. But at the ones that do exist, temporary structures like an obstacle course can allow for social play along with social distancing.

  • By Elissaveta M. Brandon, Next City

Roadkill Dropped During Coronavirus Shutdowns, Study Found

The study, which found a 58% decrease in mountain lions killed by cars, examined crash reports involving large animals and traffic patterns in three states.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Capital Budgets and Maintenance in Line to Take Hits, Local Government Survey Finds

The new poll indicates that public works is an area that will see less funding as the coronavirus pandemic weighs on state and local government budgets.

  • By Bill Lucia