Sometime in the not too distant future, John wakes up in suburban Chicago on a Saturday morning and heads to a White Sox game...in Detroit. Join him on a 300 mile journey to Detroit's Comerica Park as he experiences the transportation options of the future: a neighborhood electric car share program, smart phone ticketing, high-speed rail, and connecting light rail. This clip is brought to you by America 2050 as part of its "A Better Tomorrow" project to visualize America's future communities and transportation systems.

Head on over to America 2050 for more on our national initiative to meet the infrastructure, economic development and environmental challenges of the nation as we prepare to add about 130 million additional Americans by the year 2050. 

Transit for Connecticut, a 30-member transportation advocacy coalition, has released a new report by RPA outlining steps to expand bus service. Missing Links- Prioritized Bus Service Expansion Plan proposes thirteen new routes where transit service could best replace vehicle travel. The study analyzed trip data from the Connecticut Department of Transportation that shows that adding these routes could replace up to 64,000 car trips. Karen Burnaska, Coordinator for Transit for Connecticut, believes that the new routes are "part of the solution for highway gridlock and pollution, and a way to not only improve our overall quality of life, but also make the state's transit network viable for the long term."

Download the Report (PDF 1.6MB)

Regional Plan Association applauds the arbitration ruling between the Port Authority and Silverstein Properties, Inc., (SPI), which settles the dispute firmly in the public's favor. While SPI's stated purpose for seeking arbitration was to force penalties and reduced rent from the Port Authority, the real goal was to force the Port Authority to finance a private development plan. RPA has long maintained that public funds should be dedicated to building public spaces and improving infrastructure, while commercial development should be financed and paced by the private sector. Both sides should now quickly reach agreement on a construction schedule and move ahead. Silverstein should now commit the financial resources and identify a feasible development program, while the Port Authority should focus on building the 9/11 memorial, PATH terminal, and public spaces.

RPA submitted comments yesterday on the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development's draft Economic Strategic Plan. RPA applauds DECD's efforts but calls for explicit policy objectives to guide state actions, better assessment of long-term costs and benefits, ongoing measurement of indicators that can demonstrate progress toward the State's goals, and stronger commitment to regional planning and governance restructuring. 

The plan, developed in response to a legislative mandate, describes a vision for a Connecticut with a "vibrant, diversified, and resilient economy" that promotes "responsible transit-oriented growth." Included is a proposal to sweep state discretionary municipal grant money into a "Responsible Growth for the 21st Century" fund which would award grants on a competitive basis to communities that plan for transit-oriented development. Other proposals would address the impacts of property tax dependence and would enable interagency policy consistency.

By unanimous vote, Regional Plan Association's board of directors has elected Elliot "Lee" G. Sander, current Group Chief Executive, Global Transportation for AECOM, Inc. and former Metropolitan Transportation Authority Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, as Chairman of Regional Plan Association.

Mr. Sander will hold the position for a three-year term and replaces outgoing Chair Peter W. Herman, retired partner at Milbank, Tweed, Hadley and McCloy.

The Long Island Index released a report by Regional Plan Association today showing development potential in existing downtown areas on Long Island. The report identified roughly 8,300 acres of unbuilt land in over 150 village downtowns and rail station areas - prime acreage for transit-oriented development. The Rauch Foundation funded the report.

Read the Full Release.
Read the Report. (longislandindex.org)

Read the Newsday article.

In December, the Long Island 2035 Regional Visioning Initiative released a report describing the trade-offs of alternative growth strategies for Nassau and Suffolk counties. Long before most of America, Long Islanders were confronting the challenges of growth in a maturing suburban region. The initiative represents an initial step in bridging numerous municipal, county and community efforts to meet these challenges with an Island-wide effort being undertaken by the Long Island Regional Planning Council (LIRPC) to produce a Long Island 2035 Comprehensive Regional Sustainability Plan.

RPA's President, Robert Yaro, spoke today at the Sustainable City Finance conference at the New York Academy of Sciences. The day's agenda focused on how companies and governments are successfully partnering in order to accelerate urban projects that promote green growth. Click below for his remarks about financing sustainable cities and infrastructure. 

RPA is co-sponsoring a conference this week at the New York Academy of Sciences entitled, "Sustainable City Finance." The day-long program features discussion and debate among more than 120 innovators in financing sustainability, greening city infrastructure, and urban economic development (in energy, water, transport and built environment). The agenda focuses on how companies and governments are successfully partnering in order to accelerate urban projects that promote green growth.

Register and learn more. (nyas.org)
Read the media advisory.

Regional Plan Association opposes the use of current capital dollars to plug the Metropolitan Transportation Authority's estimated $383 million gap in its proposed 2010 budget. While there are no easy choices, other alternatives - including asking the state and city to reimburse the MTA for school passes - should be explored first.

Today's City Council rejection of a zoning change that would have allowed redevelopment of the Kingsbridge Armory sets a dangerous precedent. The project had made its way through the city's land use review process, ULURP, and was voted down because there was no provision to provide a minimum wage of $10 / hour to employees of the retail complex that would have been built.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces an estimated $383 million reduction in its proposed 2010 budget due state budget cuts, unexpected shortfalls in dedicated tax revenues and a ruling on postponing labor agreements. This perfect storm places the MTA in the difficult position of cutting service, just a few short months after an Albany effort to stave off cuts.

Read RPA's full statement, delivered by RPA's Neysa Pranger at today's MTA finance committee meeting.