The Latest
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Pedestrian deaths highest on dark city roads at night: AAA report
Crashes involving pedestrians were also disproportionately higher in socially and economically disadvantaged communities in the cities it studied, the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found.
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Top cities for apartment conversions
The office-to-multifamily pipeline has grown by 28% over the past year, according to a new report.
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New York loans Revel $60M to expand NYC public EV charging
The financial arrangement is “an important and replicable precedent” to accelerate electric vehicle charging, NY Green Bank President Andrew Kessler said.
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How 4 cities are advancing affordable housing despite NIMBYs
Public engagement and policies that cut through red tape are among the tools city leaders use to overcome neighborhood opposition.
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DOT suspends Biden’s $5B electric vehicle charging network effort
Most of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure funds have already been awarded to states, however, and some observers say the Trump administration cannot end the program with just a memo.
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California high-speed rail project faces $6.5B shortfall, possible federal investigation
The California Office of the Inspector General warned that work on the initial segment could slip behind schedule.
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EPA funding freeze endangers $7B Solar For All program
“We don't know how much money got out the door, we don't know how much money the administration can seek to claw back,” said Vote Solar’s executive director, Sachu Constantine.
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Uber CEO outlines robotaxi fleet plan
Customers in Austin, Texas, can now sign up to be one of the first riders of Uber’s autonomous vehicles when they become available in the city in March.
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Scott Turner confirmed as HUD secretary
Turner helped establish opportunity zones, an economic development tool, when he served in the first Trump administration.
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Opinion
E-bike fire crisis won’t be tamed without federal support
Lithium-ion battery fires are causing deadly incidents across the country. Attorney Michael Mezzacappa points to New York as an example of how cities can respond but calls for Congress to take greater action on safety standards.
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On housing, mayors see path forward with Trump
“Housing should not be a partisan issue,” one mayor said during a National League of Cities housing summit. But the president’s immigration policies are a concern.
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How Arlington County used AI to improve emergency preparedness
The Virginia county’s Department of Public Safety Communications and Emergency Management worked with George Mason University researchers to develop AI-enhanced video games for skills-building.
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San Francisco illegally fired workers seeking COVID vaccine religious exemption, 9th Circuit says
The record didn’t show that the City and County of San Francisco “seriously considered any religious accommodation,” according to the court.
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Atlanta gets the first of 56 new electric train sets
The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority unveiled its new trains last week. It also plans to redesign more than 100 bus routes, it said.
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Boston expands net-zero emissions requirements to new buildings, large additions
The zoning change requires most new buildings to be net zero when they open. The city previously set similar performance standards for existing buildings.
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Deep Dive
Tesla, Waymo will add more robotaxis to city streets
A more favorable federal regulatory and legislative environment may help propel the growth of driverless ride-hailing vehicles in the United States.
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2025’s top smart city conferences
Smart city technology, housing, climate action, road safety and more will take center stage at events in 2025.
Updated Jan. 31, 2025 -
US DOT says it will tie funding to birth, marriage rates
The agency issued a memo after Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy took the reins this week and authorized a series of actions to advance President Trump’s agenda.
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Tracker
US high-speed rail projects: The latest news
The high-speed rail line between Las Vegas and Southern California anticipates completing construction by the end of 2028 and beginning passenger service the following year.
Updated Feb. 3, 2025 -
How cities could tackle homelessness in 2025
U.S. cities are connecting residents to housing, but adequate funding remains an issue as rates of homelessness remain high.
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The Smart Cities Outlook for 2025: Change is coming
From new federal policies to growing technologies like AI and robotaxis, cities will encounter many changes while they continue to tackle housing, homelessness, climate and equity issues.
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Zeldin is confirmed as the new EPA administrator. What’s next?
The former New York representative will helm the agency as it navigates executive orders pausing climate programs and reviews pending regulations that could affect the waste and recycling industries.
Updated Jan. 30, 2025 -
California cities launch nation’s first public hydrogen utility
Although the Inflation Reduction Act's 45V tax credit was critical to its formation, the new utility hopes to avoid dependence on the federal incentive.
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Chicago sets new record for shared bike and scooter trips in 2024
The Midwestern city had over 11 million shared bike and e-scooter trips last year, according to a Jan. 8 news release.
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Retrieved from U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Transportation Secretary Duffy: ‘We will usher in a golden age of travel.’
President Donald Trump's pick to lead the Transportation Department was confirmed by the Senate Jan. 28. His first act was to start reversing Biden administration increases to federal fuel economy standards.
Updated Jan. 29, 2025