Transportation
From obsolete stadiums to gargantuan price tags, the true cost of the Olympics for cities around the world has been well-documented. But investments in Rio’s transit network leading up to and potentially following the games may benefit the city long after athletes return home. [The City Fix]
As cities across the country turn to data-driven decision making to solve transit problems, this new age of transportation planning may “amplify the bias that already favors counting cars, but not people.” [City Observatory]
Reports of hot subway cars in New York City are on the rise. WNYC looks into how the MTA responds to air condition breakdowns. [WNYC]
The shutdown of 913 New Jersey transportation projects is now in its seventh week. Recent reports indicate that Trenton lawmakers may not reach a deal to replenish the state’s transportation fund until after the November election, spurring more protests from out-of-work laborers. [The Jersey Journal]
Energy & Environment
Bridges and tunnels aren’t the only aging infrastructure in America. According to author Gretchen Bakke, the country’s electrical power grid is under-funded, unstable and unable to support a shift to a new energy future. [NPR]
The National Parks Service turns 100 this week, amidst record crowds across the country, multi-billion dollar maintenance backlogs and stagnant federal funding for the parks. [WBUR]
Community Planning & Design
The New York City Council voted down a proposal for the first private development under the administration’s Mandatory Inclusionary Zoning provision, citing community opposition to the Inwood development and concerns over the proposed depth of affordability. [Next City]
Last Friday, the city detailed its plans for a $91 million revitalization plan for Far Rockaway, unlocking the “downtown’s full potential as a vibrant, mixed-use neighborhood.” [New York Daily News]
Newark Superintendent Chris Cerf spoke out against Gov. Christie’s new education funding proposal this week, claiming that the proposed 60 percent cut would be ‘cataclysmic’ for the city’s public schools. [New York Observer]
Photo: Corridor TransCarioca -BRT Rio de Janeiro by EMBARQ Brasil | WRI Brasil Cidades Sustentáveis // Flickr Creative Commons