This huge law that we've passed in 2021 - which Joe Biden said was the biggest law for public transit ever and was this enormous investment in inner city rail - ultimately panned out to have very minimal effects. There has been some increase in highway construction. But when it comes to transit investment, unfortunately the country is going in the wrong direction.
Once a nice-to-have niche urban design concept, TOD has become an essential part of many urban neighborhoods. It has helped address the shortage of housing by enabling the development of higher-density residential communities near transit stations. It has helped revitalize countless once-deteriorating or static urban enclaves near transit hubs by activating sidewalks near the developments. And it has spurred walking and transit use, enabling residents of TODs to reduce or eliminate automobile dependency.
California lawmakers are advancing a bill that could reframe how housing, transportation, and infrastructure projects are approved in urbanized coastal communities, seeking to balance environmental protections with the state's urgent housing and climate goals. Assembly Bill 1740 (AB 1740) - introduced by Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur (D-West Hollywood/Santa Monica) - would allow qualifying cities to bypass individual California Coastal Commission approvals for certain housing and transportation projects if they meet specific urban, multimodal criteria.
Santa Clara wrapped up 2025 with an impressive 2,768 new residential units, far surpassing the 155 completions from 2024 and earlier years. Most of these additions came as apartments and condominiums, with a small portion from accessory dwelling units and single-family homes. This wave of development marks a high point for the city, reflecting years of preparation that now deliver much-needed options amid the Bay Area's tight inventory.
Plopping a new, modern building atop a cherished, historic one is not a novel concept. In New York, the Hearst Tower rises out of a six-story Art Deco building from 1928. The Antwerp Port House, designed by architect Zaha Hadid, delicately balances a glass structure above a fire station. And using air rights to develop skyscrapers over transit hubs to fund their improvements is nothing new, either.
The plan to build more than 700 apartments above the North Berkeley BART station took a couple of steps forward this month, as two nonprofits applied for building permits from the city to construct affordable housing developments at the site. But the timeline for construction of one of Berkeley's most closely watched housing projects has slipped by another year, according to a BART spokesperson.
On first blush, these appear to be a few headlines with ferries as a common topic. On closer examination, however, they suggest an emerging theme. NYC Ferry has grown beyond being merely a means of scenic water transit and is becoming a critical part of New York City real estate landscape. In fact, growing demand among New Yorkers for commuting by ferry is starting to help determine where residential projects end up being clustered.
The People Over Parking Act positions Illinois to become the fourth state to enact such a reform, following in the footsteps of states like California and Colorado. The reform was a key element of a larger bill that has a $1.5 billion funding package for public transportation. It created the Northern Illinois Transit Authority to streamline planning and establish a new funding stream to avert a looming fiscal crisis for the region's transit agencies.
The project includes a seven-story, 505-unit market-rate apartment building, a five-story, 132-unit, 100% affordable apartment building and 100 for-sale townhouse units configured in 14 three-story buildings. This site's been vacant for many years, and when we were first introduced to this site about two and a half years ago, it was in the time when builders' remedy applications seeking to lower density were abundant, said Scott Connelly, a representative of Valley Oaks Partners.
New Jersey, I think, has really strained the taxation system to its breaking point. We have the highest corporate taxes in the nation right now. Simply looking to fare hikes and taxes is just not an option,
I love taking Caltrain to work. It's always fun to look at the highway and be like, 'Hahaha sucks to be a commuter right now,' I've always been fascinated with California high-speed rail, I think it's a great idea. A lot of other countries have high-speed rail; getting from here to LA in an eco-friendly manner is great, Infrastructure projects, they take time,
A $255 million loan will finance the first construction phase of a massive $1 billion Hudson River development in Bergen County. S3 Capital said it originated the construction loan which will finance the initial phase of the mixed-use development at 615 River Road in Edgewater. The project aims to reshape Edgewater's waterfront with luxury housing, transit connections, and public amenities.
SB 79 is a historic step toward tackling the root cause of California's affordability crisis - our profound shortage of homes and too few people having access to transit," Wiener (D-San Francisco) said in a statement.
Curry discussed her recent article for the California Planning and Development Report on Sacramento's attempt to use an Enhanced Infrastructure Financing District (EIFD) to revitalize its downtown. The financing tool, designed to help cities fund projects like affordable housing and transit-oriented development without raising taxes, has struggled to gain traction statewide. Sacramento's effort to launch a district around its downtown railyards hit obstacles due to political disagreements and questions about long-term revenue streams.
Ledcor Development, a Southern California firm, had previously planned to build 476 apartments on nearly 4.5 acres of land divided across three parcels just off the San Pablo Bay. The proposal was part of a larger three-part development effort dubbed the Hercules Bayfront Community. Ledcor has already seen the completion of two other apartment projects - The Exchange and The Dylan - that brought 403 units to the city.
A young undocumented honor student walks into an immigration hearing with her mother - she walks out deported to Guatemala, wearing only the clothes on her back. She doesn't even speak Spanish, not a trace of an accent. What was achieved here? Who was made safer? Who benefited? These are not criminals. They pay taxes. They contribute. Now their jobs are empty, waiting for Americans who will never step forward to take them.
Once again, we hear of another in an endless string of uniquely American single-shooter mass casualty events, this time at a Catholic school in Minneapolis. Two children are dead, many more are seriously injured, and the well-armed alleged assailant committed suicide. Initial reports echo the all too familiar responses, including, absolutely incomprehensible unspeakable tragedy horrific, and Pope Leo XIV is praying for the families of the dead. My heart bleeds for the families who sent their children to school, and will now plan their funerals
SB 79, authored by state Sen. Scott Wiener, mandates that six- to seven-story residential buildings be built within a half-mile radius of any qualifying transit stops, which include some bus stops. This is beyond what has already been mandated along linear corridors and with the housing elements plan. A single-family home neighborhood currently has about eight houses per acre. These will be near developments that cannot be stopped if this bill passes.
These megastructures offer clear advantages-economic efficiency, high development returns, and convenience for transit users-but often ignore urban context and environment.
