ASC's Intersections Newsletter — August 27, 2026
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Nora's Note
Before a Trail Connects Communities, the Planning Process Has to Connect With Them. This summer, Arch Street Communications continued its partnership with Rockland County and McLaren Engineering Group to engage residents in planning for the Rockland Riverway Trail, a proposed 21-mile pedestrian and cycling network.
And Rockland residents showed up: more than 700 people responded to the project’s community survey.
Promoted through signs along existing trail segments and digital outreach, the survey gathered input on potential wayfinding and amenities. Community meetings, pop-ups, interactive mapping, walking tours, and a public hearing offered additional ways to participate.
Residents weighed in on safety, maintenance, stormwater, public art, trail connections, and other features that could make the Rockland Riverway Trail a valuable community resource. As planning nears completion, one final virtual public information session will give residents another opportunity to see where the project is headed and what comes next.
For ASC, 700+ survey responses are more than a number. They show what happens when people are given meaningful, accessible ways to help shape their community.
Transportation
Mamdani plans to build temporary highway in Brooklyn Heights to fix the crumbling part of BQE. This will be the largest infrastructure project of Mayor Mamdani's administration so far, aimed at finally rebuilding the aging triple-cantilever section of the BQE beneath the Brooklyn Heights Promenade. The $4 billion plan calls for a temporary two-level highway above Furman Street to keep the 130,000 daily vehicles moving while the historic structure gets a full rehabilitation designed to last another 40 years. Officials say the approach avoids the lengthy, disruptive promenade shutdown that sank a similar 2018 proposal, promising instead that at least one section will remain open throughout construction. With work set to begin in 2030 and the restored highway expected to open by 2040, the plan marks a major step toward resolving an issue city and state leaders have been studying since 2006. Read more here! (Source: Gothamist)
AMNY: MTA unveils new elevators at now ADA accessible Kings Highway Brooklyn F train station
Streetsblog: Philadelphia figured out to stop double parking—will other cities follow suit?
Mass Transit Magazine: LA Metro awards additional contract to Skanska, Stacy Witbeck JV for Van Nuys light-rail project
Climate
For years governments across the US have filed lawsuits against major fossil fuel companies over climate change impacts and deception–now, one of these cases will be heard by the US Supreme Court. In October, the court will hear oral arguments from Suncor Energy v. County Commissioners of Boulder County, concerning a tort suit filed by the city and county of Boulder, Colorado against Suncor and ExxonMobil. Interested members of both sides have weighed in, both determining that the result of the case has stakes that go beyond climate, likely influencing issues from energy and national security to state and tribal sovereignty. Learn more about the effects of either outcome here. (Source: Inside Climate News)
Grist: Tennessee helped usher in the nuclear age. It wants to lead the way again
Canary Media: US apartment buildings have tipped toward heat pumps
Happy Eco News: Seven ways of restoring land and stopping desertification according to UNEP
Economic Development
Passenger rail in the US continually seeks mitigations to address the challenges of speed and reliability. However, a new study indicates that a high-speed rail line could offer a faster, more reliable connection between San Antonio and Austin, two of the nation’s fastest-growing cities, though significant financial hurdles remain. A recent report indicates that a dedicated 90-mile line enabling speeds of up to 125 miles per hour could cost $13.5 billion while cutting travel times to 55–65 minutes. Read more to learn about the specific recommendations and stakeholders outlined in the study. (Source: Smart Cities Dive)
The City Reporter: East New York residents try buying back their neighborhood, one lot at a time
The Real Deal: NY Dirt: City’s lofty 700k housing push eyes low-growth areas
Yahoo Finance: Prince William County named one of the world’s top economic development organizations
Digital
Throughout the United States, municipal governments are increasingly adopting AI software to streamline the housing permitting process, and there is opportunity ahead to address incomplete applications, a leading factor in delays. Two new federal initiatives, a $200M Innovation Fund via the ROAD to Housing Act and $3M in grants from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), both aim to speed up permitting systems through adopting technologies. Cities such as Syracuse, NY, and Mobile, AL are applying to these grants with intentions to design AI systems that fast-track housing development and benefit governments, developers, renters, and homeowners alike. Read more on the digitization of housing, here. (Source: Route Fifty)
Forbes: How AI search is transforming local businesses
GovTech: New York State senator hits road for data center tour
Tech Crunch: Home batteries are suddenly cheap and everywhere. Here’s why.
About Arch Street Communications
At ASC, we help government agencies, corporations and nonprofit organizations across the globe communicate issues that affect people’s lives. We’re the bold, nimble, women-owned small business (WBE) that has supported strategic communications programs to build stronger communities for 30 years.
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