ASC's Intersections Newsletter — March 6, 2026
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Nora's Note
The more voices are heard, the better the outcome. The Long Beach, NY community has turned out for focus groups and public meetings to contribute ideas on safety issues to a USDOT Safe Streets for All–funded Safety Action Plan project now under development. Participants are working with ASC facilitators to identify challenging corridors and potential countermeasures to improve safety for vulnerable road users, such as pedestrians and cyclists. ASC’s Caroline Ibarra, Adrienne Kanter, and Olivia Macieik are guiding residents, local businesses, and advocates through discussions and activities using engagement techniques that create space for open dialogue. Community voices are central to building transportation systems that work for everyone. Through carefully designed engagement and skilled facilitation, ASC is helping translate lived experiences into actionable insights to inform Long Beach’s Safety Action Plan and support the effort to create safer, more equitable streets.
Transportation
Several US cities are finding recreation to be the driving force behind robust cycling infrastructure, rather than top-down transportation planning. In Atlanta, GA, the Beltline project converted an old railway into a continuous 22-mile loop connecting housing, jobs, schools, and public spaces. In Bentonville, AK, 470+ miles of connected mountain biking trails and urban paths were developed with cyclists of all levels in mind, meaning they can be enjoyed by families and hardcore mountain bicyclists alike. In Knoxville, TN, greenway systems, such as the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park continue to strengthen the city’s cycling-friendly culture. Read more about recreational cycling’s role in infrastructure here. (Source: StreetsBlog)
Mass Transit Mag: Keolis North America to operate Nantucket Regional Transit Authority’s public transit services
Gothamist: Port Authority to test self-driving shuttle busses at Newark Airport
AMNY: Bronx advocates urge Mamdani to restart Tremont Avenue busway project as alternative to state Cross Bronx plan
Climate
The Los Angeles Safe Clean Water Program has received nearly $100 million this year to allocate funding for stormwater retention and water quality improvements. By 2035, the Program aims to capture about half of the 100 billion gallons of untreated stormwater that flows into the Pacific Ocean from LA County each year. However, some climate advocate groups argue that the Program’s funding is necessary but not sufficient in solving LA’s stormwater retention and potable water supply issues that are located predominantly in communities of color. Read more about the stormwater retention program and the calls for expansion for more funding here. (Source: Happy Eco News)
E&E News: Indiana regulators launch utility affordability inquiry
Inside Climate News: Helping trees—and a city—outrace climate change
Canary Media: Balcony solar is taking state legislatures by storm
Economic Development
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani recently met with President Donald Trump at the White House to discuss strategies for addressing the city’s housing shortage. The conversation centered on advancing a large-scale housing development proposal in Queens that would significantly expand the local housing supply. From an economic development perspective, the project could stimulate job creation, attract investment, and support long-term growth by increasing the availability of housing for the region’s workforce. Expanding housing supply is increasingly viewed as critical to maintaining economic competitiveness and ensuring that workers can live near major employment centers. Read more on the meeting here. (Source: Politico)
Smart Cities Dive: How one company is using AI to transform affordable housing
New York Yimby: 2 World Trade Center to resume construction in Financial District, Manhattan
AMNY: Bronx advocates urge Mamdani to restart Tremont Avenue busway project as alternative to state Cross Bronx plan
Digital
AI has become seemingly ubiquitous overnight, and while its benefits are enormous, so are its risks, posing the question: How does trust fit into the age of AI? Top researchers and technologists are working to transition AI from a series of privatized intranets to a public, streamlined internet—forming Project NANDA. Right now, there is no centralized database of AI agents and large language models (LLMs). This has created fierce competition among American tech giants and start-ups alike, alongside geopolitical rifts, namely between China and the United States. While the innovation race endures, the individual is jeopardized; their data is in the hands of private companies with ulterior incentives. Project NANDA seeks bringing trust to the forefront of AI: architecting a system in which LLMs and AI agents verify, improve, and bounce off one another, encrypting user data so it cannot be hoarded nor sold. Read more about this emerging initiative, here. (Source: Forbes)
GovTech: Study: States passed 99 Cybersecurity-related bills in 2025
Route Fifty: New York counties to roll out AI assessment tool
MIT News: Enhancing maritime cybersecurity with technology and policy
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