A cyclist waiting at an intersection on Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA by LADOT Bike Blog licensed under Creative Commons.

A top LA Metro official compares bus and bike lanes to the destruction of communities for highways. Mesa, AZ is the first Autism Certified City in the world. How Houston could soon gain more representation in its MPO.

Is community feedback out of control?: Los Angeles Metro Chief Innovation Officer Seleta Reynolds compared the construction of bus and bike lanes to the destruction of neighborhoods brought by the creation of the highway system, prompting criticism from the reporter. Gordon, the article’s writer, previously reported on “engagement inflation” last year, where public engagement on transportation projects is conducted aimlessly, resulting in delays until a local politician weighs in. (Aaron Gordon | Motherboard)

First US autism-friendly city: The head of tourism in Mesa, AZ was horrified at how his autistic child was treated on a vacation and vowed to change things in the Arizona city when he got home. Now, 80% of public-facing employees in Mesa are trained to empathize with autistic people and it was the first Autism Certified City in the world. Mesa is setting its sights next on being a better place for people who are blind or have low vision. (Lindsey Galloway | BBC Travel)

Houston wants more equal regional representation at MPO: Big cities are tired of Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), where suburban members have more power even though they have smaller populations and thus control urban transportation decisions that don’t reflect urban needs or wants. In Houston, there could soon be a ballot measure that changes the structure of the MPO where Houston and Harris County have 57% of the population and just 11% of the regional vote on the MPO. (Muizz Akhtar | Urban Edge)

The politics of architecture: While politics permeates almost everything in life, is architecture political? Buildings don’t make decisions but they house and cover the people that do. And decisions made about building materials and whether they are allowed to be constructed at all can be seen as political choices. (Daniel Díez Martínez | El Pais)

Insurance agencies will accelerate their climate response: State Farm Insurance recently decided to stop issuing new homeowner policies in California due to risks associated with wildfires and other natural disasters. Their ultimate concern is money, not politics. As such, 50% year-over-year increases in insurance rates that are tied to mortgage eligibility are unsustainable and are likely to lead to a climate reckoning in building and living in homes at risk of future climate impacts. (Hamilton Nolan | How Things Work)

Quote of the Week

“Beyond merely a logo or a strapline, a city’s brand is its promise of value to residents, visitors, investors – everyone. And, when done right, it can powerfully contribute to the legacy of the destination and to visual culture.”

Dalia Dawood in It’s Nice That discusses the process and importance of city branding efforts.

This week on the podcast, we’re chatting with Meghna Khanna of LA Metro and Scarlett DeLeon of the Alliance for Community Transit LA about women who ride transit.