Toronto's Metrolink brings together city and transportation planners to brainstorm the transit of the future.
"Any transportation system in the future has to be user friendly, seamless and add value because somebody has to pay for it and the public sector won't be able to pay for all of it, said George Hazel, a British transportation planning expert.
Connectivity is key, he said. "How do you join up the buses to the transit, to the parking, to cycling, to walking because there are discontinuities all over the place," he said. "In Singapore, you can get into a taxi and there's a swipe (machine) behind the driver's head. You can use your transit card in a taxi."
Some of yesterday's ideas are pie in the sky, "But we have to be creative," said Al Robinson, GO Transit's director of equipment development, who was part of a brainstorming team rethinking the interiors of transit vehicles.
Among the suggestions: A quiet car equipped with laptops, wireless Internet access and reclining chairs so people who wanted to sleep or work could do so in comfort."
FULL STORY: Planners dream big for future of transit

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie