Infrastructure

Las Vegas Transit Plan Includes Light Rail
To alleviate tourist traffic and serve residents, the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada has unveiled a long-term plan to invest billions in transit improvements including light rail and an expanded monorail.

Houston Metro Redesign Shows Promise
Following an "overnight" system redesign, Houston Metro ridership and frequency is up across the board. Its high frequency bus service now rivals that of peer cities on weekends.

Coming Attractions in Transportation Infrastructure
A look ahead at what is shaping up to be a very eventful year in the world of transportation.
Utah's New Years Day Surprise: Nickel Gas and Diesel Tax Increase
The fuel tax increases in the Beehive State by 4.9 cents on Friday. But don't count on gas prices increasing. Not only are prices dropping due to plummeting crude oil prices, but service station owners may be reluctant to pass on the increase.
Diluvial Days Coming to South Florida
Miami Beach is drafting its own textbook for how to respond to sea level rise. The New Yorker provides in-depth coverage of a region under siege by the sea that surrounds it.
Ten Years Later: Evaluating the Big Dig
Ten years after the completion of the Central Artery and Tunnel project—or the Big Dig, as it's more commonly known—has the project become more justifiable?

A Beloved Bridge Destroyed in the City of Bridges
The Greenfield Bridge could also be considered infamous, but it's for history to decide now.
Reviewing the Year in New York City Urban Planning
The Curbed New York team takes a tour of "the good, the bad, and the ugly" in urban planning from 2015.

10 Best Bike Lanes of the Year Announced
The victories keep piling up for the advocates, bureaucrats, and politicians fighting for more and better bike infrastructure.
'Transit-Oriented Communities': A New Agenda For L.A. Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is implementing a new vision for "transit-oriented communities."

Meet the Beautiful Bridges 'Spanning Oregon'
Oregon lovers and bridge lovers alike will find lots to appreciate in the "Spanning Oregon" series.
Rail Extensions Receive Sizable FTA Grants in Omnibus Spending Bill
Sound Transit, L.A. Metro, and Santa Clara VTA received sizable funding in FTA's New Starts/Small Starts program for their light and heavy rail extensions, thanks to Congressional representatives who included them in the omnibus bill,.
Toll-Paying Motorists Crowding-Out Carpoolers in Seattle Area Express Toll Lanes
The new I-405 Express Toll Lanes between Bellevue and Lynnwood might be undercharging solo commuters at $10. Carpoolers, who drive for free, are increasingly hard to spot in the lanes, according to anecdotal reports.
Spotlight on San Francisco's Extremely Green PUC Headquarters
San Francisco's PUC headquarters, "one of the greenest buildings in the nation," cut costs while introducing cutting-edge sustainable technologies to the city.

Bertha Awakens—New Hope After a Two-Year Delay for Seattle Tunnel-Boring Machine
Baby steps are an improvement for the tunnel-boring machine known as Bertha. The drill moved a total of 1.5 feet this week, but the symbolic distance probably felt like a mile.
Popularity of Electric Vehicles Threatens Viability of Bay Area's Express Lanes
The California DMV announced that the maximum of 85,000 Green Clean Air Vehicle Decals had been issued to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, denying new Volt and plug-in Prius owners the coveted sticker allowing them free access to HOV and HOT lanes.
Vote on 2015's Best and Worst Developments in Streets
Streetsblog is calling for voters in the 2015 Streetsie awards—make your opinion count about the year's biggest developments in multi-modal transportation.

Remix Promises to Streamline Transit Planning
Based out of San Francisco, Remix is an intuitive, data-rich tool for transit planners as they consider new routes. All you need to do is draw out the line on a map and add stops.

What's Wrong With Removing Sidewalks in the Name of Pedestrian Safety?
Broken Sidewalk analyzes an example of the kind of street design decisions continuing to encroach on pedestrian infrastructure around the country. The case study: Ninth Street in Louisville.
States React to Tax Impacts of Dropping Gas Prices
Certain states have had to scramble to restructure their gas taxes as gas prices have dropped—and kept dropping—lest transportation funds hit empty.
Pagination
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
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NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service