Infrastructure

If Rail Crossings Can't Be Grade Separated, Can They At Least Be Safer?

That's the question asked by legislation introduced after a Metro-North commuter train slammed into an SUV at a crossing in Valhalla, N.Y., killing six people. More than 200 people die annually in over 2,000 grade crossing crashes.

March 15, 2015 - Progressive Railroading

Change of Venue for Denver's Transit CEO: Los Angeles

Phillip Washington will leave his role as CEO of the Denver Regional Transportation District to take the same position at the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

March 13, 2015 - Los Angeles Daily News

Wyoming to Finance Out-of-State Coal Ports

The state of Wyoming sees more potential than risk in financing coal industry infrastructure projects in the state of Washington.

March 11, 2015 - KUOW

GPS Technology Chosen for Oregon's Road Usage Charge

Oregon's much heralded mileage fee program, known as OReGO, has selected the technology to record the miles driven by participants. A French and Canadian company will collaborate to provide a telematics road usage charging framework to begin July 1.

March 11, 2015 - Automotive News

Ca73

A Pedestrian's Perspective on Sprawling Orange County

Southern California's Orange County isn't exactly known for its walkability. Frank H. Wu decided to test that notion on a recent carless visit.

March 11, 2015 - Huffington Post

Business, Government, and Infrastructure in Brazil

With one of the fastest growing economies in the world, Brazil is at the cusp of major change. Arup's Gustavo Ferreria discusses the role that public-private partnerships are playing in modernizing and expanding the country's infrastructure systems.

March 11, 2015 - Arup Connect

Crude-by-Rail's New Workhorse No Better than the Old Workhorse

The new oil tank cars were supposed to be key to preventing the fiery explosions associated with oil-train derailments. However, four recent explosions since Feb. 14, with two occurring last Thursday and Saturday, all involved the new tankers.

March 10, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Las Vegas Water Grab a 'Poster Child' for Urban vs. Rural Resource Conflict

In what has been described as a "poster child" for future water showdowns in the west, local interests in Las Vegas are attempting a water grab from ranch land 275 miles north of the city.

March 10, 2015 - Bloomberg News

Chicago to Scale Back Red Light Camera Program

The nation's largest automated red light enforcement program will get a trim. How much is mayoral election politics responsible for the change?

March 9, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Warning Sign

Study: Dynamic Road Signs Make for Better Drivers

A psychological experiment finds that warning signs depicting more movement gain more attention, making drivers navigate more carefully.

March 9, 2015 - The Atlantic

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Op-ed: "Fix-It-First" is California's New Infrastructure Policy

In this San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum, Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, makes the case that maintenance as well as capital costs be included when financing new infrastructure projects.

March 8, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

D.C. Streetcar Expansion May Be Further Trimmed

New Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser may deviate from the prior administration by not supporting the expansion of the streetcar line. This is a double-blow to streetcar advocates, as Mayor Gray had already pared down the new streetcar's expansion plans.

March 7, 2015 - WAMU

Halifax, Nova Scotia

On the Benefits of Compact Development

The environmental think tank environmental Sustainable Prosperity has created a handy infographic describing the benefits of dense urban development compared to sprawl.

March 6, 2015 - Streetsblog USA

Cause of Crude-by-Rail Explosions Identified

The Wall Street Journal's senior energy reporter, Russell Gold, is interviewed on NPR about the February 16 derailment and explosion in West Virginia of an oil-train hauling 109 tanker cars of Bakken crude from North Dakota.

March 6, 2015 - NPR

United Nations: Hoboken a Role Model for Resilience

The United Nations is looking for cities to model best practices in resilience planning. Look no further than Hoboken, New Jersey.

March 6, 2015 - Next City

Crumbling Bridge

Friday Funny: Infrastructure: 'If Anything Exciting Happens We've Done it Wrong'

The news satire show "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" gave comic treatment to the country's ever-present, much-neglected infrastructure crisis. It's hilarious and scary. At the same time!

March 6, 2015 - Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

Critiquing Plans for Cleveland's New 'Opportunity Corridor'

As local officials claim that all is ready for work to begin on Cleveland's $330 million "Opportunity Corridor" road construction project, one writer critiques the plan's remaining shortcomings.

March 5, 2015 - Rust Wire

'Center for Opportunity Urbanism' Think Tank Launched in Houston

A new think tank to promote suburban growth has been established in Houston by arguably the media's highest-profile supporters of suburban growth.

March 5, 2015 - Houston Chronicle

Below Average Snowpack Sparks Drought Concerns in Washington State

It might be hard to believe if you're in Boston right now, but the entire West Coast is suffering a poorly timed dearth of snow, a critical source of drinking water and hydroelectric capacity for the region.

March 5, 2015 - The Bellingham Herald

Wrong Way

On the U.S. Transportation System's Structures of Inequality

The tendency of transportation planning of the 20th and 21st centuries to negatively impact poor and minority populations received deep attention on national media outlets over the past few days.

March 4, 2015 - Slate

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.