A report authored by Transportation for America and the American Public Transportation Association suggests that, no less than Social Security and Medicare, retiring baby boomers will have to cope with limited mobility options.
But this alone does not justify the agencies' plea for more funding, argues The Antiplanner:
"After decades of huge transit subsidies, per capita transit ridership today is no greater than it was in 1970–mainly because the subsidies have focused on extending transit service to those who don't need it rather than providing better service to those who do."
The solution, according to O'Toole? Spend more on increasing the current level of service in the central city areas where the demand for transit is consistently high instead of extending the routes en masse to the suburbs where public transit ridership is low.
Transportation for America has a blistering critique of O'Toole's analysis of their study, basically explaining that the report does not say what O'Toole claims it says.
FULL STORY: The Myth of the Senior Transit Rider
Five Key Transportation Funding Proposals in Trump’s Budget
The President’s proposed 2026 budget would keep spending roughly the same for transit and rail and eliminate over $5 billion in funding for EV charging infrastructure.
DOJ Seeks to End USDOT Affirmative Action Program
The Disadvantaged Business Enterprise Program encouraged contracting with minority- and women-owned businesses in the transportation sector, where these groups are vastly underrepresented.
Time Running Out for Illinois Transit Bill
Chicago-area transit agencies face a daunting budget gap if lawmakers fail to agree on a funding bill by the end of the current legislative session.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)