The Chicago Transit Authority Board voted unanimously to raise fares, despite shrinking ridership.

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) will raise its fares by $.25. The increase comes after budget cuts from the state and fare hikes from the city's other two transit agencies. "The 2018 fare increase — the first across-the-board increase in nine years — is intended to help fill a more than $33 million hole caused, in part, by a drop in state funding for the transit service, which provides about 1.6 million rides every weekday," Mary Wisniewski reports for the Chicago Tribune.
The CTA also faces an issue of shrinking ridership, a problem the agency blames in part on low gas prices and the growth of ride share services. "Charles Paidock, secretary of the transit riders' advocacy group Citizens Taking Action, said the state budget cuts were not an emergency that justified a fare increase, and that the hike will only add to the CTA's problems of shrinking ridership," Wisniewski writes.
The budget now needs the approval of the regional transit authority. If it gets okayed the hike will go into effect January 7.
FULL STORY: CTA OKs 25-cent fare hikes as watchdog group gives thumbs down to budget

Boston Transit Riders Report Safety Concerns
Almost three-quarters of current and former riders report feeling unsafe while using MBTA services.

The Unceremonious Death of a Freeway Expansion Project
The end of an Oregon freeway project didn't get much fanfare, but the victory is worth celebrating.

Houston Lot Size Reforms Yield Positive Results
New research shows that reducing lot size requirements helped create thousands of new homes.

‘Affordability Unlocked’ Boosts Austin’s Affordable Housing Production
A 2019 program has created new housing at a faster rate than other city programs.

How Homelessness Differs in Rural America
Although less visible than in major cities, the housing crisis is no less severe in many rural communities, where being unhoused poses unique challenges.

New York Officials Back Down on Bus Lane Plans
Proposed bus improvements in the Bronx are the latest casualty of opposition.
Knoxville-Knox County Planning
City of Stonecrest
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Washington University
Mpact: Mobility, Community, Possibility
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Culver City
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.