Transportation access is one of the biggest factors in keeping people out of homelessness. Cities can help with discounted fares and last-mile connections.

A piece in CALmatters explores the opportunity for California cities to provide transportation assistance as a preventative measure to fight homelessness and poverty.
Research has shown that transportation access is the single biggest factor in helping people avoid homelessness; it's critical to holding down a job, getting to school, keeping service appointments, and many more aspects of daily life.
Yet transportation is also unaffordable to many people struggling with poverty, especially since many cities don't offer subsidies for lower-income transit riders. Seattle's transit programs, however, are praised by advocates as models for California cities: King County launched low-income discounted fares in 2015 and distributes free passes through homeless service organizations, and the city of Seattle recently made passes free for high school students.
But even free transit is no good if it doesn't get you where you need to go. A study in San Diego found that 30 times as many jobs were accessible by car than by public transit—but that the situation could be improved by improving connections to transit stations.
FULL STORY: How a transportation safety net could keep more people off the streets

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie