A new service in St. Paul and Minneapolis will assist riders at both ends of their rides.
Frederick Melo reports on a new ride-hailing service for disabled and elderly travelers. The program will start operations in the Twin Cities this month, through an app called "MO."
"That’s 'MO' as in mobility, the lifeblood of the aged and infirm. Think of [John Doan’s] general benefit corporation, Mobility 4 All, as an Uber for folks who need someone to walk them from their doorstep to a vehicle at pick-up, and from the vehicle to the lobby of their destination at drop-off," writes Melo.
Doan calls MO "the kinder, gentler ride-service" that helps people travel beyond door-to-door end points. He recognized the need for the specialized service after his brother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and dementia, which severely limited his mobility and made travel on public transit difficult.
If the pilot program is successful, Doan plans to expand the service to Phoenix later this year or early next year, notes Melo.
FULL STORY: St. Paul company develops Uber-like service for disabled passengers
Twin Cities ADU Construction Slow, but Expected
Easing ADU regulations has led to some new construction in the Twin Cities, but the additional units have made a small dent in the area’s affordable housing problem.
Affordable Housing Advocacy Efforts Taking Root in St. Paul
St. Paul, Minnesota, is working on its comprehensive plan, and advocates want to see upzoning changes similar to what happened in Minneapolis.
Looking Back on 60 Years of Land Development in the Twin Cities
In 1960, about 12 percent of the Twin Cities metro's land was already developed. By 2020, about 34 percent had been developed. Many factors influenced how the region has changed since 1960.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association