The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County opened a new segment of HOT lanes, open to carpools and toll paying solo drivers, on U.S. 290 in Houston this week.

Six new miles of HOT lanes opened on U.S. 290 in Houston on Monday, reports Dug Begley.
"Starting at 5 a.m. Monday, the carpool lane, open to toll-paying solo occupants for part of the peak inbound and outbound commuting times, will run from near Mason Road northwest of Cypress to Loop 610. The end of the line now is just past Huffmesiter Road," explains Begley.
The latest segment of new HOT lane capacity "is among the last parts of the $2.1 billion rebuild of U.S. 290 that socked traffic in northwest Houston for more than six years," according to Begley.
According to data from Houston TranStar, the openings of new HOT lane capacity on U.S. 290 have dramatically improved travel times compared to 2015, even as more people have used the highway. "The new lanes have not cured all ills, however. Evening trips have remained roughly the same duration, according to the TranStar data," according to Begley.
FULL STORY: Seven more miles of the U.S. 290 HOT lane open Monday

Four ‘Low-Hanging Fruit’ Zoning Reforms
An excerpt from the latest book on zoning argues for four approaches to reform that can immediately improve land use regulation in the United States.

San Francisco Just Ended Single-Family Zoning
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted to Tuesday to eliminate single-family zoning, but pro-development advocates say additional changes are needed to unleash a wave of construction.

Land Banking to Prevent Transit-Oriented Displacement in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will implement a new land banking program to mitigate gentrification and displacement around future transit lines.

San Francisco to Reconsider Inclusionary Zoning as Development Slows to a Crawl
Critics of inclusionary zoning frequently point to San Francisco as an example of what not to do. A sluggish year of development has some local politicians ready to reconsider the city’s program.

California Senate Committee Kills Freeway Expansion Bill
The proposed legislation would have prohibited new construction in historically underserved areas that often bear the burnt of the negative impacts of freeways.

Initiative Brings Capacity Building to Booming Rural Towns
A research and capacity building initiative based at Utah State University seeks to help fast-growing tourist meccas in the West plan for smart growth.
City of Bothell
Town of San Anselmo
Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA)
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
Harvard Graduate School of Design Executive Education
City of Apache Junction
City of Helena
Gallatin County, Montana
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.