Learn about efforts from across the country to expand access to public lands via public transit.
Outdoor destinations, including beaches, parks, natural areas, and trails, have become very popular during the pandemic. For those with cars, getting to these places is usually not too difficult. However, for those without a vehicle, it is challenging to get anywhere outside the urban core of most cities. In this article, Gregory Scruggs writes about how King County (WA) and a number of cities and organizations are working to expand public transit service to parks and trailheads so that more people can access and enjoy the great outdoors. (To better understand how the pandemic has impacted outdoor recreation, read this article and the report it references.)
Specifically, the article features King County's Trailhead Direct which is a pilot project co-led by King County Metro and King County Parks. This project seeks to ease vehicle congestion, reduce safety hazards, and expand access to hiking destinations along I-90. For the 2021 season, Trailhead Direct is offering service to Mt Si and Issaquah on weekends and holidays from June 5th, 2021 to September 26th, 2021.
To learn more about this model transit to trails system and other efforts nationwide, please read the source article.
FULL STORY: The Cities Trailblazing Transit Service into the Wilderness
A Shuttle Ride to the Trailhead
A pilot program by King County Metro and the King County Parks Department in the state of Washington found success in 2017, and is spending the beginning of 2018 looking at options to expand.
Report: One-Fifth of Seattle Households Are Car-Free
According to one local writer, the city’s low rate of car ownership should encourage officials to support public transit and reduce parking minimums.
Pedestrian Deaths Spike in King County Cities
Eight cities in Washington’s King County saw sharp increases in traffic fatalities, signaling a need for more robust road safety and traffic calming policies.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
US Senate Reverses California EV Mandate
The state planned to phase out the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035, a goal some carmakers deemed impossible to meet.
Trump Cuts Decimate Mapping Agency
The National Geodetic Survey maintains and updates critical spatial reference systems used extensively in both the public and private sectors.
Washington Passes First US ‘Shared Streets’ Law
Cities will be allowed to lower speed limits to 10 miles per hour and prioritize pedestrians on certain streets.
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.
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions