San Francisco's much-delayed Van Ness BRT line, expected to speed up travel along the 'grandest boulevard,' has finally received an opening date.

"It's not a joke," writes Ricardo Cano. The long-awaited Van Ness bus rapid transit (BRT) project in San Francisco has an opening date: April 1. "The Van Ness project, which has become notorious for its years of construction delays, will transport transit riders down one of the city’s busiest roadways using red concrete center lanes that officials say will move buses up and down the historic corridor faster." Cano relates that "Bus rapid transit on Van Ness will run from Bay to Market streets and serve nine bus stops and are expected to speed up transit on the corridor by about 32%, according to the agency."
The SFMTA and its contractor, Walsh Construction, are wrapping up final work on the project that was originally scheduled for completion in 2019. "A grand jury report published last summer faulted SFMTA for not adequately preparing for the project’s 'foreseeable and avoidable' risks before starting construction in late 2016."
As Cano reports, "The festivities for the debut of Van Ness BRT will start the evening of March 31 when agency staff will light the public art sculptures that were installed between Geary and O’Farrell streets. At 11 a.m. on April 1, a Friday, the SFMTA will hold the project’s ribbon-cutting ceremony in front of the War Memorial near Van Ness and Market streets."
FULL STORY: No joke: After years of delays Muni’s Van Ness Bus Rapid Transit will open on April Fool’s Day

The Slow Death of Ride Sharing
From the beginning, TNCs like Lyft and Uber touted shared rides as their key product. Now, Lyft is ending the practice.

Cool Walkability Planning
Shadeways (covered sidewalks) and pedways (enclosed, climate controlled walkways) can provide comfortable walkability in hot climates. The Cool Walkshed Index can help plan these facilities.

Congestion Pricing Could Be Coming to L.A.
The infamously car-centric city is weighing a proposed congestion pricing pilot program to reduce traffic and encourage public transit use.

Home Insurers Are Fleeing California
Homeowners in the state are finding it increasingly difficult to secure insurance policies thanks to the growing risks of wildfire, drought, and other climate threats.

Los Angeles County Initiates Effort to Advance Equity in Infrastructure
L.A. County Public Works has launched an initiative to center equity in all of its processes, programming, and services as it plans, designs, builds, and maintains modern infrastructure that uplifts all communities of the county.

Addressing the Noise Impacts of Pickleball
Pickleball may be America's fastest growing sport, but it is not universally loved because of the noise it causes. Learn one expert's ideas for mitigating the noise impacts.
Caltrans
San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency
City of Orange
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Montrose County
Wichita-Sedgwick County Metropolitan Area Planning Department
City of Lomita
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.