While other aspects of urban life are starting to recover to pre-pandemic ‘normals,’ ridership on the nation’s subway systems is still well below average levels.

In 2019, the New York City subway carried 1.7 billion riders. In 2022, that number barely hit 1 billion. As Daniel de Visé reports in The Hill, “The nation’s second- and third-busiest subway systems, in Chicago and Washington, D.C., are faring even worse.”
While many restaurants, bars, and other social institutions have made nearly full recoveries, U.S. subway systems have not seen the same growth. This can be attributed in large part to remote work, which grew from 6 percent to 18 percent between 2019 and 2022, particularly in cities with major subway systems.
But safety concerns, real or perceived, are also keeping riders away from public transit, de Visé writes. While New York City’s subway is vastly safer now than it was in the 1980s or 1990s, the crime rate did double between 2019 and 2022, with nine homicides committed on the system in 2022. With ridership revenue remaining low and federal COVID-19 relief funds drying up, transit agencies around the country are looking for new funding sources to sustain their operations.
The article notes that smaller rapid transit systems and bus lines are recovering more successfully, partly because more bus riders are transit-dependent and work in industries less impacted by remote work.
FULL STORY: As pandemic wanes, subway cars remain half-empty

The End of Single-Family Zoning in Arlington County, Virginia
Arlington County is the latest jurisdiction in the country to effectively end single-family zoning.

The Quiet Housing Crisis in Rural America
While housing shortages in major cities are grabbing headlines, rural communities are seeing higher rates of growth in housing prices and a silently spreading homelessness crisis.

Skyline-Defining High-Rise Potentially Coming to Boise
A rendering making the rounds in Boise depicts a 40-story apartment building that would be taller than all other buildings in one of the fastest growing cities in the United States.

11,000 Housing Units Possible with S.F. Office Conversions, Study Says
A new study by SPUR and the Urban Land Institute’s San Francisco chapter estimates a specific number of apartment units that could be built from vacant office units in the city.

‘Arrested Mobility:’ How Transportation-Related Laws Impact Black Americans
A far-reaching new study highlights the disproportionate effect of biking and walking laws on the mobility of Black Americans.

California Attorney General Wants to Get Serious About Housing
A bill sponsored by the AG’s office would give the state’s top attorney more power to intervene in lawsuits related to the state’s housing laws.
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Kingsville
Princeton Planning
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Spearfish
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.