The Reimagine RTD initiative will imagine the future of transit service in the Denver region. Already a debate has begun about which direction the RTD should take.
John Aguilar reports on a new Regional Transportation District effort to revamp bus service in the Denver area as ridership declines in keeping with national trends.
According to Aguilar, "the Regional Transportation District will formally unveil a two-year effort — dubbed Reimagine RTD — to plan for the 'future of mobility' in metro Denver amid the rise of ride-sharing services such as Uber and Lyft and the prospect of self-driving vehicles filling the streets one day."
"RTD, which turned 50 in July, has faced a steady stream of bad headlines in the last couple of years as it hit big delays in rolling out new commuter rail lines, raised fares to one of the higher price points in the nation and wrestled with a driver shortage that it’s still trying to resolve," according to Aguilar.
Aguilar quotes Ben Fried, a spokesperson for New York City-based TransitCenter, with additional criticism of RTD operations, saying the transit system has been allowing bus service to languish as it has expanded rails service around the region. Andrew Goetz, a University of Denver geography professor who specializes in transportation issues, on the other hand, is quoted urging RTD to partner with innovative transportation companies to maintain its relevance.
FULL STORY: RTD looks to “reimagine” service in a fast-changing Denver metro transportation landscape
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