Are fast and efficient buses 'the wave of the future,' or just a cheaper alternative to rail?
In Boston, the MBTA's general manager "considers bus travel an important but neglected part of the transit system and touts souped-up service called 'bus rapid transit,' which is designed to be as reliable as trains, as the wave of the future. But the emphasis on buses is setting off concern in urban areas where residents have been waiting for years for subway expansions. Many fear that state transportation planners are eyeing bus service as a cheap alternative to rail service, at a time when transit funding is scarce....Building...dedicated lanes in dense urban areas like Boston...is complicated and expensive, raising the specter of sleeker-looking buses that get stuck in traffic just as the current vehicles do....Bus rapid transit systems appear to work best when the vehicles run in their own lane, physically separated from traffic, like the system in Curitiba, Brazil, transit planners say."
Thanks to Connie Chung
FULL STORY: T touts rapid bus transit as wave of future

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
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The French Solution to Congested Tunnels: Make Them Car-Free
Bay Area transportation officials keep expanding car capacity. Lyon’s Croix Rousse Tunnel offers a different way.

Missouri Governor Reverses Anti-Discrimination Housing Policies
A new state law bars cities from prohibiting source-of-income discrimination against tenants using Section 8 housing vouchers.

USDOT Launches Unfunded 'SAFE ROADS' Program
The program targets “distractions” and “political messages or artwork,” and paves the way for autonomous vehicles.
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