On-demand van services are competing with ride-hailing and filling some crucial gaps in public transit networks.

“In addition to Metro Micro, which started in late 2020, microtransit services include MARTA’s Reach in the Atlanta region, Albany’s FLEX service in New York, and Via Jersey City in New Jersey, among many others. Some have even arisen in low-density rural areas and on at least one Native American reservation, the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, that otherwise have no public transportation options.”
“The New York City-based transportation company Via, which contracts with many agencies to provide microtransit services (including rolling stock and/or app and deployment technologies), estimates that it now serves more than 200 markets globally, with more on the way.”
“Ever since the advent of app-based ride hailing, companies like Uber and Lyft have been accused of eating into public transit’s market share. Whether microtransit will lure meaningful numbers of discretionary riders back, even at fares as low as $1, remains to be seen. But that’s not necessarily the goal, nor is it the driving force behind microtransit’s proliferation.”
FULL STORY: Microtransit Changing The Landscape

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Half of Post-Fire Altadena Home Sales Were to Corporations
Large investors are quietly buying up dozens of properties in Altadena, California, where a devastating wildfire destroyed more than 6,000 homes in January.

Opinion: What San Francisco’s Proposed ‘Family Zoning’ Could Really Mean
Mayor Lurie is using ‘family zoning’ to encourage denser development and upzoning — but could the concept actually foster community and more human-scale public spaces?

Jacksonville Launches First Autonomous Transit Shuttle in US
A fleet of 14 fully autonomous vehicles will serve a 3.5-mile downtown Jacksonville route with 12 stops.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont