Hoping to boost capacity without using additional road space, Seattle will become only the second city in the nation to put the London style buses into service.
"Don't call it a double-decker bus. It's a double tall, and that's no latte.
Community Transit this week plans to introduce into its commuter service a new double-decker bus, a style popular in Great Britain.
The agency plans to test the bus for a year, running it on as many of its commuter routes as possible before deciding whether to add a few to its fleet."
"It does not lean a bit," said Greg Lissner, a quality service monitor who has driven the new rig for several hours. He's teaching other bus drivers how to handle it.
"The bus is designed so that 75 percent of the weight sits in the bottom 4 feet of the bus, said Rob Montgomery, manager of technical support services and training for Alexander Dennis Inc., the bus builder.
The bus is 14 feet tall, short enough to clear bridges but tall enough that some tree pruning has had to be done on the routes that the bus will take, Lissner said. Standard buses are 10 feet tall."
"It will cost Community Transit about $650,000 to buy a double-decker bus. A normal bus costs about $580,000. Leasing this one will cost $15,000 per month for a year, said Tom Pearce, a spokesman for the agency.
The 40-foot-long bus can carry double the number of passengers of a typical bus and is easier to handle and smaller in traffic than an articulated bus, Pearce said."
FULL STORY: Commute like the British do: on a double-decker bus

Eugene Ends Parking Minimums
In a move that complies with a state law aimed at reducing transportation emissions, Eugene amended its parking rules to eliminate minimum requirements and set maximum parking lot sizes.

How Paris, Texas Became a ‘Unicorn’ for Rural Transit
A robust coalition of advocates in the town of 25,000 brought together the funding and resources to launch a popular bus service that some residents see as a mobility lifeline—and a social club.

San Diegans at Odds Over ‘Granny Towers’
A provision in the city’s ADU ordinance allows developers to build an essentially unlimited number of units on single-family lots.

San Francisco Approves Zoning Reforms to Avoid ‘Builder’s Remedy’
The county board of supervisors voted to approve zoning changes that bring it closer to compliance with state housing mandates.

Where Are Millennials Moving to?
As the housing crisis rages on, four U.S. states are seeing high levels of new migration from young and middle-aged workers.

California Cities Cite Historic Preservation to Block Development
Are some cities using historic designations disingenuously?
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
Park City Municipal Corporation
National Capital Planning Commission
City of Santa Fe, New Mexico
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