A former official from the New York City Department of transportation outlines some ideas for reducing traffic congestion in the city, including a plan to reduce the amount of taxis and limousines on the streets.
"For a couple of days, there were 25% to 30% fewer cabs on our streets - but it really wasn't that much harder to hail a taxi. True, group riding helped a bit, but the real boost was due to higher traffic speeds. Everyone I've spoken to noticed that traffic was moving faster. And when traffic moves faster, cabs can get rid of their passengers and pick up the next fare sooner."
"In traffic science, here's how it works: Let's say you have 100 taxis traveling through midtown at 5 miles per hour, including stops. If you could reduce that number to 90 taxis and get them traveling just 1 mile an hour faster - 6 mph on average - you could actually increase the number of trips they provide. To the public, it would seem that there were more cabs available, when in reality, there would be 10% fewer taxis on the road."
"So, one way to reduce congestion is to reduce the number of taxis - permanently. I did the math when Iwas traffic commissioner and found that the optimum number of taxis was just under 12,000. We now have more than 13,000. With taxi medallion prices at $400,000, it would be too heavy a lift to buy back 1,000 medallions all at once. Instead, the city should purchase 100 medallions a year over 10 years."
FULL STORY: To start hacking traffic, take 1,000 taxis off our streets

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.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie