Los Angeles City Beat talks with traffic expert Martin Wachs about congestion pricing and L.A.'s traffic problems.
"Wachs has been working on a new RAND study exploring options for the short-term future of L.A. gridlock, turning stones including congestion pricing, which entails charging drivers when they use certain roads at certain times, and hot lanes, policy parlance for special highway lanes that charge some users, among other options.
CityBeat: How should we look at gridlock so it doesn't seem intractable?
Martin Wachs: The situation in Los Angeles is typical of many large cities in the world. There is a general frustration with the growth in traffic in urban areas, and an unwillingness politically to face up to what it will take to actually resolve the issues. I'd like to be on record as saying congestion isn't always a bad thing, that congestion exists where there is economic activity, where people are going to schools, taking part in cultural activities, and so on. That doesn't mean traffic can't under any circumstances get so bad that it actually becomes a problem that has to be solved, as well as a by-product of growth, but we should bear in mind that many of us think of Paris as a wonderful place to go; we hardly ever say, 'I won't go to Paris because the Champs-Élysées is congested.'"
FULL STORY: Martin Wachs
Depopulation Patterns Get Weird
A recent ranking of “declining” cities heavily features some of the most expensive cities in the country — including New York City and a half-dozen in the San Francisco Bay Area.
California Exodus: Population Drops Below 39 Million
Never mind the 40 million that demographers predicted the Golden State would reach by 2018. The state's population dipped below 39 million to 38.965 million last July, according to Census data released in March, the lowest since 2015.
Chicago to Turn High-Rise Offices into Housing
Four commercial buildings in the Chicago Loop have been approved for redevelopment into housing in a bid to revitalize the city’s downtown post-pandemic.
How California Transit Agencies are Addressing Rider Harassment
Safety and harassment are commonly cited reasons passengers, particularly women and girls, avoid public transit.
Significant Investments Needed to Protect LA County Residents From Climate Hazards
A new study estimates that LA County must invest billions of dollars before 2040 to protect residents from extreme heat, increasing precipitation, worsening wildfires, rising sea levels, and climate-induced public health threats.
Federal Rule Raises Cost for Oil and Gas Extraction on Public Lands
An update to federal regulations raises minimum bonding to limit orphaned wells and ensure cleanup costs are covered — but it still may not be enough to mitigate the damages caused by oil and gas drilling.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
Town of Zionsville
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.