Northern California planner and lawyer Joel Ellinwood has committed himself to riding trains and public transit whenever possible. He's learning a lot along the way.
Need to transfer from one transit operator to another? Good luck, says Ellinwood. Can't find the right station? Join the club. In a hurry? Don't be.
"My own experience demonstrates the danger in minimizing the difficulties of relying on transit for newbies like me and the work we as planners face to make transit a real option that a less committed person would try more than once."
But there is good news, and it involves no less than Fresno and Amtrak.
FULL STORY: A Transit Reality Check

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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.
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Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
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