Author Paul Sorensen details the findings of a recent RAND study recommending short term (i.e., within five years) fixes for rampant congestion in Southern California.
The article features an interview with one of the authors of the RAND study, Dr. Paul Sorensen:
"Angelenos also drive more than one would expect, given how dense the region is. As I mentioned, you tend to see that per-capita vehicle travel decreases as population density increases. But in fact Los Angeles stands as a significant outlier; we drive as much as people in much lower density regions like Atlanta, Houston, and Dallas. The combination of high regional population density and relatively high per capita travel makes for really severe traffic congestion."
"The city of Los Angeles has not done a strategic transportation plan for a number of years, but it is something on their agenda. We've received indications that our report and its recommendations are being given serious consideration as Los Angeles thinks about its strategic directions. Many of the recommendations we made, which five years ago might have seemed quite radical, are already being planned or developed by agencies here in Los Angeles."
Read the full story: RAND’s Paul Sorensen Authors Study Analyzing Short-Term Fixes for Congestion Relief
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Mamdani’s pied-à-terre tax survives legal challenge
A panel of judges found that the plaintiffs failed to demonstrate injury as a result of New York City's implementation of the tax.
Eastern Nebraska is running out of electricity
Data centers and electrification are straining eastern Nebraska’s grid, throttling economic development.
Seattle passes record-breaking transit services expansion
Proposition 1 will double the city’s transit tax to add 95,000 more bus trips and preserve 180,000 bus trips annually.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority