Since Denver Metro voters passed FasTracks in 2004, transit ridership has almost doubled. Warren Karlenzig looks at how they did it.
"First, the city created a regional mandate for public transit, combined with tangible, measureable goals. Mayor John Hickenlooper told me in 2006, "We passed the most ambitious transit initiative in the history of the United States. It was because all 31 mayors in the seven-county area unanimously supported it."
Hickenlooper said the city wanted to reach 20 percent ridership by 2020, even 25 or 30 percent if it could. Little did he know at the time that the city would be on its way to hitting its goal without even laying one mile of new rail under the FasTracks."
FULL STORY: Denver Nearly Doubles Public Transit Ridership--Despite Light Rail Expansion Delays
Underwhelming FasTracks Plan Inspires Transit History Lesson in Denver
FasTracks, one of the most ambitious long-term transit plans in the U.S., has been underway for over 15 years. With the finish line in sight, some locals wonder how useful the new hub-and-spoke system (regional routes connecting to downtown) will be.
B Line Commuter Rail Extension Gets a Green Light in Colorado
The Board of Directors for the Regional Transportation District has given a preliminary green light to accelerate planning work on the B Line extension from Denver to Boulder and Longmont.
Political Pressure Reinvigorates B Line Extension Plans in Colorado
The CEO of the Regional Transportation District speculated recently about whether a planned extension of the B Line to Boulder was necessary or desirable. The governor doesn't think the speculation was necessary or desirable.
Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.
Minneapolis Housing Plan a Success—Not for the Reason You Think
Housing advocates praise the city’s move to eliminate single-family zoning by legalizing triplexes on single-family lots, but that isn’t why housing construction is growing.
Car Noise Is Killing Us
It’s not just traffic collisions that kill—a new study from researcher at Rutgers finds that the loud noises emanating from cars has direct impact on heart health in Americans.
Parks as a Weapon Against Climate Change
The 2022 ParkScore finds that cities are increasingly employing green space as a tool for mitigating heat and extreme weather effects, but the distribution of parks remains inequitable.
Louisiana Capital Shifting to Electric Transit
The Baton Rouge area is now served by a fleet of nine all-electric buses.
New Community Engagement Practices for Seattle’s Comprehensive Plan Update
A major update of Seattle’s comprehensive plan is just getting under way, with new opportunities for local groups to get involved with outreach and engagement.
City of Malibu
EMC Planning Group Inc.
Jefferson Parish
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Harvard GSD Executive Education
City of Rohnert Park
City of Hot Springs
City of Lakeway, Texas
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.
Hand Drawing Master Plans
This course aims to provide an introduction into Urban Design Sketching focused on how to hand draw master plans using a mix of colored markers.
