With the brilliant help of graduates from Hoboken's Stevens Institute of Technology, our local community shuttle bus (a.k.a. The Hop, formerly known as The Downtown Crosstown Shuttle) can now be viewed live on the city's website as it cruises along narrow Hoboken city streets from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EST), Monday through Friday. If you're not near the internet, try texting “crosstown” to 41411 to get a return text with the location of the bus' whereabouts whenever it's running, then run down to the corner before you miss it!
With the brilliant help of graduates from Hoboken's Stevens Institute of Technology, our local community shuttle bus (a.k.a. The Hop, formerly known as The Downtown Crosstown Shuttle) can now be viewed live on the city's website as it cruises along narrow Hoboken city streets from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM (EST), Monday through Friday. If you're not near the internet, try texting "crosstown" to 41411 to get a return text with the location of the bus' whereabouts whenever it's running, then run down to the corner before you miss it!
Text "crosstown" to 41411 to find me! (Photo Courtesy of Jerry Lore/h-mag)
This infusion of technology makes our humble bus attractive to smart phone-tethered younger residents impatient (or illiterate) with static bus schedules, and allows us to confirm that the time-honored timetable is nonetheless accurate for older generations who have come to depend on the bus to get around locally. The project pieces, assembled and implemented as a volunteer effort by computer-omniscient start-up group gurus at www.parkingmapper.com, totaled less than $500 in materials and about eight weeks of catch-as-catch-can time; they might pimp your ride too if you ask nice!
The technology rivals other surprisingly expensive systems and speaks to the heart of what partnerships between local universities and municipalities are all about. Open sources such as Linux and OpenStreetMap.org were leveraged to provide needed code guts at no additional cost. Residents graduate in days from perceiving this as a fun toy to using it as a de rigueuer tool for making the best use of their time (just as how one finally stops staring at the Roomba vacuum cleaner after a few hours and gets on with life sans sweeping). Minimalists can debate whether a paper schedule in pocket (or in head) is less inconvenient than a text message from the ether; in terms of exploring ways to use ubiquitous technologies to simplify life, this is a success! As Edie Brickell says, "...religion, is the smile on a dog."

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program
Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Ken Jennings Launches Transit Web Series
The Jeopardy champ wants you to ride public transit.

Driving Equity and Clean Air: California Invests in Greener School Transportation
California has awarded $500 million to fund 1,000 zero-emission school buses and chargers for educational agencies as part of its effort to reduce pollution, improve student health, and accelerate the transition to clean transportation.

Congress Moves to End Reconnecting Communities and Related Grants
The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee moved to rescind funding for the Neighborhood Equity and Access program, which funds highway removals, freeway caps, transit projects, pedestrian infrastructure, and more.

From Throughway to Public Space: Taking Back the American Street
How the Covid-19 pandemic taught us new ways to reclaim city streets from cars.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Ada County Highway District
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
