Despite being one of the largest cities in the U.S., public transit in Houston has not kept up with its population growth. Kristie Lewis offers five reasons why.
In addition to budgetary issues and local politics, Lewis suggests a lot of what's holding the city back is its attitude towards itself as a"car-dependent" place.
"Before any problem actually manifests itself, it has seeds in ideas. A major, almost ideological obstacle to improving Houston's public transportation is the enduring notion in this town (and the country at large) that one absolutely needs a car to be anybody, or to do anything. Is it true? Partially. And a lot of its truth stems from the layout of the city itself, as Houston is the only urban area in America with no formal zoning laws. However, George Washington University law student Michael Lewyn interestingly contests this notion, explaining that Houston's auto-dependence can be blamed on other factors as well. I believe that auto dependence in Houston has only become a self-fulfilling prophecy because of preconceived notions held about the city."
FULL STORY: The Five Things Standing Between Houston and Effective Mass Transit
Houston Transit Barely Beats Out Dallas for Ridership
Out of the top five U.S. metro areas, Houston's transit ridership is second-lowest only to Dallas.
Houston Needs More Public Transit Funding, Report Finds
While ridership dropped during the pandemic, many 'essential workers' continued to rely on Houston Metro's services, signaling the crucial role of public transit for the city's economy.
Houston Transit Agency Moves Forward With Long-Range Plan Even as Revenue Falls
Despite reduced ridership during the COVID-19 pandemic, Houston Metro is pushing ahead with its $7.5 billion long-range transit plan.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
San Francisco's School District Spent $105M To Build Affordable Housing for Teachers — And That's Just the Beginning
SFUSD joins a growing list of school districts using their land holdings to address housing affordability challenges faced by their own employees.
The Tiny, Adorable $7,000 Car Turning Japan Onto EVs
The single seat Mibot charges from a regular plug as quickly as an iPad, and is about half the price of an average EV.
Seattle's Plan for Adopting Driverless Cars
Equity, safety, accessibility and affordability are front of mind as the city prepares for robotaxis and other autonomous vehicles.
As Trump Phases Out FEMA, Is It Time to Flee the Floodplains?
With less federal funding available for disaster relief efforts, the need to relocate at-risk communities is more urgent than ever.
With Protected Lanes, 460% More People Commute by Bike
For those needing more ammo, more data proving what we already knew is here.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)