Salt Lake City, Utah has rapidly expanded its public transit system. In this Q&A, Mayor Ralph Becker talks about making those investments and how well they have worked.
Becker also talks about the transformative role of transit in his city.
"U.S. News and World Report: How have you seen public transit affect other areas of life in your city?
Ralph Becker: Having a good transit system is what gives people options for ways to get around. We're never going to be able to compete with the automobile for convenience to the individual to be able to go wherever you want, whenever you want. But the key to transit is that it be convenient and accessible, and that means there needs to be regular enough service and you need to be able to get there quickly enough. A transit system isn't necessarily different from a road system. You've got freeways to carry high volumes, but you've [also] got high-speed rail, commuter rail, or in our case here, light rail to carry volumes of people quickly. And then for access through the community, you've got other modes--whether it's a streetcar system or light rail or buses--to sort of match the street or travel patterns. If we can build a transit system that helps relieve congestion, that helps relieve the need to build very expensive parking, that helps relieve air quality issues we face in the [Salt Lake] Valley and reduce our carbon footprint, all of those things provide for the kind of lifestyle that people want today. In my mind, a good transit system is going to be a key in this transforming time to having the kinds of communities we want."
FULL STORY: Public Transportation Key to Transforming Communities

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

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

Ohio Forces Data Centers to Prepay for Power
Utilities are calling on states to hold data center operators responsible for new energy demands to prevent leaving consumers on the hook for their bills.

MARTA CEO Steps Down Amid Citizenship Concerns
MARTA’s board announced Thursday that its chief, who is from Canada, is resigning due to questions about his immigration status.

Silicon Valley ‘Bike Superhighway’ Awarded $14M State Grant
A Caltrans grant brings the 10-mile Central Bikeway project connecting Santa Clara and East San Jose closer to fruition.
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie