When Colorado transportation officials sought an example of effective bus rapid transit to visit while developing a system of their own, they headed to an unexpected source.
Transportation planners visited the L.A. region's Orange and Silver Line bus rapid transit lines. The Colorado planners were looking for features like elevated bus-only lanes and signal prioritization.
A Los Angeles planner explains in the article that the Silver Line "consolidated a hodgepodge of bus lines that used to cover the Interstate 10 and Interstate 110 corridors through downtown Los Angeles.
By putting in an elevated bus lane that runs down the center of the freeways, opening 20 stations with kiosks and electronic signage, kicking up service frequency to every five minutes during peak periods and establishing a flat $2.45 fare along the route, loyalty to the line has spiked."
Below is a promotional video produced by Colorado's Regional Transportation District's FasTracks program explaining their BRT plans:
Read the full story: RTD learns transit lessons from the City of Angels
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Amtrak, CN end decades-long dispute with eight-year agreement
The new operating agreement establishes an updated framework for the companies to work together, including processes to resolve disputes.
Northwest rail fans eager for Sept. 30 debut of Amtrak’s Airo fleet
Get ready for that new train smell and more seats. But they won’t go faster or run more frequently on the Cascades route in Washington and Oregon.
NYC to turn city-owned property into thousands of homes
The city has scheduled a public hearing regarding the development for October.
Buses travel at 5mph along this route in NYC. The Bronx's first-ever busway looks to change that
Prior to the busway, buses on the Bx36 route traveled as slowly as 5 miles per hour.
Pittsburg launches 'EZ permits,' aims for one-day turnaround for low-risk permits
The pilot ‘fast lane’ for permits is part of a bundle of modernization efforts for Pittsburg’s permitting process.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello