Emily Badger profiles Arlington County's Mobility Lab, and its Transit Tech initiative, which has managed to take 40,000 car trips a day off of the county’s roads by easing access to their existing infrastructure.
According to Badger, the Mobility Lab "has a lean start-up philosophy that's almost unrecognizable in a government bureaucracy." One project to come out of what has become a king of R&D lab was the creation of a web and mobile app called Transit Near Me that makes sense of the region's spider-like web of buses.
The lab also invented a nifty piece of hardware, a low-cost computer display that integrates live data feeds from local bus, train and bikeshare systems in a cool looking, easy to read, format. The display could be deployed near transit facilities, in retail establishments facing the sidewalk.
FULL STORY: An R&D Lab for Transit Tech Tools
USDOT Releases Climate Strategies Playbook
The USDOT's new Climate Strategies that Work Playbook provides detailed information concerning benefits and implementation requirements for 27 transportation-related emission reduction strategies.
Court Blocks Arlington County Zoning Reform
The county’s zoning reform plan would have promoted ‘missing middle housing’ types of up to six units on lots previously zoned for single-family housing.
Arlington Updates Crosswalk Laws to Align With State Law, Vision Zero
The county will now require drivers to come to a full stop when encountering pedestrians in a crosswalk.
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