In D.C.'s built-out northern suburbs in Montgomery County, Maryland, officials recently released an audacious plan for a proposed 160-mile “RTV” system that they hope will revolutionize transportation patterns in the area, writes Yonah Freemark.
Planners envision the roughly $2 billion plan for a network of bus rapid transit lines released this month as the "shiny new face for transit in the region" and hope that by operating more like "light rail on rubber tires" the system will "attract a new group
of choice riders onto buses operating at headways of 3 to 7 minutes at
all times of the day."
Augmenting the existing Metro and MARC lines in D.C.'s inner ring suburbs, "the transit system would
be the 'most cost effective way' to absorb excess traffic congestion," and is seen as offering the "'best hope for creating vibrant, mixed-use communities' that will be denser, more walkable neighborhoods."
According to Freemark, "Montgomery County planners have chosen to prioritize the concept of
network development with the RTV plan, arguing that the project will
only work if it is developed as a unified system. In this way, they are
following other regions like the Twin Cities that
recognize that the old method of studying transit lines corridor by
corridor (e.g. the federal New Starts process) is opposed to the manner
in which people actually use public transportation, as part of a
network."
FULL STORY: Major Ambitions for Improved Transit in the Inner Suburbs North of Washington

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

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

In Urban Planning, AI Prompting Could be the New Design Thinking
Creativity has long been key to great urban design. What if we see AI as our new creative partner?

Portland Raises Parking Fees to Pay for Street Maintenance
The city is struggling to bridge a massive budget gap at the Bureau of Transportation, which largely depleted its reserves during the Civd-19 pandemic.

Spokane Mayor Introduces Housing Reforms Package
Mayor Lisa Brown’s proposals include deferring or waiving some development fees to encourage more affordable housing development.

Houston Mayor Kills Another Bike Lane
The mayor rejected a proposed bike lane in the Montrose district in keeping with his pledge to maintain car lanes.
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.
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont