Memorial Day has been honored in America for 150 years, but you might excuse New Yorkers for celebrating an entirely different holiday yesterday - the long-waited launch of the country's largest bike-share program.
Matt Flegenheimer notes a milestone day in New York City's transportation history, as the surprisingly controversial Citi Bike program launched with thousands of bikes deployed at 300 stations located throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. "With the program’s arrival, officials believe they have plugged some decades-old gaps in a city whose transportation network has at times strained to match its growth," says Flegenheimer.
"Faster than a slothful crosstown bus and cheaper than the subway — at least for annual members — the bike share system was greeted on Monday with a mixture of hope and trepidation. It is the crowning, valedictory piece of Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s extensive investment in cycling, in which the city has added more than 350 miles of bike lanes in recent years under the stewardship of Janette Sadik-Khan, the city’s transportation commissioner."
FULL STORY: Out for a First Spin: City’s Bike Share Program Begins

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.

San Antonio and Austin are Fusing Into one Massive Megaregion
The region spanning the two central Texas cities is growing fast, posing challenges for local infrastructure and water supplies.

Since Zion's Shuttles Went Electric “The Smog is Gone”
Visitors to Zion National Park can enjoy the canyon via the nation’s first fully electric park shuttle system.

Trump Distributing DOT Safety Funds at 1/10 Rate of Biden
Funds for Safe Streets and other transportation safety and equity programs are being held up by administrative reviews and conflicts with the Trump administration’s priorities.

German Cities Subsidize Taxis for Women Amid Wave of Violence
Free or low-cost taxi rides can help women navigate cities more safely, but critics say the programs don't address the root causes of violence against women.
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.
planning NEXT
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie