A recent report details how residents of rural areas in Minnesota use transit.
"While public transit in the Twin Cities largely serves people commuting to work – and is framed in the public mind by shiny coaches and sleek light-rail cars – it has a much different look and feel in rural Minnesota," according to an article by Gregg Aamot.
The article provides an in-depth exploration of the experience and the context of rural transit. In the latter realm, Aamot cites evidence from the Center for Rural Policy and Development that "public transit systems provided 12 million rides in Minnesota regions outside of the Twin Cities metropolitan area (and nearly 98 million rides in the Twin Cities)" in 2014. In 2010, about "70 percent of transit riders using the most rural systems reported not having either a car or a driver’s license."
The article also provides background on the political support for rural transit in the state, as well as descriptions of the day-to-day experience of Jim Hansen, a bus driver in the rural area around Blooming Prairie.
The Minnesota-based Center for Rural Policy and Development released the "Rural Reality: City transit, rural transit" report in January.
FULL STORY: Little bus on the prairie: Rural transit, faced with demographic change, adapts and evolves

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.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall
A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work
Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle
Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
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