Rockville, Maryland has plans to create a king-sized complete street along Rockville Pike, incorporating lanes for cars, bikes, buses, and more space for landscaping. But can a street like that still serve pedestrians?
Rockville Pike is a high-traffic thoroughfare and a prime candidate for complete streets upgrades. But Dan Malouff sees trouble in the city's current plan to build a mega-complete street with "12 car lanes, 4 bike lanes, 2 bus lanes, and over 50 feet of landscaping."
From the article: "At first glance, this plan has all the components of a good complete street design: Tree-lined sidwalks, protected bikeways, a center-running dedicated busway. Every mode gets all the street width it could possibly want." Except, Malouff argues, the very pedestrians complete streets are supposed to prioritize.
By over-delivering on the accessories to walkability, the Rockville Pike plan may undermine its original intent. "Transit oriented development doesn't work unless it's walkable. If Rockville Pike is too wide, development on one side of the street will be effectively cut-off from development on the other side. Riders won't be able to easily access the BRT stations. People will drive for even short trips. The concept of a community where people don't need to drive everywhere will break down."
FULL STORY: Rockville misses the forest for the trees with its plan for an 18-lane mega main street
New York DOT Status Report Shows Slow Progress on Bus, Bike Lanes
According to a report released by the agency, NYCDOT failed to meet its benchmarks for installing new dedicated bus and bike lanes.
NYC Streets Plan Remains Largely on Paper
For the second year in a row, the city failed to meet legally required targets for building protected bike lanes and bus lanes.
Third Avenue Redesign Plan Revealed
The plan to reimagine Manhattan’s Third Avenue to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists is being applauded by advocates, but some say the city should go further to provide more space for multimodal transportation.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
Congressman Proposes Bill to Rename DC Metro “Trump Train”
The Make Autorail Great Again Act would withhold federal funding to the system until the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), rebrands as the Washington Metropolitan Authority for Greater Access (WMAGA).
The Simple Legislative Tool Transforming Vacant Downtowns
In California, Michigan and Georgia, an easy win is bringing dollars — and delight — back to city centers.
Albuquerque’s Microtransit: A Planner’s Answer to Food Access Gaps
New microtransit vans in Albuquerque aim to close food access gaps by linking low-income areas to grocery stores, cutting travel times by 30 percent and offering planners a scalable model for equity-focused transit.
This City Will Pay You to Meet Your Neighbors
A North Kansas City grant program offers up to $400 for residents to throw neighborhood block parties.
Commentary: Our Silence Will Not Protect Us
Keeping our heads down and our language inoffensive is not the right response to the times we’re in. Solidarity and courage is.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)