Presenting less of an argument against transit than an argument for good transit and land use planning, Streetsblog surveys some of the country's worst performing rail lines.

Angie Schmitt surveys the lowlights of new rail projects, "attracting embarrassingly few passengers." According to Schmitt, most of the underperforming lines are mostly mixed-traffic streetcars, "but that's not the only way to mess up." The blinking light of the headline states the main takeaway: "just laying track is no guarantee riders will come."
Schmitt's survey starts in Dallas, before connecting to Atlanta, Salt Lake City, and Cleveland. The article includes links to primary sources and local commentary on the state of underwhelming rail transit.
For the sake of comparison, Schmitt also notes the more successful versions of streetcars, located in Tucson and Kansas City (though the latter has only just opened, to much fanfare, and will require more time to determine its ridership).
Schmitt's argument, about the need for quality transit planning, connected to quality land use planning, differs from other critiques of underperforming transit systems, such as this article by Joel Kotkin and Wendell Cox from October 2015.
FULL STORY: Reminder: Just Laying Track Is No Guarantee Riders Will Come

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?

King County Supportive Housing Program Offers Hope for Unhoused Residents
The county is taking a ‘Housing First’ approach that prioritizes getting people into housing, then offering wraparound supportive services.

Researchers Use AI to Get Clearer Picture of US Housing
Analysts are using artificial intelligence to supercharge their research by allowing them to comb through data faster. Though these AI tools can be error prone, they save time and housing researchers are optimistic about the future.

Making Shared Micromobility More Inclusive
Cities and shared mobility system operators can do more to include people with disabilities in planning and operations, per a new report.
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