When the Houston Metro debuted they had planned to keep parts of the route open to cars. After recent crashes that might change.
"The Metropolitan Transit Authority's new Green and Purple lines in downtown that run eastbound along Capitol and westbound along Rusk for about a mile continue to confuse traffic signal timing and drivers," Dug Begley reports for the Houston Chronicle.
While approximately 5% of the Metro runs on shared lanes, 30% of crashes on these lanes. This has lead some to speculate that these lanes will be transitioned to transit only, but others point out that the system was built with the understanding that traffic would have access to those lane,s and if changes were made, lawsuits would follow. So far, specific plans have not been released.
FULL STORY: Metro rethinking shared rail lanes downtown
Houston Adding New Bus Shelters
Metro plans to add 2,000 new shelters at bus stations in the next five years.
Houston Traffic Deaths Dipped in 2022
Fatal crashes killed slightly fewer people in 2022 than in 2021, but deaths are still significantly higher than in 2019.
Replacing Houston's Missing Ghost Bikes
A Houston couple is asking for help installing 'ghost bike' memorials, a stark reminder of the dangers of unsafe roads to cyclists.
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?
Car Designs Make it Harder to See Pedestrians
Blind spots created by thicker pillars built to withstand rollover crashes are creating dangerous conditions for people outside vehicles.
Cal Fire Chatbot Fails to Answer Basic Questions
An AI chatbot designed to provide information about wildfires can’t answer questions about evacuation orders, among other problems.
What Happens if Trump Kills Section 8?
The Trump admin aims to slash federal rental aid by nearly half and shift distribution to states. Experts warn this could spike homelessness and destabilize communities nationwide.
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.
Appalachian Highlands Housing Partners
Gallatin County Department of Planning & Community Development
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie