Minneapolis bus drivers who have been victims of 72 felony assaults since 2010, have long sought to improve what they call unsafe working conditions.
After considering a strike during the week of the Super Bowl, members of Minneapolis's bus drivers union are now voting on a new contract. The Transit Workers Union leadership has recommended to its members that they approve the new contract, after seeking to improve issues related to bathroom breaks, safety and pay.
Along with a pay increase, the new deal will include the building of partitions on buses to protect drivers from thousands of assaults that take place every year. "Other transit systems across the country have also added partitions to protect drivers. They’ve been installed in New York City, Chicago and on many buses in Washington, D.C., among other cities," Eric Roper reports for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Read the full story: Bus drivers using Super Bowl to boost working conditions
Around the Country, Cities Face Bus Driver Shortages
Cities like St. Louis, Denver, and Minneapolis have have fewer bus drivers than the transit system requires. The shortages are effecting the quality of service.
Toledo Bus Service Cut Amid Falling Ridership
TARTA, like many transit services around the United States, has lost riders. Officials hope a new downtown hub can stem that tide, even as the transit authority cuts service.
New Bus Rapid Transit Route Breaks Ground in the Twin Cities
The Twin Cities are on a mission to become the bus rapid transit capital of the United States. The latest improvement to advance that ambition broke ground earlier this week.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California plans to bury El Niño’s downpour
If the state plays its cards right, it may be able to store a billion acre-feet of El Niño’s water in aquifers.
Desperate measures: Advocates weigh draining Lake Powell to fill Colorado River
Draining the reservoir could reduce evaporation losses by a couple hundred thousand acre-feet.
Chicago voters approve permanent festival grounds, penalty for vacant property owners
Currently, major summer and fall festivals take over public parks for weeks at a time, drawing criticism from nearby residents
NYC votes to cut outdoor dining red tape, speed up permitting
New York City also voted to allow the Department of Transportation to begin work on urgent projects before notifying elected officials.
California appears to reject Prop. 45
The proposition would have expanded the projects that qualify for a streamlined environmental review, effectively paring down the California Environmental Quality Act.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
City of Cambridge
Montrose County
The Pocatello Development Authority