Buses

Downtown Dallas

New DART Board Members Actually Ride Transit

Dallas rapid transit organization takes the rare step of bringing riders and transit advocates onto their board.

July 6, 2017 - The Dallas Morning News

Metro Buses

Los Angeles Metro Begins Conversion to Renewable Natural Gas Buses

At a June 22 meeting, the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority board ordered 295 buses that will be fueled with renewable natural gas. An expected purchase of 35 electric buses was delayed until next month's meeting.

July 1, 2017 - NGT News

Zero Emissions Bus

Los Angeles Metro to Go Fully Electric by 2030

The move is risky. The agency has no electric buses now, and the last ones it operated performed so badly they had to be returned. The plan is to make the transition in phases, and hope that battery technology improves.

June 20, 2017 - KPCC

Renewable Natural Gas and Electricity Should Power Los Angeles Bus Fleet

It's not one or the other but both, argues Denny Zane of Move LA in a guest commentary for the Los Angeles Daily News about the decision that Los Angeles County Metro will make on June 22 on the future of the nation's second largest bus fleet.

June 12, 2017 - Los Angeles Daily News

China's New Train Doesn't Need Rails, Isn't a Bus

Chinese railcar-maker CRRC allowed the public a glimpse at its new "Autonomous Rail Transit" last week. The ART is more than just a bus.

June 6, 2017 - People's Daily Online

Uber Lyft Departure

Lyft Shuttle Test in Chicago and San Francisco Sure Does Resemble a Bus

Lyft's shuttle service runs along a pre-determined route during peak commuting times and you can pay for it with your Lyft app.

April 28, 2017 - The Ringer

Atlanta Bus Parody

Friday Funny: The Future of Mobility Is Now

A new ad by Swedish public transit agency Västtrafik pulls quite a bait and switch.

March 31, 2017 - The Verge

Miami Bus

Research: Bus Riders Safer Than Car Drivers

Taking the bus might not feel as comfortable as going by car, but according to this research from Montreal, it's safer.

February 2, 2017 - CityLab

Detroit Motor Bus

Detroit to Expand Bus Service

Good news for transit riders in Detroit—new buses and 24-hour routes are coming soon.

September 4, 2016 - The Detroit Free Press

Empty Train

Some Cities Choose Uber and Lyft Over Buses

Subsidizing rides through the companies has turned out to be cheaper than running bus routes in some places.

September 2, 2016 - Skift

Bus

Friday Funny: Souvenir Photos of Your New York City Bus Ride

A satirical post by ClickHole imagines a world where bus trips are treated like a trip to Disneyland.

August 26, 2016 - Clickhole

Portland Oregon Bus

Riding the Bus in Portland: An Essay

Blogger and transit consultant Jarrett Walker paints a picture of Portland's Line 75, a workaday bus serving urban neighborhoods outside downtown. His reflections on radial and orbital journeys are worth a read.

July 5, 2016 - Bus75.org

Greyhound Station

Greyhound as an Urban Place

Like train stations, Greyhound stations can be tolerable urban places- or they can be another example of suburban sprawl.

June 27, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

The fronts of three double-decker buses in London

What If Buses Could Pass Over Cars?

The latest from China: a concept for street-straddling buses that cars could pass underneath. The giant vehicles could improve worsening traffic and already-dire pollution levels, taking the place of many conventional buses.

May 31, 2016 - CityLab

Modern high speed bullet train in China

The Pop Culture Verdict: Transit Is Hip

Several decades ago, public transit was a distinctly low-quality way of getting around. Now, if we can believe TV and movies depicting the near future, all that has changed. Transit has become aspirational.

April 29, 2016 - Governing

Kayoola: Uganda's Solar Powered Bus

The Kiira Motor Corporation of Uganda has developed a 35-seat bus that includes solar panels on the roof. The bus travels up to 50 miles on two rechargeable batteries. Due to its limited range, the Kayoola is intended for inner-city travel.

February 6, 2016 - Grist

San Francisco's Diesel Bus and Truck Fleet Just Got Much Greener

San Francisco's diesel vehicles have been using a biodiesel blend for years, but in a move that illustrates the differences among biofuels, Mayor Ed Lee announced that the fleet will now use 100 percent renewable diesel fuel.

December 14, 2015 - City and County of San Francisco Office of the Mayor

Bus Bunching

New Tracking System Tackles Bus Bunching

Washington, D.C.'s DOT has adopted TransitIQ, a straightforward tracking technology, to help dispatchers keep buses on schedule.

October 4, 2015 - Mobility Lab

Bus Stop Winter

People Still Want Buses, But Buses Aren't Delivering

Urban light rail has enjoyed a renaissance since the Great Recession, but during the same period cities have quietly reduced bus service. Daniel Hertz argues that while rail is commendable, buses remain a vital transit component.

June 8, 2015 - City Observatory City Commentary

Link and Bus Seattle

Light Rail Doesn't Always Mean Fewer Buses

Cities that have recently adopted light rail sometimes actually add bus riders.

June 4, 2015 - Michael Lewyn

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.