Congestion
A High Line for the Upper East Side?
Matt Chaban reports on the making of “the Upper East Side’s very own High Line." Current proposals seek not only to "re-pedestrianize" Park Avenue, but also to restore some of its turn of the century glory.
Boston Subway in Danger of Becoming a Victim of Its Own Success
A new report from the Urban Land Institute concludes that Boston's subways could become overwhelmed by widespread congestion by the end of the decade without investment in more subway cars, better power and signal systems, reports Eric Moskowitz.
Is Traffic Congestion Really a Bad Thing?
No one wants to be stuck in traffic. But next time you find yourself pounding the steering wheel out of frustration just think about Eric Dumbaugh's findings regarding the connection between congestion and economic productivity.
Can't All Modes Just Get Along?
In the face of New York City's increasing assault on automobiles, Justin Davidson stands up for the pleasures and utility of driving as a key ingredient in the city's multimodal mix of mobility.
Using the Wrong Metrics for Creating Great Streets
Gary Toth considers the damage to the quality of our streets and urban environments caused by the use of travel projection models and Levels of Service (LOS) as performance metrics.
Fill Cars, Fight Traffic
According to the Ridesharing Institute, filling out cars with more passengers may be the cheapest, simplest way to ease congestion, reports Emily Badger. However novel strategies must be introduced to overcome the broad decline in carpooling.
An Invitation to Sprawl?
New legislation by the Maharashtra State Governments would allow private land owners to apply for city boundary expansions as a tool to ease congestion.
San Francisco's Performance Parking Pilot Less Successful Than Hoped
In San Francisco, a performance parking pilot program has not had as big an impact as many thought it would. According to Michael Perkins, "Even with high rates, popular blocks still fill up, and other blocks remain under-filled even at low prices."
Even or Odd? Rome Restricts Car Use
With pollution levels becoming dangerous in Rome, Italy, the government is taking a hard line on driving. In late November, only cars with even-numbered license plates were allowed to drive in the city, with odd plates the next.
UC Researchers Conclude It Was A Mistake To End Hybrid HOV Privilege
On July 1, 85,000 hybrid vehicles in CA bearing clean-air stickers lost the privilege to drive solo in the carpool lane. UC Berkeley researchers show how that exclusion slowed speeds in the HOV lane while increasing congestion in the adjacent lanes.
What Would Happen If All Public Transportation Stopped?
The Texas Transportation Institute (TTI) released its 2011 Urban Mobility Report, which shows how many additional hours in traffic each commuter would be subject to if public transportation were discontinued.
Learning from TTI
In a recent post, Todd Litman criticized the Texas Transportation Institute's Urban Mobility Report. In this post, I'd like to do something a little different: assume that TTI's congestion estimates are more or less reliable, and try to learn something from them. So here are a few observations:
Five Cities With Five Different Congestion Solutions
Joe Peach compares the approach to mollifying congestion in five world cities, with contrasting results.
Smaller Can Be Better When it Comes to Traffic Solutions
With the worst traffic in the country (see previous story), Washington has big problems. But Stewart Schwartz suggests that big problems don't necessarily call for big solutions.
To Counter Congestion and Crowding, Moscow Expands
Officials in Moscow are pushing a plan to double the footprint of the city in order to ease congestion and overcrowding. Some worry sprawling development patters will follow.
Argentina Gets Its First Bus Rapid Transit
Mauricio Macri, the mayor of Buenos Aires, inaugurated Argentina's first bus rapid transit system today, marking its first day of operation.
London Weighs Transportation Concerns as Olympics Loom
Transportation is increasingly seen as a major concern as London prepares to host the 2012 Summer Olympics. As crowds fill the city, many wonder whether it will be able to handle the load and keep everyone moving.
A Video Explanation of Congestion Pricing
This video from Streetfilms explains the concept of congestion pricing and looks at how it can affect cities and their mobility.
Counteracting Religious Holiday Congestion in Indonesia
This post from The City Fix looks at how holidays cause mass movements of people, especially Muslims in Indonesia, and what impact those movements can have on transportation systems.
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 Thousand Oaks
City of Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
