Light Rail
Baseball Team's Move Could Spark Light Rail
A proposed move of the Tampa Bay Rays professional baseball team has officials in the region scrambling to make plans for a new rail line to accommodate the team's future home.
Charlotte's Light Rail Extension Faces Decade of Delay
Plans to expand Charlotte's CATS light rail system to a nearby university could be delayed by a decade or more.
Funding Delays Add Slightly to Toronto's Light Rail Timeline
Despite uncertainties about funding and objections from the city's mayor, Toronto's light rail plans are moving ahead, according to transit officials.
Light Rail and High-Speed Rail Conflated and Confused
In Tampa, voters can't seem to untangle an upcoming one-cent sales tax to fund light rail with the Obama administration's recent $1.25 billion award for high-speed rail, though the funding is completely separate.
'Desprawling' the Suburbs
Tysons Corner, Virginia, represents an unlikely pilot project for "desprawling" America's suburbs, but the expansion of Metro rail through the town has been seized by local officials as an opportunity to revamp the city's urban form and density.
Transit Officials Broaden Vision for Phoenix Light Rail
Changing demographics and transit demands in the Phoenix area are causing transit planners to rethink where the region's light rail system should expand.
Denver Area Considers Sales Tax Boost for Light Rail
Denver's transit agency is considering a plan to ask voters to make a further increase to the county's sales tax in order to fund the region's FasTracks light rail system.
DOT Rethinks Selection Process for Funding
When Charlotte's new light rail line opened, it vastly exceeded anticipated ridership figures. As the city plans an extension of the system, the federal government is revising how it distributes funding to avoid making the same mistake again.
Mass Transit Wins Big in St. Louis County
A half-cent sales tax increase to fund transit passed handily yesterday in St. Louis County, Missouri.
Feds Put Faith in L.A. Transit Plan
Federal officials are looking at an unlikely city as a model for urban public transit: Los Angeles.
Overdue Debut of Austin Light Rail Line
Austin's Capital MetroRail Red Line opens today after two years of delay and budget overruns. Intended as a showcase line, Yonah Freemark claims the line will see very few riders.
Waterfront Rail Plans Advance in Philadelphia
Plans to construct a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, with the recent approval of a $6.5 million contract to perform environmental reviews.
Rail Plans Move Forward in Philadelphia
Plans to create a waterfront rail line in Philadelphia are moving forward, as the city approves funding for environmental studies and early design work.
Reinventing Mobility in Detroit
PBS documents Detroit's attempts to overcome its history as "the Motor City" to create new ways of getting people around. Transit advocates play a big part in this preview, which includes renderings of projected transit options.
Why not rail?
When faced with the costs and logistics of rail, planners and city officials increasingly seem to favor Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a trend likely to continue through the current recession. But even with the many persuasive arguments for BRT, the nagging question remains: why not rail?
L.A. to Extend Light Rail
Transportation officials in Los Angeles have approved the extension of one of the city's light rail lines out to Santa Monica. The new 7-mile link will connect the oceanside town to downtown L.A.
Governor May Hinder Honolulu Light Rail
A $5.35 billion plan to build a light rail system in Honolulu, Hawaii, is on rocky ground as the state's governor has joined the opposition movement.
Fareless Square No Longer Fareless
Residents and visitors to downtown Portland have long enjoyed taking buses, LRT, and streetcar within a perimeter known as Fareless Square at no cost. While the MAX and streetcar will remain 'fareless', the bus will cost you. New name: Free Rail Zone
FasTracks Funding Gap Grows to $2.5 Billion in Denver
The Denver Regional Transportation District is forecasting an increasing gap between what it will cost to complete the region's FasTracks light rail system and how much taxpayer money will be available to fund its construction.
Detroit Gets Funding for Light Rail
A public-private partnership has come together to fund a 3.4-mile light rail line through Detroit's commercial district, and convinced the Feds to bend the rules a little to bring it to reality.
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 Charlotte
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
