Light Rail
Proposed Santa Ana Branch Light Rail Would Connect Downtown Los Angeles and Artesia
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is exploring alignments for a new light rail line.
Light Rail Leading the Way in the Sun Belt
Cities traditionally thought of as car-centric are putting ambitious light rail plans at the center of ambitious plans for transit.
Dallas Puts New Downtown Light Rail Line on the Fast Track
The Dallas City Council has given preliminary approval to a proposed light rail line, currently called D2, which would add service capacity to the downtown core.
Here Comes Portland's New Orange Line
TriMet will get a new addition to its rail system later this month, when it opens the new Orange Line.
Phoenix Transportation Sales Tax Measure Wins On Tuesday's Ballot
Phoenix voters, by 55 percent according to preliminary results, chose to increase their sales tax from .4 to .7 percent on Tuesday, continuing until 2051 to pay for $17 billion in transportation improvements.
Light Rail Extension to South Sacramento County Opens Today
Observers are closely monitoring whether a hotly contested light rail extension into Elk Grove and South Sacramento County lives up to its promise.
Open 7 Months Ahead of Schedule: Mesa, Arizona's Light Rail Extension
The Valley Metro Rail system launched a new light rail extension over the weekend that connects the city of Mesa into Phoenix, Tempe and to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
Support for Rail Heats Up in Phoenix
A seven-year-old light rail line has beaten ridership projections and transformed neighborhoods in Phoenix. Now, one of the nation's most sprawling cities considers where to expand the system—and how to pay for it.
Buffalo Considering Light Rail Expansion to the Suburbs
As the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority wraps up a study of expanding into suburban Amherst, support from the community "is stronger than it’s been in decades."
Durham's Transformation Built on Redevelopment Near Future Light Rail, Freeway
Two adjacent properties in downtown Durham totaling 18 acres were recently purchased by developers planning for intensive mixed use projects near the former tobacco warehouse district and future light rail station.
Phoenix Sales Tax Measure Key to County's Transit Future
On August 25, voters in Phoenix and Maricopa County will determine the outcome of Proposition 104, a transportation sales tax measure that would raise $17 billion for a wide variety of transportation improvements, including extended light rail.
A Systems Approach to Planning and Urban Revitalization in Edmonton, Canada
The city of Edmonton’s comprehensive planning strategies aim for an "innovation ecosystem" that can compete with cities yet to be built.
Op-Ed: Maryland Governor Is No Friend to Transit
According to this editorial, Governor Larry Hogan's decision to halt a planned $2.9 billion light rail line betrays a politically-motivated preference for roads.
Phoenix Mayor Advocates Self-Reliance Due to Federal Gridlock
Frustrated with Congress' inability to fund a six-year transportation bill, Mayor Greg Stanton is backing an August sales tax measure to expand light rail. Stanton also discusses climate change and water rights in the article and accompanying videos
Op-Ed: Streetcars Should Actually Serve Locals
While they're currently in vogue, streetcars are only worthwhile if they can be a viable option for local residents. Unfortunately, this is rarely how the systems are designed.
Detroit's M-1 Rail Line Credited for Delivering Investment—A Year Before Opening
The 3.3-mile M-1 Rail line in Detroit has been described as a boondoggle of unparalleled proportions. Boosters of the project, however, have gathering evidence of investment in neighborhoods along the route.
Affordable Housing Follows Good Transit
More raw housing stock is only the first step. Without comprehensive transit, the value of density can't extend beyond the city center.
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.
Light Rail Doesn't Always Mean Fewer Buses
Cities that have recently adopted light rail sometimes actually add bus riders.
Chattanooga Mayor: No Chance for High-Speed Rail to Atlanta
A proposed plan to connect Chattanooga and Atlanta via high-speed rail, 17 years in the making, appears to be dead in the water. Chattanooga will now turn its attentions to a possible light rail system.
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
