Public Transit

Chicago Transit Authority

Study: Road Pricing Could Boost Chicago Transit

A combination of road pricing and adjustments to transit service could let the CTA lower fares to ‘next to nothing.’

July 3, 2024 - Chicago Booth

Passengers boarding a Petaluma Transit bus.

Petaluma Transit Eliminates Fares

The agency is offering free bus rides for one year as part of an effort to boost ridership and encourage residents to choose transit over cars.

July 2, 2024 - KTVU

Transit station with light rail train in Baltimore, Maryland

Light Rail It Is for Baltimore’s Red Line Project

The decision to go with light rail over bus rapid transit will be more expensive and take longer to complete, but proponents say it’s an investment in Baltimore’s economic future.

July 1, 2024 - Patch

Houston Metro bus moving rapidly across blurred background.

Houston Could Cancel Rapid Transit Project

Metro officials say prioritizing the University Corridor project would force them to delay or cancel other service expansion initiatives.

June 25, 2024 - Houston Chronicle

Close-up of red and white BUS LANE sign painted in street lane.

Why BRT Can Benefit Cities More Than Rail

Bus rapid transit lines offer a less expensive, quicker-build alternative to rail that can bring other infrastructure improvements with it.

June 21, 2024 - Governing

CTA Buses

Congressional Hearing Assesses the State of Public Transit

Lawmakers and experts expressed varying levels of support for increased funding for transit systems.

June 20, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of hand holding transit card up to fare collection machine in transit station.

How Fare Collection Tech is Changing Transit Operations

Cashless fare options let agencies enable fare capping, track rider behavior, and eliminate proprietary fare cards.

June 18, 2024 - GovTech

Cambridge Kendall Square skyline and MBTA red line train on Longfellow Bridge aerial view, Boston, Massachusetts MA, USA.

MBTA Budget Inadequate for Key Projects

Without additional funding, the agency is ‘barely treading water’ and could be forced to make service cuts in 2026.

June 13, 2024 - Route Fifty

Empty corridor at North Hollywood Metro station with orange and white tiles in North Hollywood, California.

LA Metro Fare Enforcement Faces Backlash

The agency hopes cracking down on fare evasion will improve safety on the system, but riders aren’t so sure.

June 11, 2024 - L.A. Taco

Detroit Public Transit

Michigan Lawmakers Consider $2B Transit Bill

The bill would tie transit funding to business subsidies as part of a broader economic development program.

June 10, 2024 - Bridge Detroit

Antioch, California

California Lawmakers Withdraw Connect Bay Area Act

The proposal would have merged the Bay Area’s 27 transit agencies into one regional entity.

June 6, 2024 - Streetsblog San Francisco

Red T train passing on elevated rail with Boston buildings in background.

Boston Commuter Rail Recovering Rapidly

The ‘T’ is reworking its schedule to offer more reliable and flexible service, including more midday and weekend trains.

June 5, 2024 - Route Fifty

Road with traffic near Lake Tahoe, California with pine tree forest on either side.

Lake Tahoe Leans on Microtransit to Address Traffic

On-demand transit is helping make transportation around the resort area more convenient, but the region still lacks connectivity via a fixed-route bus system.

June 3, 2024 - SF Gate

BART heavy rail train on elevated track pulling into Concord, CA station with cloudy sky and trees in background.

Bay Area Transit Projects Awarded $18 Million

The funding supports eight ‘near-term’ projects slated for completion within the next one to three years.

May 29, 2024 - Contra Costa Herald

Silver UTA On Demand transit van in Utah.

Utah On-Demand Transit Hits 1 Million Rides

The service connects outlying communities with fixed-route transit lines.

May 29, 2024 - Utah Transit Authority

Worker in yellow safety vest holds clipboard and stands in front of parked red and white train in maintenance center building.

Report: Transit Agencies Face Imminent Staffing Crisis

Already understaffed, most of the nation’s transit agencies will need to replace a majority of their workers due to retirement, but recruitment efforts are not yet keeping up with the need.

May 29, 2024 - Governing

Close-up of person's hand holding blue ORCA transit fare payment card in front of fare payment machine.

Sound Transit Adds ‘Fare Ambassadors’ to Enforce Payment

Riders found without proof of payment will have options to pay rather than receive a citation.

May 28, 2024 - Everett Post

Low view looking up at bus rapid transit bus at station in Snohomish County, Washington with blur to indicate motion.

Snohomish County Transit System Adds New BRT Line in Major Restructuring

The Community Transit network is making a slew of changes, including several new bus rapid transit lines.

May 26, 2024 - The Urbanist

A white crosswalk painted by Crosswalk Collective LA in Los Angeles, California.

Guerilla Urbanism Spurs Action From Cities

Rather than take a hostile approach to DIY urbanism, some cities are using guerilla efforts as an opportunity to understand critical infrastructure gaps.

May 24, 2024 - Smart Cities Dive

Close-up of person with vision impairment wearing jeans and white sneakers crossing yellow and white striped crosswalk with cane.

Being a Non-Driver in a Car-Dependent World

A third or more of Americans cannot drive due to their age, ability, or other factors. How can their travel needs inform our transportation systems?

May 23, 2024 - Streetsblog USA

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

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.