Transit Planning

Metro Los Angeles Light Rail

Los Angeles Needs New Funding Sources to Meet Public Transit Ambitions

With an aggressive plan to build out numerous public transit lines in time for the 2028 Olympics, local officials are scrambling to fill funding gaps as prices continue to rise and catch planners and officials by surprise.

January 5, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Greensboro Station on Metro's Silver line near Tyson's Corner

5 Transit Projects to Watch in the D.C. Region in 2020

Light rail, bus rapid transit, subway cell service, and more.

December 26, 2019 - WAMU

Bus Priority Zones

Watch the Miracle on 14th Street in Action

The changes to 14th Street in Manhattan have proven innovative ideas about bus priority and congestion relief.

December 25, 2019 - Streetfilms via Vimeo

Washington

A Transit and Land Use Planning Shift in Federal Way, Washington

Federal funding for Sound Transit's Federal Way Link extension and a new transit-oriented land use plan are changing the future of Federal Way.

December 23, 2019 - The Urbanist

Miami-Dade Transit

Miami-Dade County Could Be Next on the Fare-Free Bus

A county commissioner is asking for a study of fare-free transit programs in Kansas City and Salt Lake City to inform the potential implementation fo a similar program in the South Florida county.

December 19, 2019 - Miami Today

Maryland Monorail

Monorail Study Moves Forward in Maryland

A plan to widen Interstate 270 in Maryland was approved earlier this year under the condition that the state also study a plan to build a monorail along the route.

December 17, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Space X

Chicago-Cleveland Hyperloop Estimated at $29.8 Billion

A feasibility analysis published today estimates costs and benefits for the still-unproven Hyperloop technology, as envisioned for a route connecting Cleveland and Chicago.

December 16, 2019 - The Plain Dealer

Bus Lane

Watch a New Bus-Only Lane in Action

The Streetfilms team visited to Los Angeles to check out the temporary bus-only lane on Flower Street for lessons in freeing buses from car traffic.

December 14, 2019 - Streetfilms via Vimeo

NYC Subway Construction

More Research Needed to Reduce Transit Construction Costs

Why isn't more being done to reduce transit construction costs in the United States?

December 14, 2019 - Marginal Revolution

Transbay Terminal Construction

Report: Rebranding Needed for Next Phase of the Transbay Transit Center

A team of experts suggests that a rebranding and potentially a new entity to oversee construction will be necessary to finish phase two fo the Transbay transit center.

December 6, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Metro Train Station

Preview L.A.'s New Crenshaw Light Rail Line, Opening in 2020

Curbed Los Angeles takes a tour of the Crenshaw Line, currently doing test runs in Los Angeles and Inglewood and expected to open to the public in summer or fall 2020.

December 5, 2019 - Curbed Los Angeles

Bus Priority Zones

Bus Priority Zones Get Moving in Chicago

A program championed by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to speed up bus service has new monentum from funding provided by Chicago's new fee on ride-hailing trips.

December 4, 2019 - Streetsblog Chicago

Portland Bus Lane

Dedicated Bus Lanes Beating Congestion in Portland

The Portland experience builds the case for dedicated bus lanes as an effective method of congestion mitigation.

December 3, 2019 - BikePortland

SORTA Metro

400 Stops Removed From the Cincinnati Metro Bus System

The process of reducing the number of stops on a transit line—known as bus stop thinning, consolidation, or balancing—took effect this week in Cincinnati. Reducing the number of stops is intended to speed up buses and improve reliability.

December 3, 2019 - WCPO

The Transit Agency formerly known as the Nashville MTA

Nashville Loses Out on Federal Transit Grant, Adding to Agency's Budget Woes

WeGo Public Transit did not receive a grant to build a transit center, and transit advocates say it’s a sobering setback in light of the agency’s other budget challenges.

November 22, 2019 - News Channel 5 Nashville

Arlington to D.C.

Key Planning Details of the Proposed $1.9 Billion Rail Bridge Between D.C. and Virginia

Analysis of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for a project that would add an additional bridge to supplement the rail capacity of the Long Bridge over the Potomac River.

November 21, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Chicago El

Advocating for Reduced Transit Fairs for Low-Income Riders in Chicago

A new report by the Active Transportation Alliance builds the case for reduced transit fares on all three transit systems in the Chicago region.

November 19, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Atlanta Public Transit

The Atlanta Region's First Bus Rapid Transit Line

The first bus rapid transit line planned in the Atlanta region relies on federal approval.

November 19, 2019 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Oakland BUs

Pittsburgh to Oakland BRT Making Planning Progress

An ambitious plan to connect the Allegheny County cities of Pittsburgh and Oakland is proceeding to final stages of design, despite having fallen a little behind schedule for an expected 2021 opening date.

November 18, 2019 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

San Francisco Muni Buses

New SFMTA Director Hired From Nelson\Nygaard

Transit advocates in California this week celebrated the hire of Jeffrey Tumlin, previously a principal with transportation consultant Nelson\Nygaard, as the new director of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency.

November 15, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

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.