Transportation

Green parking-protected bike lane in Philadelphia with old church in background

Philadelphia Traffic Calming Initiative Pays Off

City officials say serious crashes are down by 34 percent on streets that were the target of Complete Streets projects.

October 12, 2023 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Brightline

Florida High-Speed Rail Doubles Daily Trips

The Miami-to-Orlando Brightline rail is proving so popular that the company will start running 15 daily trips each way.

October 12, 2023 - NBC Miami

Close-up of SEPTA logo in white letters on red line at top of SEPTA bus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Philadelphia Moves to Improve Paratransit Services

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority’s partnership with a technology provider will boost the system’s paratransit and microtransit services to improve access and accessibility.

October 11, 2023 - Mass Transit

Close-up from back of blue and white New York City bus

New York Launches Free Transit Pilot on Five Bus Lines

The lines were chosen based on the income levels, ridership, and lack of subway access in surrounding neighborhoods.

October 11, 2023 - El Pais

Interior of empty Valley Regional Transit bus in Boise, Idaho.

Boise-Area Bus Service to Increase by 14 Percent

A system redesign proposed in August would have cut service. Now, Valley Regional Transit plans to increase service on its most popular routes.

October 10, 2023 - BoiseDev

Green SunRunner bus in St. Petersburg, Florida.

St. Petersburg To Offer Free Bus Rides to Low-Income Residents

Eligible riders must reside within the city and lack alternate forms of transportation.

October 10, 2023 - Mass Transit

Blue and silver Pacific Surfliner train at platform in San Diego, California.

Amtrak Introduces ‘Renewable Diesel’ on Pacific Surfliner

The California train will begin using fuel made from used cooking oil and other non-fossil fuel sources.

October 9, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Silver and white Metrolink commuter train passing through Newhall Pass with desert mountains in background in Antelope Valley, California.

Train Service Expands to Northern Los Angeles County

The added Metrolink service will improve the public transportation system’s accessibility and availability for riders across the Antelope, Santa Clarita, and San Fernando valleys.

October 9, 2023 - Antelope Valley Press

"No turn on red" sign

San Francisco Moves to Ban Right Turns on Red

The policy is common in many countries, New York City, and other dense urban areas with high numbers of pedestrians and cyclists.

October 9, 2023 - Streetsblog San Francisco

AMtrak train at station in New Haven, Connecticut.

Connecticut Approves $1.1 Billion in Transit Funding

The state bond funding unlocks up to $2.5 billion in federal transportation funds.

October 9, 2023 - Office of Governor Ned Lamont

Black and green MetroConnect microtransit van in front of mural of boom box on Miami building.

Miami-Dade Expands On-Demand Transit Service

The new MetroConnect service brings on-demand microtransit to more of the county’s residents and streamlines service to shorten trips.

October 9, 2023 - Via

Close-up of Caltrans logo on white passenger train

Caltrans Demotes Official Who Challenged Road Expansion Projects

An employee was reassigned after bringing up concerns about highway projects that she alleges improperly skirted environmental review.

October 8, 2023 - Politico

Close-up of HYBRID logo on back of black car.

Hybrids Regain in Popularity Amid EV Cost and and Charging Concerns

After their sales dropped thanks to the introduction of all-electric vehicles, hybrid gas-electric cars are seeing a renaissance among consumers.

October 8, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Empty parking spots on top floor of multistory garage with Minneapolis skyline in background.

Twin Cities Parking Reform Shows Promising Results

Minneapolis and St. Paul both eliminated parking minimums, paving the way for less parking and more housing.

October 6, 2023 - Next City

Aerial view of vehicles on city street with superimposed graphic arrows indicating autonomous cars.

Maintaining Livability in the Age of Autonomous Cars

How do self-driving cars fit into ‘livable streets?’

October 5, 2023 - Streetsblog USA

Electric bike lane sweeping truck

Seattle Introduces Electric Bike Lane Sweeper

The city will test the efficacy and durability of an electric bike lane sweeper during a six-month pilot program.

October 5, 2023 - Momentum Magazine

Bus driving through green banner held by two Metro employees at inauguration of new bus lane in downtown Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Adding 30 Miles of Bus Lanes in 2023

An ambitious plan to improve L.A. County’s bus network is bearing fruit.

October 5, 2023 - TransitCenter

View of Colorado highway with light traffic and snowy Rocky Mountains in background.

Colorado Considers Weight-Based Registration Fee

A small added fee for heavier vehicles would fund road safety projects in the state’s most populous counties.

October 5, 2023 - Colorado Public Radio

Red Gwinnett County bus near Atlanta, Georgia.

Suburban Atlanta County to Bring Transit Plan Back to Voters

After residents rejected transit expansion proposals in 2019 and 2020, local officials went back to the drawing board, removing heavy rail plans and focusing on microtransit and local buses.

October 5, 2023 - Governing

Yellow and blue novelty New York state license plate with NEW YORK plate.

NYC Speed Cameras Tricked by Souvenir License Plates

A new way to skirt the city’s speeding laws: novelty license plates.

October 5, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

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.