Transportation

Muni Bus Overhead Wire

The Transit Catastrophe Continues: San Francisco, D.C. Forecast Service Cuts, Layoffs

Advocates have been waiting for the other shoe to drop as transit agencies deal with cratered revenues during the pandemic without support from Congress.

December 1, 2020 - San Francisco Examiner

Stormwater

Cars Pollute in More Ways Than One

Tires wear down and shed toxic microplastics into stormwater, which eventually ends up in rivers and the ocean. Recent research sheds new light on the extent of the damage.

December 1, 2020 - Hakai Magazine

Washington State

Connecting Light Rail Plans to Affordable Housing Opportunities

To keep up with affordable housing demand, Snohomish County needs to add 200,000 units by 2050. Planned light rail stations could be the ticket.

December 1, 2020 - The Urbanist

Coronavirus and Transportation

Thanksgiving Air Travel Breaks Pandemic Records

As expected, air travel in the United States reached heights not seen since before the pandemic, but still fell well short of the norm.

December 1, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

Transit Planning

Dedicated Center Lane Planned for Madison Bus Rapid Transit

Some portions of the bus rapid transit (BRT) system planned for Madison, Wisconsin will resemble the fully realized BRT systems more common in other parts of the world.

December 1, 2020 - Wisconsin State Journal

Maryland Transit Administration

Maryland's Purple Line Gets the Green Light Again

The public-private partnership behind the Purple Line light rail project in Maryland fell apart in September, and has this past week been revived.

December 1, 2020 - The Washington Post

Parking

Opinion: Proposed Parking Tax Reduction Would Do More Harm Than Good

Recent investigations into the conditions facing workers in private parking lots in Philadelphia has produced a series of legislation reforms, but one idea, to lower the city's parking tax, isn't going to fly with this opinion writer.

November 30, 2020 - WHYY

Book in the Park

The Top Urban Planning Books of 2020

The public health crisis of the coronavirus pandemic upended all the normal day-today routines this year. At least there are plenty of great urban planning books to read.

November 30, 2020 - Josh Stephens

Pandemic Drive-Thru

Cities Double Down on Car-Centric Services During the Pandemic

The pandemic has created even more obstacles to participation in society for those without a car.

November 30, 2020 - Transfers

Los Angeles, California

Controversial Aerial Tram Proposed to Serve Dodger Stadium

A new electric aerial gondola system is being proposed to transport baseball fans and concert goers from Union Station over the Los Angeles State Historic Park to Dodger Stadium.

November 29, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

First Responders

New York City Traffic Fatalities Pass 2019 Totals

The visions of a car-free utopia that might have seemed like a potential silver lining in March and April have given away to a tragic reality.

November 29, 2020 - New York Post

Tailpipe

New Analysis Tools Measures Transportation Health Impacts

The Integrated Transport and Health Impact Model estimates how planning decisions affect public health, including physical activity, collisions and vehicle exhaust. This can help create healthier communities.

November 27, 2020 - Integrated Transport and Health Impact Model

South Mall Parking Lot

A Contemporary Update to the #BlackFridayParking Tradition

For years, Strong Towns readers have been pointing out the vast empty parking lots on the busiest shopping day of the year as evidence of poor land use regulations. Now the #iwishthisparkingwas hashtag imagines a different future.

November 27, 2020 - Strong Towns

Traffic Safety

70,000 Road Deaths in 20 Years: Texas Struggles With Traffic Safety

Texas has had a road fatality every single day for 20 years.

November 25, 2020 - Houston Chronicle

Los Angeles, California

Transportation Tech Innovation Zone Launched in Los Angeles

Urban Movement Labs (UML) is working with the office of Mayor Eric Garcetti to undertake a series of pilot programs to entice private companies to Los Angeles to develop and test innovation transportation technology.

November 25, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Transportation Planning

Criticisms for Two Seattle Transportation Studies

Two studies begin the process of spending billions of dollars for infrastructure in Ballard and Interbay in Seattle. According to this critique, the effort is off on the wrong foot.

November 25, 2020 - The Urbanist

Parking Scofflaws

New York Could Reward Parking Tattle Tales

Parking scofflaws beware: your neighbor could soon have a financial incentive to notice your hijinks.

November 25, 2020 - Curbed

Tolls

Smarter Transportation Pricing, Please! Responding to Criticisms of Road Tolls and Parking Fees.

Many transportation problems are virtually unsolvable without efficient road and parking pricing. When people say "I oppose road tolls," they are really saying "I support traffic congestion." Here are responses to common objections.

November 24, 2020 - Todd Litman

Duwamish River

A Big Trail Win for Seattle

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and the Seattle City Council have given all the funding necessary to make the Georgetown-to-South Park Trail a reality.

November 24, 2020 - The Urbanist

Electric Car Charging Station

U.S. Transportation Department Key to Biden Meeting Paris Agreement Targets

Transportation is the biggest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S, making President-elect Biden’s choice for Transportation Secretary—and the department’s policies on emissions, electric vehicles, and autonomous vehicles—critical.

November 24, 2020 - Robert Fischer

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.