Transportation

Mayor Sadiq Khan

London Doubles Down on Vehicle Restrictions

A plan to completely overhaul the streets of London will require a "monumental" effort by all residents of the city, according to the mayor of London.

May 18, 2020 - Mayor of London

Traffic and Speed

The Commute of the Future: Congested Mess, or Massive Mode Shift?

Researchers around the world are trying to get an idea about how increased automobile trips, fewer shared modes, and high unemployment will alter long-term trends in transportation.

May 17, 2020 - CityLab

Driving

Dangerous, Distracted Drivers Take More Joyrides During Lockdown

Some motorists see open roads as an opportunity for stress relief. Transportation officials urge motorists to slow down, citing dramatically increased rates of speeding since the onset of the pandemic.

May 15, 2020 - The Washington Post

Transit in a Pandemic

Plans to Restore Transit Service With Social Distancing, Other Risk Reduction Measures in Place

After months of nothing but news of service cuts, plummeting ridership, and cratered budgets, a few U.S. transit agencies are now making plans to restore service with new social distancing guidelines in place.

May 14, 2020 - The Washington Post

Coronavirus Driver

Georgia Teens Will Require a Driver's Test After All

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp rescinded a controversial executive order allowing parents to approve teens for a driver's license after public outcry.

May 14, 2020 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Pizza in Connecticut

Minimum Parking Requirements Lifted to Support Outdoor Dining in Connecticut

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont included an historic measure in a May 10 executive order: statewide suspension of parking minimums to facilitate outdoor activities.

May 13, 2020 - Governor Ned Lamont

Maryland Transit Administration

Central Maryland Regional Transit Plan: First Regional Transit Plan for Baltimore Since 2002

Transit planners in the Baltimore area are working on plans for a more reliable, useful regional transit system.

May 13, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Factory Emissions

Carbon Emissions Down, but Not Drastically

Transportation activity is down considerably, but other sources of carbon dioxide are still going strong.

May 12, 2020 - Grist

Urban Agriculture

Crisis Could Result in a More Sustainable Food System

The food system, from supply to distribution and consumption, is undergoing a rapid transformation. Community supported agriculture could potentially benefit.

May 12, 2020 - NPR

San Diego metropolitan Transit System

Unreliable Data, Contract Issues Slow San Diego's Smart Streetlights Program

A public-private partnership between the city of San Diego and GE Current to develop a smart streetlights program started in 2017 has not lived up to expectations three years and $300 million dollars later.

May 11, 2020 - Voice of San Diego

Coronavirus and Lime

Can the Scooter Business Outlast the Coronavirus?

It's the end of the scooter as we know it.

May 11, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

pedestrians in a Time of Coronavirus

Vehicles Restrictions for COVID-19 Made Permanent for Seattle Streets

The temporary measures of the coronavirus pandemic are being made permanent fixtures on 20 miles of streets in Seattle.

May 10, 2020 - The Seattle Times

Washington D.C. - The White House

White House Shelves Reopening Guidelines Prepared by CDC

President Trump wants states to reopen businesses quickly but doesn't want to have the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provide directions to business owners and transit agencies on how to open without spreading the coronavirus.

May 10, 2020 - Associated Press

Coronavirus Social Distancing

Reopening Main Street

A Long Beach-based urban design firm shares design tips for reopening main streets while balancing public health and economic concerns—making space for parklets, pedestrians, and al fresco dining.

May 10, 2020 - studioneleven

King County Metro Transit

Transit Service Restored in Seattle Area, With New Social Distancing Practices in Place

Seatback signage and reduced capacity will allow King County Metro to begin resuming bus service. In the wake of staff illness and depleted funding, the road to Metro's recovery could be quite long.

May 8, 2020 - The Urbanist

Uber Eats

Job Losses Strike a Blow to Gig Economy Darlings

Uber and Airbnb both announced massive layoffs this week, after Lyft did the same last week, as the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on very contemporary corners of the economy.

May 7, 2020 - The Washington Post

Montreal Freeway

Research on the Benefits and Limitations of Telecommuting to Inform a New Transportation Normal

If public transit suffers long-term consequences from the coronavirus, as many experts predict, telecommuting could be a key tool in reducing pollution and congestion, but it creates problems of its own and its effects aren't entirely clear.

May 7, 2020 - Transportation Research Board

Air Travel

For Coronavirus Aid, Air France Must Stop Competing With Rail

France is proposing a momentous step toward clean transportation.

May 6, 2020 - International Railway Journal

Coronavirus Open Streets

Tampa Closes Streets to Open Outdoor Space to Restaurants

A pilot project in Tampa is closing select streets to cars to allow more space for dine-in restaurant service.

May 6, 2020 - That's So Tampa

Road Safety

Traffic Fatalities Decline for a Third-Straight Year 2019, According to New Data

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System released its preliminary estimates this week.

May 6, 2020 - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

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.