Transportation

Lyft, Uber Suspend Shared Rides
Ride-hailing companies are responding to the coronavirus pandemic with actions that can protect both drivers and riders.

Free Parking as a Restaurant Business Incentive During Coronavirus
As restaurants and other local retail businesses ponder how to stay open as people stay at home and social distance for the foreseeable future, parking regulations will likely be reevaluated—they already are in Cincinnati.

Federal Transit Administration Expands Emergency Relief Program
The federal funding formula for capital costs attached to the coronavirus pandemic will change in states that have declared an emergency.

How We Got Here
In "A History of Street Networks," Lawrence Aurbach discusses the intellectual movements driving the growth of suburban-style street design.

Mountain Coal States vs. West Coast Cities
A legal battle is being waged between the coal-exporting states of Utah, Wyoming, and Montana and coastal cities in California, Oregon, and Washington that pits the power of local land-use authority against the protection of interstate commerce.

Transit Agencies Begin Service Changes for Coronavirus Response
Public transit agencies are responding to declining ridership during the Coronavirus outbreak by reducing service. But the right balance between safe, reliable, and sustainable will be hard to calibrate in these difficult times.

Will Federal Stimulus Again Feature Infrastructure?
As recessions fears grow, discussions about increasing the level of federal spending on infrastructure projects also grow.

'The Art of Classic Planning' Critiques a 'Century of Bad Planning'
A book review of a book published this year with the title, "The Art of Classic Planning: Building Beautiful and Enduring Communities," offers stinging criticism of the past and present of planning.

A Partial List of Pop Culture's Anti-Transit Stigma
Why do movies and tv shows hate public transit much? There's no answer here, but there is plenty of evidence that the question responds to reality.

Transit Ridership Dropping Due to Coronavirus; Long-Term Funding Consequences Feared
The effects of a global pandemic on American shores are beginning to emerge for public transit systems. The consequences of a drop in transit ridership could extend beyond the end of the pandemic.

Reforming Local Development Regulations for Sustainable Megaregions
Managing development at the scale of megaregions is possible. An excerpt from the recently published book, "Designing for the Megaregion: Meeting Urban Challenges at a New Scale," written by Jonathan Barnett, explains how.

Transit Galore in Capital Metro's New Transit Plan for Austin
New light rail lines, dedicated busways, and expanded bus and commuter rail service are on the Project Connect menu.

Massachusetts Conflict: Gas Tax or Carbon Charge on Fuel to Fund Transit?
The Democratic House just passed a gas tax increase that the Republican governor opposes because he wants his state to join the Transportation and Climate Initiative, a carbon pricing program applicable to fuel. Both measures will fund transit.

Draft Drop: the Minneapolis Transportation Action Plan
As a first step in furthering goals set in the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, Minneapolis recently released the draft of a new ten-year transportation plan.

World's Longest Bike Bridge Under Construction in the Netherlands
De Blauwe Loper, the Blue Carpet in English, will redefine bike infrastructure ambition.

Just What the World Needs: $20 Per Barrel Oil
Oil prices crashed Monday due to a disagreement between two of the world's largest oil producers, Saudi Arabia and Russia, amidst a slump in oil demand due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Oil will flood the market as demand drops.

Eminent Domain Challenges Remain for Dallas to Houston High-Speed Rail Project
While Texas Central's plan to build a high-speed rail link between Houston and Dallas has already dealt with years of opposition from rural communities, big fights over the use of eminent domain have yet to begin.

Facing Driver Shortage, Denver RTD Backs Off Proposed Service Reductions
Transit planners are rethinking a December proposal to eliminate and reduce transit service in response to a shortage of drivers in the Denver area.

State Legislation Responds to Pedestrian Safety Failures in Connecticut
So far in 2020, drivers have killed 15 pedestrians on Connecticut roads.

Competing Funding Strategies Promoted for Bay Area Transit Mega-Measure
Two Bay Area transportation sales tax measures affecting three Bay Area counties performed poorly on Super Tuesday, but it hasn't deterred the groups backing a nine-county mega-measure. Progressive groups are proposing non-sales tax alternatives.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
New Jersey Institute of Technology
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Portland
City of Laramie