Transportation

Transportation Network Companies

Lyft, Uber Suspend Shared Rides

Ride-hailing companies are responding to the coronavirus pandemic with actions that can protect both drivers and riders.

March 17, 2020 - Smart Cities Dive

Boston Parking Meter

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.

March 17, 2020 - Cincinnati Business Courier

Foothill Transit

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.

March 17, 2020 - Federal Transit Administration

Montgomery County

How We Got Here

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

March 16, 2020 - Michael Lewyn

Coal Railroad

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.

March 16, 2020 - Los Angeles Times

Boston Subway T

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.

March 16, 2020 - The Boston Globe

Highway Construction

Will Federal Stimulus Again Feature Infrastructure?

As recessions fears grow, discussions about increasing the level of federal spending on infrastructure projects also grow.

March 15, 2020 - Eno Center for Transportation

Reading Viaduct

'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.

March 13, 2020 - The American Conservative

Movie Studio

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.

March 13, 2020 - Streetsblog USA

Transit Ridership

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.

March 12, 2020 - Vice

Los Angeles

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.

March 12, 2020 - Jonathan Barnett

Project Connect, Capital Metro

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.

March 11, 2020 - KUT

Boston, Massachusetts

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.

March 11, 2020 - CommonWealth

Minneapolis Green Line University of Minnesota

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.

March 11, 2020 - StarTribune

Bike Shed Netherlands

World's Longest Bike Bridge Under Construction in the Netherlands

De Blauwe Loper, the Blue Carpet in English, will redefine bike infrastructure ambition.

March 11, 2020 - The Architect's Newspaper

Oil Rig

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.

March 10, 2020 - The Washington Post

Texas Central

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.

March 10, 2020 - The Dallas Morning News

RTD Bus

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.

March 10, 2020 - The Denver Post

Pedestrians

State Legislation Responds to Pedestrian Safety Failures in Connecticut

So far in 2020, drivers have killed 15 pedestrians on Connecticut roads.

March 10, 2020 - Hartford Courant

BART Train

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.

March 9, 2020 - The Mercury News

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.