Transportation

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

Coronavirus and Transportation

WMATA Approved Buyouts and Service Reductions

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority couldn't wait for a still hypothetical bailout from Congress or the Biden administration.

November 24, 2020 - The Washington Post

Beacon Hill Intersection

Seattle Lacks Accessible Pedestrian Signals At Most Intersections

Processing a growing backlog of requests, Seattle Department of Transportation must prioritize which intersections will be made accessible.

November 23, 2020 - The Seattle Times

San Gabriel Valley

Southern California Officials Slow to Accept Complete Streets

Proposed changes to the Los Angeles County Transportation Authority's highway program would allow local governments the flexibility to implement complete street elements with new projects. The proposition has been a surprisingly tough sell.

November 23, 2020 - Streetsblog LA

Downtown Las Vegas

Las Vegas High-Speed Rail on Hold

A plan to build a high-speed rail line between Southern California and Las Vegas is on hold after the developer came up short on fundraising. Affordable housing projects in California stand to benefit from the newly available state bond funding.

November 23, 2020 - Bloomberg

Coronavirus and Transportation

Will Cuomo Save Transit in New York?

Assuming that Congress isn't going to act, does New York Gov Cuomo have the political will to save the New York MTA from sweeping layoffs and service cuts?

November 23, 2020 - StreetsBlog NYC

I-94 North-South Project

Opinion: Proposed I-94 Expansion a 'Fiasco' for Milwaukee

An opinion piece published by Urban Milwaukee argues against a proposed expansion of three miles of Interstate 94 in Milwaukee.

November 22, 2020 - Urban Milwaukee

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.