Transportation
Is it a COVID Car or Mask-Optional Car? Rail Commuters Decide
A midwestern commuter rail line found a unique, if controversial way to achieve 100 percent mask compliance on its trains: Set aside one car, though preferably not the bike car, for riders who opt to travel maskless.
Big Business in Portland Doesn't Want to Pay for Metro Transportation Funding Measure
A heated dispute over a $5 billion Metro transportation funding ballot measure has erupted between climate activists and a group representing Portland's big business interests.
Americans Aren't Likely to Start Driving at Pre-Pandemic Levels Soon
Vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and gasoline production trends point to VMT in the United States staying ten to 12 percent lower than in 2019 for the next few months, at least.
Richmond-to-Raleigh High-Speed Rail Gets Big Funding Win
Federal grant funding awarded recently takes a critical step toward making high-speed intercity rail service a reality between North Carolina and Virginia.
Union Station Redesign Gets a Placemaking Do Over
Criticisms of a draft plan to revamp D.C.'s Union Station have described the proposal as far too concerned with car storage.
Vision Zero on the Streets of D.C.
Bike and pedestrian deaths have been on the rise in D.C. despite a Vision Zero commitment. New legislation will pave the way for new infrastructure and safety improvements.
Bike Ridership Booms in Some Unlikely Cities
A fitness tracking app reports dramatic increases in bike ridership since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic.
Gone by 2035: Gas-Powered Car Sales Have an Expiration Date in California
California Governor Gavin Newsom announced yesterday an executive order that would ban the sale of cars powered by internal combustion engines by 2035. California is the first state in the country to take such action.
Phoenix's Valley Metro Works on Three Light Rail Project During Pandemic Lull
Construction continues on three Phoenix light rail projects set to be completed in 2024.
Pop-Up Bus Lanes Coming to Chicago
New pop-up bus lanes on two of the most heavily traveled bus routes in Chicago will help move essential workers more efficiently during the pandemic.
Purple Line Construction Halts in Maryland as Contractor Woes Deepen
Purple Line Transit Partners, the contractors managing construction of the beleaguered Purple Line in Maryland, have begun to walk off the job as a dispute about cost overruns brings the project to a screeching halt.
How Typical Economic Development Kills Community Character
An economic development pro makes an argument for an approach to economic development that prioritizes the urban design decisions that favor community character.
Moving Forward with Metra's Equity-Guided Transit System Plans
Metra's significant drop in ridership has forced the agency to adapt to a new transit landscape and plan for equitable fare offerings and service changes.
Calthorpe Makes the Case for a Corridor-Based Approach to Affordable Housing
Peter Calthorpe's case study of El Camino Real in the Silicon Valley shows the potential for affordable housing development in the land surrounding side right-of-ways.
The Causes of California's Development Malaise
A spate of recent articles has taken a critical look at the regulatory obstacles to a progrssive planning vision in the state of California.
Tolls Not Included: Toll Proposals Keep Ending Up in the Dustbin in Texas
Another example of the growing political and planning opposition to the idea of tolling new roads in Texas.
Texas Central High-Speed Rail Gets Green Light From Feds
The Federal Railroad Administration has granted two key permissions for Texas Central to operate a high-speed trail between Houston and Dallas.
Pandemic Casts a Shadow Over Today's Big Rail Line Opening in Denver
The N Line between Denver and its northern suburbs opens today to the public, but N Line trains are expected to carry far fewer passengers, and lower frequencies, than originally planned.
Back-Up Driver of Autonomous Vehicle Charged With Negligent Homicide of Pedestrian
The broader safety implications of the death of Elaine Hertzberg after being struck by an Uber autonomous vehicle in Tempe is still being litigated. Last week, the back-up driver of the vehicle was charged with negligent homicide.
Constitutional Amendment Would Shift Some Gas Tax Revenue to Transit Spending in Nevada
Democratic legislators in Nevada are considering a constitutional amendment that would allow the state to use gas tax revenues for transportation projects other than road construction, maintenance, and repair.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
