Transportation

Road Pricing Equity Report and Toolkit
A new report and toolkit helps policymakers and equity advocates apply comprehensive analysis to road pricing, considering affordability, accessibility and community health, and identifies way to achieve equity goals through pricing reforms.

German Trains Running Late
A quarter of German long-distance trains ran behind schedule, and they're not likely to improve soon.

Polar Vortex Shuts Down Detroit's Q-Line Streetcar
Other polar vortex-related transit news included fire on the tracks in Chicago.

Equity Considerations Delay Congestion Pricing in Los Angeles
After discussing a staff report on road pricing at their Jan. 24 meeting, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority directors paused to weigh the equity implications of charging motorists to drive on roads.

Comparing Transit Oriented Development in the D.C. Regional Rail System
Not all Metrorail station areas are zoned for transit oriented development.

*Video: Explaining Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT)
Conventional planning evaluates transport system performance car-centric indicators such as roadway Level-of-Service (LOS). Many jurisdictions are shifting to Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT), which supports multimodal planning and Smart Growth policies.

'Carbon Free Boston' Puts Priority on Land Use and Transportation Planning
"It's all about cars and houses," according to the Boston Globe.

The City of Dallas Rejects the State of Texas on Plans to Widen Interstate 30
A plan to widen the Interstate 30 in Dallas is pitting state transportation officials, with ostensible goals to serve regional transportation needs, against local officials, who are more concerned with "neighborhood-centric ideals."

Road Tolls Considered to Replace Declining Fuel Tax Revenues as EV Sales Grow
Iceland is thinking ahead when it comes to revenue losses resulting from its newly adopted "Climate Strategy" that calls for ending petrol-powered, fuel tax-paying motor vehicles by 2030. Widespread electronic road tolls are being considered.

A Train Instead of the 405: The Impossible Dream One Step Closer to Reality in L.A.
A rail transit project has serious momentum in Los Angeles, offering a potentially game changing alternative to the notoriously jammed commute on Interstate 405 over the Sepulveda Pass.

The Oil Production Boom in New Mexico Could Mean More Money for Roads
With an "unprecedented" amount of money coming in from booming oil production, New Mexico legislators are considering how to spend the extra money.

Transportation Priorities of the New Democratic Leadership in the House
With Democrats rising to power in the U.S. House of Representatives and the government recently reopened (temporarily at least), it's time to plot the legislative ambitions of the coming session in Congress.

Scooter Media Brief: A Fork in the Road for Scooters
A few milestones stick out from the rest of the scooter news from January 2019.
L.A. Metro Jumps Into the Ridesharing Business
The Los Angeles County metropolitan Transportation Authority announced the launch of a one-year pilot program for on demand ridesharing, otherwise known as microtransit.

How to Integrate Light Rail and Bus Rapid Transit for Walkability and Housing
Better integration between San Diego's various transit modes—trolley (light rail), bus, bus rapid transit, and active transit—are key to increasing use and housing options, argues AVRP planner Howard Blackson III.

The Geography of Commuting and the 'New Urban Crisis'
How people get to work, and the geographic distinctions between trends in those choices, reveals some of the country's more ominous traits, including the trend Richard Florida calls "the new urban crisis."

Houston's $7.5 Billion Multimodal Transportation Plan
The Moving Forward Plan seeks to improve transportation throughout the region, but funding and project priorities still need to be sorted out.

U.S. Appeals Court: Climate Crisis Justifies California Clean Fuels Rule
California's Low Carbon Fuel Standard, which requires fuel producers to reduce the carbon intensity of transportation fuels by at least 10 percent by 2020, has been opposed by corn ethanol producers and the oil industry since its inception in 2011.

Scarf Depicting Rail Delays Sells for $8,650
A German rail commuter recorded each day’s travel by knitting a scarf.

Draft Climate Action Plan Aims for Carbon Neutrality in San Antonio
The city of San Antonio is working on a plan to reduce its reliance on carbon-emitting fuels.
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
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie