Transportation

Subway Platform

Hastily Constructed, Thoroughly Opposed: MTA Restructuring Plan Still Approved

The MTA board approved a new restructuring plan despite not hearing any words of support from the public.

July 25, 2019 - Politico

Scooter Share

Scooter Companies Convene Advisory Groups to Promote Safety

Both Bird and Lime have organized boards of experts to conduct research and advise the companies as their micromobility ventures grow.

July 25, 2019 - CityLab

Chicago’s Pace to improve Service with New Platforms and Signal Priority

Pace, the suburban Chicago transit provider, is investing in a route on the city's northwest side, looking to speed up buses and attract new riders.

July 25, 2019 - CBS Chicago

Denver Rail

Fewer People Parking at Denver Airport, While Ride Hailing and Rail Numbers Are on the Rise

More people are using the A-Line, Uber, and Lyft to travel to and from Denver International Airport (DIA). With parking numbers down, DIA has scrapped plans for two new parking garages.

July 25, 2019 - The Denver Post

Stroller int he Public Realm

New York City Settles in 'Historic' ADA Lawsuit

A lawsuit has forced New York City to invest significant funds and people power to making the public realm more accessible to people with disabilities.

July 25, 2019 - Politico

BVG

The Free Public Transit Debate

The pros and cons of fare-free transit involve a range of issues, from operations logistics and outcomes to costs and fiscal priorities.

July 25, 2019 - Pedestrian Observations

Port Authority of Allegheny County

Systemwide Evaluation of Bus Stops Underway in the Pittsburgh Region

The Port Authority of Allegheny County is evaluating how to make improvements at

July 24, 2019 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Westside Los Angeles

New Price Tag for L.A's Biggest Rail Dream: $13 Billion

The Sepulveda Transit Corridor could offer tens of thousands of Los Angeles commuters an alternative to the infamously congested I-405 freeway, if local officials can find the funding.

July 24, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

D.C. Metro Bus

D.C.-Area Residents Want Bus Lanes and Free Transfers, Survey Shows

New survey findings identify transit priorities among residents in D.C. and surrounding areas, and indicate broad support for public investments.

July 24, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Miami-Dade Transit

The Case for Better Bus System Design in Miami-Dade

The Miami-Dade Transit system includes only five routes with headways at 15 minutes or less during midday and only six percent of residents live near frequent bus service, according to a recent study.

July 24, 2019 - Miami Herald

Pedestrian Infrastructure

In Crosswalks, Public Art Meets Transportation

Colorful, engaging crosswalks aren’t the norm, but they’re popping up around the country. And while they aren’t in line with federal guidelines, they have transformed streets and intersections.

July 23, 2019 - NPR

New York MTA

Congressional Report on Transit Spending Stops Short of Accountability

Transit advocates were hoping the U.S. Government Accountability Office was finally going to expose the systematic failures of transit spending in the United States by comparing the practices of other countries.

July 23, 2019 - Government Accountability Office

Los Gatos, California

Public Opinion Differs on New Bay Area Road Diet

Some love it; some hate it: The main drag of Downtown Los Gatos, at the southern end of the South Bay Area, got a complete streets makeover.

July 23, 2019 - The Mercury News

Street Closure

Rethinking Downtown Streets in a Revitalizing Pittsburgh

With $5.2 billion of investment in the past 10 years, and another $3.5 billion in the development pipeline, Pittsburgh planning organizations are considering ways to rethink the streets of the city's downtown.

July 23, 2019 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Police

The Car-Centric World and the Ongoing Expansion of Police Powers

While cars are still equated with freedom of mobility and personal liberty, they've also offered courts the chance to expand police powers in the public realm, time and time again.

July 23, 2019 - The Atlantic

Captal Metro

Austin Mulling New Incentives for Transit Riders

A proposed pilot program would text six new types of transit ridership incentives in the city of Austin.

July 22, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Atlanta, Georgia

After a Bus Kills a Scooter Rider, Two Councilmembers Call for Complete Streets

No victim blaming or scooter shaming here. Two Atlanta politicians have responded to a recent tragedy by calling for more traffic safety improvements.

July 22, 2019 - WSB-TV - Atlanta

Benjamin FRanklin Parkway

A Complete Streets Building Spree in Philadelphia

Philadelphia has a busy schedule of complete streets projects in the works. The city has a goal of building 20 miles of protected bike lanes by 2020.

July 22, 2019 - City of Philadelphia

Autonomous Vehicle

Advocates Press for Harder Questions While Pittsburgh Experiments With Self-Driving Cars

Five self-driving car companies are currently operating in Pittsburgh, without much critical rigor in asking about the consequences of the technology to the city.

July 22, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority

Tampa's 'All for Transportation' Sales Tax Clears Post-Election Obstacles

The "All for Transportation" sales tax in Hillsborough County, Florida, survived a revolt and legal challenge from conservative county commissioners, despite earning 57 percent of the public vote.

July 21, 2019 - Tampa Bay Times

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.