Transportation

Empty Parking Garage

Op-Ed: 'Mammoth' New Parking Garages Belie Seattle's Green Talk

"Seattle is still a car town at heart," Danny Westneat writes, pointing to a number of gargantuan new parking garages like the 2,300-stall complex at Expedia's new headquarters.

July 1, 2019 - The Seattle Times

Space X

Hyperloop for the Great Lakes Gets Initial Blessing the U.S House of Representatives

The U.S. Senate still needs to approve the bill that would spend $5 million in initial funding for the Great Lakes Hyperloop System.

July 1, 2019 - Crain's Cleveland Business

Traffic in Manhattan New York

Fun With Statistics: Factors Affecting Motor Vehicle Travel

A few graphs provide insights into factors that affect the amount of motor vehicle travel in a community, and how driving can be reduced.

July 1, 2019 - Todd Litman

Portland Streetcar

Transit Planners Studying a Tunnel Under Portland

Oregon Metro and TriMet are studying the feasibility of a subway tunnel under Portland that would cross under the Willamette River to speed up MAX trains through the city.

June 30, 2019 - The Oregonian

Downtown Oakland

Oakland Keeps its DOT, Moves Forward With Innovative Street Repaving Plan

The city of Oakland had a particularly tough budget approval process this year. The future of capital investments in the city's transportation system was at stake.

June 29, 2019 - The East Bay Times

Chicago Transit

The Congestion Pricing Movement Comes to Chicago

A large, powerful coalition of advocacy groups, local universities, and other organizations sent a letter to Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot to consider congestion pricing for single-occupant automobile trips in the city's core.

June 29, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Monorail

The Man Who Bought an Out of Service Monorail Train

It only cost him $1,000 to buy the whole train.

June 28, 2019 - Jalopnik

Boston T

Tech Execs Call for More Public Transit Funding in the Boston Region

A Red Line train recently derailed on the T in Boston, providing the latest example of the need for drastic measures to course correct public transit in the region.

June 28, 2019 - The Boston Globe

Deaths of Seven Motorcyclists Results in Resignation of Motor Vehicle Registry Chief

A pickup truck driver towing a trailer on a two-lane rural road in New Hampshire on June 21 is charged with seven counts of vehicular homicide after colliding with a group of motorcycle riders. Attention has turned to his commercial driver's license.

June 28, 2019 - USA Today

Highway 101 California

California's New Vision Zero Task Force Convenes

A new state task could prove its seriousness about ending traffic fatalities, by recommending that two of its most populated counties test speed cameras on highways.

June 28, 2019 - The Mercury News

Los Angeles Bus Rapid Transit

Another Proposed Bus Rapid Transit Route Provokes Controversy in Los Angeles

Los Angeles transit planners wants to connect two of its rail lines with a bus rapid transit line. The idea has critics.

June 28, 2019 - Curbed

Boise Bike Lane

Pop Quiz: Name the City Based on its Cycle Lane Icon

The Guardian has a new pop quiz that will test the knowledge of urban aficionados that tend toward two-wheeled forms of transportation.

June 28, 2019 - The Guardian

Indianapolis Cityscape

Indianapolis' New BRT Stations and Buses Roll Out Soon; Here’s What They’re Like

The new Red Line bus rapid transit will include level boarding, pre-pay bus fare service at some stops, quiet electric buses, and USB chargers.

June 27, 2019 - Indianapolis Star

Hyperloop One

Don't Let 'FOMO' Ruin Transportation Planning

The "fear of missing out," also known as FOMO, is no way to make transportation decisions, according to this article.

June 27, 2019 - CityLab

America's Bike Capital

Idaho Stop Breezes Through the Oregon Legislature

Before the Republicans in the Oregon Senate skipped town, they managed to approve a bill that legalizes the Idaho Stop for bikers around the state. The Oregon House also approved the bill this week.

June 27, 2019 - Willamette Week

Westfield Mall Uber Drop-Off

New Wrinkles for D.C.'s Curb Management Program

Washington, D.C. continues its leadership in the management of curb space as transportation modes change. First, the District experimented with curb areas for ride-hailing companies; now the focus shifts to app-based delivery services.

June 27, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Corner Store

New 'Affordability Index' Shows How Far Money Goes in New York City

(Not very far.)

June 27, 2019 - Curbed New York

Denver Union Station

Voters to Decide on New Department of Transportation for Denver

Denver voters have a chance in November to enact a bureaucratic change that could have a big impact on how the city plans and operates its transportation infrastructure.

June 26, 2019 - The Denver Post

New Jersey Power Plant

New Jersey to Price Carbon Emissions from Electricity Generation

When the N.J. Department of Environmental Protection adopted new rules for power plants on June 17, the Garden State becomes the tenth to participate in a cap-and-trade program known as the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative.

June 26, 2019 - Utility Dive

Red Light Camera

Milwaukee Wants Red Light Cameras; Wisconsin Doesn't Allow Them

Milwaukee wants Wisconsin to overturn its law that prohibits red light cameras throughout the states. New state legislation could help achieve the city's goal.

June 26, 2019 - 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.