Transportation

Crowded Subway Platform

Next Train ETA: Never

The Onion feels the pain of everyone who takes the train.

September 7, 2018 - The Onion

Transit Oriented Development

Transit-Area Tax Increment Financing Bill on Gov. Jerry Brown's Desk

Transit, affordable housing, TODs, active transportation and local governments should all come out ahead should Brown sign SB 961. The bill follows in the path of earlier legislation that created enhanced infrastructure finance districts.

September 7, 2018 - Move LA

Streetcar Graveyard

Friday Eye Candy: All 1,000 Miles of Southern California's Historic Rail Network

An intrepid mapmaker has created a stunning map of the Pacific Electric Railway System, the old public transit system for L.A. and surrounding environs, once the largest trolley system in the world.

September 7, 2018 - L.A. Taco

Downtown Denver

Colorado Voters to Decide How to Fund Roads on Election Day

Two transportation bonding initiatives will appear on the ballot on Nov. 6: A $3.5 billion measure would have debt repayments come from the general fund, while a $6 billion initiative would create a revenue stream by hiking sales taxes.

September 6, 2018 - The Denver Post

Hoover Boards and Bus Transit

Ensuring the Benefits of Multiple Mobility as a Service Options

Vertically integrated mobility as a service options can offer great benefit to users, but unless cities create the right framework, it could stifle innovation and competition, as well as making the playing field too difficult for small companies.

September 6, 2018 - Urbanism Next Blog - Sustainable Cities Initiative

Freeways

Report: Transportation Emissions Sully California's Environmental Reputation

There's good and bad news from an annual assessment on the Golden State's economy and environment. Gross domestic product per capita increases as emissions per capita decrease, with the major exception of emissions from transportation.

September 6, 2018 - Bloomberg

Pedestrians and Walkable Street

Walkable Suburbia

It's not impossible to reshape the suburbs to be more walkable, but it does require careful planning and design.

September 6, 2018 - Jason Beske

The Bloomingdale Trail

Evaluating Departing Mayor Rahm Emanuel's Planning Record

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel made a surprise announcement this week that he would not seek a third term in office.

September 6, 2018 - Streetsblog Chicago

Bus Stop and Bike Lane

Seattle's Residents Pick Funding for Streets, Park Projects

The "Your Voice Your Choice" program of participatory funding is in its second year in Seattle.

September 5, 2018 - The Urbanist

Sacramento

Sacramento Will Lower Transit Fares

Sacramento Regional Traffic has seen a dip in its ridership, so they are making the uncommon move of cutting fares.

September 5, 2018 - The Sacramento Bee

Scooter Share

Weekly Electric Scooter Media Brief: Aug. 29 – Sept. 4

The second installment "Weekly Electric Scooter Media Brief" presents a veritable cornucopia of breaking news, opinions, and insights into the wild west of electric scooter regulation.

September 5, 2018 - Planetizen

Toronto Lyrics

Ontario Could Take Control of Toronto's TTC Subway

The Ford administration is moving forward with a scheme to "upload" control of Toronto's TTC subway to provincial control.

September 5, 2018 - The Star

Dallas Bike Lane

Opinion: Bike Lane Funding in Dallas on the Line

As the Dallas City Council prepares to vote this month on a general fund budget, the future of bike lanes is not looking good.

September 4, 2018 - The Dallas Morning News

Scooter Share

More Rights, Fewer Responsibilities, for Electric Scooter Riders in California

A bill that would toss the helmet requirement for adult e- scooter riders and allow them to ride on roads where the speed limit is 35 mph, up from the current limit of 25 mph, is on Governor Jerry Brown's desk. He has until Sept. 30 to decide.

September 4, 2018 - San Francisco Chronicle

Bay Bridge Toll

Another Reason Motorists Should Support Road Tolling

Two things motorists detest: tolls and congestion. Tolls, if effectively applied, lessen congestion, but at a high cost to drivers. However, steep tolls also provide a political incentive to "fix the bottlenecks," as shown by the 66 Express Lanes.

September 4, 2018 - WTOP

Tech Shuttle

Bus Lanes: the City Pays, Should Tech Companies Benefit?

Bus lanes built and policed by the city of San Francisco will be open to private transit buses. Sue Vaughan argues that's a mistake.

September 4, 2018 - The San Francisco Examiner

Los Angeles, California

Editorial: Why Elon Musk’s Tunnel to Dodger Stadium Is a Very Bad Idea

A closer look at a plan for Los Angeles linking Dodger Stadium to the subway points to the proposal’s many flaws.

September 4, 2018 - Urbanize LA

A bus next to the re-located light rail station at Denver's Union Station

Study Details the Traffic Safety Benefits of Public Transit

A new study concludes that not only is transit a safer way to travel, but communities oriented around transit are also safer. As a result, planning approaches that encourage transit also increase traffic safety.

September 4, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Brooklyn Queens Connector

Brooklyn-Queens Connector Streetcar Plans Released

Plans for the Brooklyn-Queens Connector, otherwise known as the BQX, are still on the table, despite reports of the project's demise.

September 3, 2018 - Crain's New York Business

Bike Share Expanding In Toronto

Mayor John Tory announced a 2018 expansion of bike share that will include 3,750 new bikes and 360 new stations.

September 2, 2018 - Daily Hive

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.

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.