Transportation

Uber Car

When Rideshare Serves as Transit, Success Brings Risks

Innisfil, Ontario, decided to use Uber instead of starting bus service. The program took off but so have the costs, and now cutbacks need to be made.

May 6, 2019 - CityLab

High Speed Rail California

The Consultants Behind the CA High-Speed Rail Debacle

The state's high-speed rail project is billions of dollars over budget and years behind schedule. A major problem is that consultants have been running the show from the start, say critics.

May 6, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Tilikum Crossing

How Much for Roads and Highways in a Proposed Portland-Area Transportation Funding Measure?

A regional transportation tax could be on the 2020 ballot in Portland and surrounding communities in Oregon. How much of that money created by the new tax, should it pass, will go to transit and how much will go to cars is an open question.

May 5, 2019 - Willamette Week

Texas Bike Lane

Bike Infrastructure Makeover Underway in Houston

It might surprise people outside of Texas to hear about the progress of new, high quality bike infrastructure in the city of Houston.

May 5, 2019 - Next City

JR Shinkansen

Cascadia High Speed Rail Authority Has its First Funding

The state of Washington has allocated funding from its 2019-2021 biennium transportation appropriations bill to study the creation of the Cascadia High Speed Rail Authority.

May 4, 2019 - The Urbanist

Paris Mobility

CDC Releases Report on Electric Scooters and Public Health

A highly anticipated analysis of public health outcomes caused by the proliferation of electric scooters has been released. Most of the reported are considered preventable.

May 4, 2019 - CityLab

Police Show

State Audit Calls into Question the Use of Gas Tax Dollars to Fund State Police

The state with the highest fuel taxes has the second most structurally deficient bridges. According to the Pennsylvania state auditor's new report, diversion of $4.2 billion to fund the state police during the last six years is to blame.

May 3, 2019 - Beaver County Times

San Diego Trolley

The Regional Planning Agency Wanted to Evolve on Transportation. The County Said No.

A kerfuffle in San Diego, as San Diego County and the San Diego Association of Governments find themselves at odds over the future of transportation in the region.

May 3, 2019 - NBC San Diego

Bike KC Master Plan

An Ambitious Bike Plan for Kansas City Prioritizes Safety

The City Council of Kansas City is preparing to vote on the Bike KC Master Plan, which would set the city on a course to build a large network of high-quality bike infrastructure.

May 3, 2019 - KCUR

SEPTA Token

The New Trend in Transit: $0 Transfer Fees

After Detroit eliminated its fee to transfer between DDOT and SMART buses. Advocates in Pennsylvania want Philadelphia to be next.

May 2, 2019 - PlanPhilly

Boston, Massachusetts

Commute Frustrations Boil Over in Massachusetts Poll

A recent poll of Massachusetts voters was able to connect the realities of the housing market to the frustrations of the daily commute.

May 2, 2019 - The American Prospect

On-Demand Shuttle Expands Service Area in Chicago

Via will now operate in a much larger portion of Chicago.

May 2, 2019 - Streetsblog Chicago

Orange Line Bus

Thinking Outside of the Transit Box in L.A.

Metro is analyzing new geolocational data to look beyond conventional understandings of travel behavior.

May 2, 2019 - Wired

Bike Lane

One Less Protected Bike Lane in Baltimore

A bike lane on Roland Avenue in Baltimore had been separated from vehicle traffic by vehicle parking, but no longer.

May 2, 2019 - The Baltimore Sun

Paradise

How Not to Do Growth

The state of Florida is moving forward with the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance (M-Cores) plan to build several new toll expressways in rural parts of the state.

May 2, 2019 - Strong Towns

Broadway Bike Lane

If You Build It, They Will Ride (400% More)

A more than 400 percent increase in bike ridership following the opening of a protected bike lane on Second Avenue proves that Seattleites are more inclined to ride with safe facilities.

May 1, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

Street Design

Street Design Principles by Sidewalk Labs

Sidewalk Labs, a smart cities shop within the Alphabet corporate structure, is working to revolutionize technology's role in city planning. Sidewalk Labs recently released the street design principles it's using to guide that effort.

May 1, 2019 - Smart Cities Dive

Electric Car Charging Stencil

New Developments Must Be EV Ready in Seattle

It's not the same as requiring that all new development have charging facilities and parking spots for electric vehicles, but it's close.

May 1, 2019 - The Urbanist

Amtrak

Amtrak Connection Between Indianapolis and Chicago Cut by State Budget

The state of Indiana didn't have $3 million to spare to keep the Hoosier State Amtrak passenger rail line operational.

May 1, 2019 - Chicago Tribune

Driving

Fighting for the Right to Drive in an Autonomous Future

There is a growing movement of humans who don't like the idea of being forced to hand the wheel over to robot drivers.

May 1, 2019 - The New Yorker

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.