Transportation

Red Light Camera

Bill to Ban Red Light Cameras Statewide Can't Get Past the Texas Legislature

A committee chair changed his mind about the consequences of a bill that would ban red light cameras in the entire state of Texas. The legislator didn't want, to paraphrase, blood on his hands.

April 10, 2019 - The Dallas Morning News

King Street Streetcar

Toronto Streetcar Experiment Likely to Be Made Permanent

The city of Toronto did something radical and gave its streetcar its own lane on King Street as part of a pilot project launched in 2018. The results included improved service and increased ridership.

April 10, 2019 - The Star

San Francisco Bike Lane

Scooter Media Brief: Electric Scooters Emerge Victorious in the Dockless Bike Share Game

At the beginning of 2017, few people in the United States could have predicted the quick rise to prominence of dockless bike share companies. Even fewer could have predicted what would happen next.

April 10, 2019 - James Brasuell

Protected Bike Lane

New Bike Infrastructure Standard Set in Cambridge

Cambridge, Massachusetts has made a thorough commitment to building robust bike infrastructure with every street repair project.

April 9, 2019 - Streetsblug USA

Expo Line

Report: Modest Congestion Charge Would Produce Dramatic Results in Los Angeles

Applying a cordon toll as low as $4 in Los Angeles would result in a 20% reduction in traffic congestion and modest increases in transit ridership, walking, and biking, according to a new study from the Southern California Association of Governments.

April 9, 2019 - Los Angeles Times

Ciutat Vella

Barcelona's Ambitious Plan to Become a Post-Car City

Barcelona is planning to expand on its initial superblock experiment in an attempt to ease the stranglehold of car congestion and air pollution gripping the dense city.

April 9, 2019 - Vox

Bike Commute

Congressional Bill Would Offer a Bigger Tax Break for People Who Bike to Work

A bi-partisan bill till early in the federal legislative process would expand a very small tax incentive for people who ride a bike to work.

April 8, 2019 - Fast Company

Downtown Denver

Colorado Campaign Urges Drivers to Shut Off Their Phones

In 2018, distracted driving was a factor in over 15,000 crashes in Colorado. A new statewide campaign wants drivers to focus on the road rather than their phones.

April 8, 2019 - The Denver Post

Phoenix

Walking in Phoenix Can Mean Taking Your Life in Your Hands

Phoenix's roads are the most dangerous in the state for pedestrians, but the city is taking little action to make them safer.

April 8, 2019 - AZ Central

Oakland Hills California

Potholes Don’t Discriminate, but a Plan to Fix Oakland Streets Reveals Stark Divides in the City

The city has a plan to tackle its pothole problem that it says is equitable. But, some residents say it isn’t fair.

April 8, 2019 - San Francisco Chronicle

Peachtree Street Atlanta

Turning an Atlanta Roadway Into a Shared Street

Atlanta might transform Peachtree Street into a very different kind of public space.

April 8, 2019 - What's Next ATL (Atlanta Regional Commission)

Traffic

Will Manhattan's "Central Business District Tolling" Clear the Way for More Congestion Pricing?

Cordon pricing applied to Manhattan's Central Business District, approved by the state legislature on March 31 and signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on April 1, has the ability to be a game changer for other cities considering similar programs.

April 8, 2019 - The New York Times

San Diego metropolitan Transit System

Lawsuit Aims to Block San Diego Parking Requirement Reform

A lawsuit against San Diego alleges that the City Council approved an ordinance ending parking requirements on transit corridors without performing necessary environmental review.

April 7, 2019 - NBC San Diego

Columbia River Bridge

Reviving the Failed Columbia River Crossing to Connect Oregon, Washington

A project is back from the dead in the Pacific Northwest, at least in the eyes of the governors of Oregon and Washington.

April 7, 2019 - The Oregonian

Badly Needed Light Rail Funding to the Rescue in Buffalo

State budget wheeling and dealing has yielded $100 million in funding for repairs on the Buffalo Metro Rail system, according to reports.

April 7, 2019 - The Buffalo News

Skinny Skyscraper

Changes to Proposed NYC Pied-à-Terre Tax Will Yield Less Revenue for Transit

The real estate intervened, and a proposed pied-à-terre tax became a mansion tax.

April 6, 2019 - City & State

West Palm Beach, Florida

A Big Week for Virgin Trains USA, Formerly Brightline, in Florida

Virgin Trains USA has the funding to start construction on a rail link between Orland and West Palm Beach, and the system has launched its official rebranding under its new ownership.

April 6, 2019 - CBS 12 News

Energy Factory II

No Good News for Climate Stabilization From a New Worldwide Energy Report

Last month, the Paris-based International Energy Agency released its annual "Global Energy & CO2 Status Report." Energy consumption grew 2.3 percent with fossil fuels accounting for 70 percent on the increase. CO2 emissions jumped 1.7 percent.

April 5, 2019 - The Washington Post

Road Sign

The Idaho Stop Now Legal in Arkansas

The state of Arkansas is now the second station in the nation to completely legalize the Idaho Stop—a frequently practiced maneuver on bikes that advocates say is a key to bike safety and comfort on the streets.

April 5, 2019 - Streetsblog USA

405 Traffic

Congestion Pricing Marks the End of an Era

A New York Times article marks the historic significance of congestion pricing—gone are the days of treating roads like they're free while ignoring their costs.

April 5, 2019 - The New York 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.