Transportation

Coming to L.A. Transit in 2018: Smartphone Fare Payment
Los Angeles is planning to join the ranks of cities that will allow transit fare payment by smartphone app. The scope of benefits offered by app-based fare payment is still under development.

Pope Francis Calls on Us to Be Better Drivers
Imagine all the people, driving safely and courteously.

High Speed Rail From Houston To Dallas Inches Closer To Reality
The Texas 'bullet train' cleared a major hurdle as the Federal Railroad Administration releases draft environmental impact statement identifying preferred routes and identifying passenger station locations.

Hawaii Cities Commit to Fully Renewable Ground Transportation by 2045
Mayors and civic leaders from across the Hawaiian islands signed a commitment to target 100 percent renewable ground transportation by 2045, both public and private.

Michigan Finally Ready to Protect People on Bikes
A cultural change regarding bike safety for the home of the U.S. auto industry is a long time coming.
Widening, Toll Lane Project Moves Forward in Colorado
A proposed project that would widen and add toll lanes to a section of the I-25 freeway between Colorado Springs and Denver has received a key chunk of funding.

Op-Ed: Postponing Transit in Allston Will Cost Boston
As the state plans a major renovation to the Massachusetts Turnpike, whether an Allston transit hub is built or delayed may determine how effectively the surrounding neighborhood develops.

New Hampshire Bills Target Vehicles That Don't Guzzle Enough Fuel
Two bills target hybrid and electric vehicles and even fuel efficient vehicles with new registration fees to increase road funding, as nine states did last year. However, many of those states also hiked gas taxes in the same legislation.

Congestion Pricing—Only for Ride-Hailing Services
Uber and other ride hailing services have put a lot of cars on the road. Could a congestion fee on users of these services help curb the impact of those cars?

Flooded With Navigation App Users, a Town Closes Its Streets
Navigation apps like Waze often reroute drivers onto residential streets that would be quiet otherwise. With some residents unable to leave their driveways, the New Jersey borough of Leonia has taken an extreme measure against the problem.

Welcome to the Electric Vehicle Charging Station of the Future
But only if you drive a Tesla. Unlike a traditional "fill-up," charging an EV takes time—30 minutes for Tesla Superchargers—so Tesla provides an exclusive lounge for its customers at a new 40-Supercharger "rest stop" on I-5 in California.

Friday Eye Candy: The Cars of the Future, Envisioned by Children
Ten children, ages six through 12, were asked to draw the cars of the future, and then a professional illustrator touched up their ideas.

A History of Female-Led Opposition to Urban Freeways in Spokane, Washington
Former Washington State Representative Margaret Hurley, aided by Margaret Leonard at the local level, saved the Logan neighborhood in Spokane from a freeway plan that would have razed 600 homes. Now the plan is reborn in another part of town.

How Cycling Can Help the Disabled Stay Mobile
In the U.K. university town of Cambridge, more than a quarter of disabled commuters travel by bike.

Uber Valuation Down Sharply Since 2015
Scandals and growing competition have contributed to the declining value of the transportation network company.
More on those Freeway-Adjacent Affordable Housing Developments
The Los Angeles Times follows-up an earlier article on the dangers of building too close to freeways. It's a trade-off that the California Air Resources Board acknowledged last April with new guidelines that recognize the dire need for housing.

Why Free Rides on the Milwaukee 'Hop' Streetcar Are a Bad Idea
Citing the psychological impact of doughnuts and the American Red Cross, one opinion writer questions the wisdom of a recent sponsorship deal.

San Francisco Supervisors Cool to Express Lanes on City's Freeways
The county agency that had hoped to do downtown cordon pricing now wants to add express lanes on Highways 101 and 280, but city supervisors are divided on charging solo drivers the option to buy into managed lanes. Both freeways lack carpool lanes.

Is the Nation's 'Most Crucial' Infrastructure Project a Pawn in a Political Game?
Observers say the Trump Administration might be threatening to "kill the hostage" in a hardline negotiation tactic on the Gateway project to build a replacement rail tunnel under the Hudson River to connect New York and New Jersey.

Dynamic Tolling Done Right—VDOT Shows the Way
Virginia's 66 Express Lanes feature uncapped tolls that change every six minutes with the level of congestion, with most revenue benefiting transit. Carpools travel free, but solo-drivers in electric vehicles pay like others.
Pagination
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.
Caltrans
City of Fort Worth
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie