Transportation

O'Hare Blue Line

RFQ Released for Express Train to O'Hare

Express rail between the Loop and O'Hare moves a step closer to reality

December 5, 2017 - Progressive Railroading

Subway Turnstiles

Why Can't Congestion Pricing Cover the Cost of Public Transit?

In the continuing debate over congestion pricing in New York, Adele Peters asks if transit advocates are stopping short of what they should be asking for: free transit for all of New York.

December 5, 2017 - Fast Company

British Columbia

Vancouver Studying the Possibility of a Streetcar

Vancouver, often cited as a model of transportation planning success, is very carefully considering the idea of a streetcar.

December 4, 2017 - The Globe and Mail

Surge Pricing

San Francisco Considers Citywide Demand-Based Parking

San Francisco could become the first U.S. city to use demand-based parking rates citywide.

December 4, 2017 - SFGate

East River, New York

East River Ferry Service Is Transforming America's First Suburbs

Once again, the ferry is remaking the Brooklyn waterfront. One hundred years after making Brooklyn Heights the nation's original suburb, it's spawning new developments along the Brooklyn and Queens waterfront. And the fare? Same as a subway ride.

December 4, 2017 - The New York Times

Proterra Electric Bus

Chicago to Buy Electric Buses

The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) plans to put 20 electric buses into their fleet and power them with en-route chargers.

December 4, 2017 - Streetsblog

Toronto Streetcar

Density Drives an Increase in Transit Usage in Toronto

The Canadian census reports that transit ridership in Toronto has increased, but population growth means more cars are on the road anyway.

December 4, 2017 - The Toronto Star

Youth Fare Discount Sees Results in Seattle

Many high school and grade school students in Seattle have been riding the city's Metro for free during the school year, now to encourage ridership during the summer, the city has been offering steep discounts for riders between 6-18 years old.

December 3, 2017 - Next City

Portland's Jade District Is a Planner's Nightmare (and Dream)

The Jade District on Portland's distant east side is a typical geography of wide streets and sprawl, but is also a relatively complete, self-contained community.

December 3, 2017 - Oregon Public Broadcasting

The High Cost of Curbside Electric Vehicle Charging

There's nothing like the convenience of charging one's electric vehicle at home, assuming you have a garage, driveway, or your apartment building has a charger. California cities and utilities are working to increase EV infrastructure on all fronts.

December 3, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Commuter Rail

Caltrain Electrification Can't Come Soon Enough for Neighbors

Transit adjacent developments have their downsides when the transit is a diesel-powered commuter train, and the location is a stub-end terminal. Case in point: San Francisco's Mission Bay.

December 1, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

nyc. subway.

MTA Ridership Falls Among Growing Service Concerns

After years of ridership growth, New York subways have seen a decline in passengers. Some see service failures as a reason for the slip.

December 1, 2017 - The New York Times

Southwest LRT

Barrier Wall Could Delay Southwest Light Rail in Twin Cities

A proposed 1.4 mile safety barrier may require additional review, and could further delay the project

December 1, 2017 - MinnPost

Shared Street

Video Explainer: The Magic of Shared Streets

Most people would probably assume a shared street, with no signs, lanes, or other regulatory infrastructure, is an accident waiting to happen. More and more cities are proving the opposite.

December 1, 2017 - Vox on YouTube

London Truck

London Plan Takes a Bold Stand Against Parking

The new 25-tear London Plan would ban the construction of parking in large swatches of the city. It's just one component of an ambitious policy agenda presented by London Mayor Sadiq Khan this week.

December 1, 2017 - BBC

Crosswalk Button

Giving Pedestrians a Head Start on Safety

Traffic signals at more than 2,000 intersections in New York City now have a pedestrian head start, making them the "unsung heroes" of Vision Zero.

November 30, 2017 - The New York Times

Interstate Highway

With a 710 Freeway Extension Unlikely, Cities Propose Alternatives

After withdrawing support for a controversial extension of the 710 Freeway, Los Angeles Metro is asking cities for local road improvements to improve traffic flow in its stead.

November 30, 2017 - Pasadena Star-News

Seattle

Showdown in Seattle: Should Developers Forgo Parking?

A mixed-use project in Seattle's Phinney Ridge neighborhood has become a flashpoint in the ongoing debate over parking. Activists are fighting rules that let developers omit parking in areas with a certain level of transit service.

November 30, 2017 - The Seattle Times

Christmas Tree

All I Want for Christmas Is a New Transportation Planning Process

I put my Christmas wish in a little early this year—wanted to give Santa time to deliver, and it's not an easy wish to grant. No data, no graphs, no citations, just some thoughts to share.

November 30, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Arlington Virginia

Arlington County Reduces Parking Requirements for Multi-Family Developments on Metro Corridors

In addition to reducing parking requirements to 0.2 to 0.6 spaces per unit for developments "approved by special exception," the board went a step further by requiring mitigations if developers provide more than 1.65 spaces per unit.

November 30, 2017 - The Washington Post

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.