Transportation

Pedestrian Friendly

New York to Spend $50 Million on 1,500 Protective Bollards

New York City officials, including Mayor Bill de Blasio, are responding to a wave of terrorist attacks and other tragic events with a proposal to build protective bollards around the city.

January 3, 2018 - CBS News

One Way Sign

Vision Zero in Name Only

Many cities say they've adopted Vision Zero, but the numbers show they aren't actually getting any safer.

January 2, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

Amtrak Cascades Derailment Foreseen in Original Rail Plans

The cause of last month's deadly Amtrak crash south of Tacoma above Interstate 5 is attributed to the train traveling at 78 mph through a curve with a speed limit of 30 mph. The original plan for the bypass called for the elimination of that curve.

January 2, 2018 - New York Post

720 Bus at Vermont and Wilshire

The Twitter Spat Heard 'Round the Planning World

It's understandable if you were too busy reveling in the holidays to catch the details of a controversy between Elon Musk and Jarrett Walker. The disagreement took on a life of its own on social media.

January 2, 2018 - James Brasuell

Second Avenue Subway

An Investigation of New York's Record Shattering Subway Construction Costs

The New York Times devotes feature-length coverage to the soaring costs of subway construction in New York City, where the cost of construction has reached as high as seven times the average around the world.

January 2, 2018 - The New York Times

Female Cab Driber

Women-Only Ride-Hailing: A Safety Solution?

In Mexico, one popular app illustrates the feasibility and efficacy of women-only transportation models.

January 2, 2018 - CityLab

Bus Lane

Sunnyvale Rejects Bus Rapid Transit Pitch

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority is pitching local governments on the idea of restricting lanes for use by buses during peak hours on a major inter-city thoroughfare. One city, at least, doesn't like the idea.

January 1, 2018 - The Mercury News

Chicago Divvy

Chicago Bikeshare Rides Are Up, But Revenue Is Down in 2017

As the Chicago bikeshare service extends to more area in the city, some of the stations are in less dense locations and get fewer riders. Thus, though Divvy's revenues have gone up, the income to the city from the program has gone down.

January 1, 2018 - Chicago Tribune

Bikes and Train Station

Berlin Unveils Transformative Bike Plan

The German capital could see a new system of cycle superhighways, an expanded bike lane network, and more by 2025.

January 1, 2018 - CityLab

Times Square

Get Home Safely Tonight (Or Tomorrow Morning)

CityLab has produced a pair of articles geared toward safe driving behaviors on New Year's Eve.

December 31, 2017 - CityLab

Snowplow

How Cities Plan for Cold Winter Days

Planning for snow, and for cold days, is a professional practice unto itself.

December 31, 2017 - Smart Cities Dive

Bus Shelter

Whistler's Secret to Transit Success: Reduced Fares and Free Rides

Faced with a booming population and heavy peak traffic during tourists seasons, Whistler decided to make transit much more affordable—ridership increased as a result.

December 30, 2017 - CBC News

Popular but Controversial Seattle Express Toll Lanes Face Possible Termination

The two-year-old I-405 express toll lanes are actually a trial. It's up to the legislature to decide whether they will be permanent. Two metrics were laid out: revenue and performance, but there's controversy there as well.

December 30, 2017 - KIRO Radio

Bike and Bus Lane

What's Next for Bike Advocates?

Wondering what's on the agenda for bike advocates these days? The San Francisco Bike Coalition that just released a Strategic Plan that will direct political actions in 2018 and beyond.

December 29, 2017 - San Francisco Bike Coalition

Long-Haul Bus

Demand Begets Supply of Long-Haul Buses in Colorado

New long-haul bus routes will connect cities located in the Arkansas Valley in Colorado starting early in 2018. More new lines will be added later in the year.

December 29, 2017 - The Denver Post

Rhode Island Interstate 95

Major Bridge Rebuilding Project Cost Soars in Providence

When the Trump Administration scrapped the U.S. Department of Transportation's FASTLANE grant program, the state of Rhode Island decided to seek a public-private partnership for its I-95 bridge replacement project.

December 29, 2017 - Providence Journal

Two New High-Speed Rail Lines Open in China

It was a big day for high-speed rail…in China.

December 29, 2017 - Xinhua

Commute

Four Steps for Making Accessibility a Tangible Part of the Planning Process

Although there is a strong push for accessibility as a key metric in transportation and land use planning efforts, there is still a long way to go in putting theory and intentions into practice.

December 29, 2017 - Next City

Double Trucks

Movement Toward Mileage Fee Gains Momentum in U.K. with Truck Fee

British trucker calls for a level playing field with 'continental trucks' that may pay no diesel duty is one impetus for the vehicle miles traveled fee that would also consider emissions. The Transport Department stresses it would not apply to cars.

December 28, 2017 - The Times

Empty Subway

No Free Rides on D.C. Metro for New Year's Eve 2018

The D.C. Metro system's extended New Year's Eves hours will be cut a little short this year, and there will be no free rides.

December 28, 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.