Transportation

Suburban Three-Car Garage

An App to Rent Driveways

The shared economy is coming to that most sacred of private properties—the garage or driveway parking spot.

October 27, 2017 - Smart Cities Dive

Seattle, Washington

The Best and Worst States for Bikes

The 2017 "Bicycle Friendly State Ranking" list is here.

October 27, 2017 - League of American Bicyclists

All Aboard Florida's Brightline

How Passenger Rail Is Spurring Transit Oriented Development in Florida

All Aboard Florida's Brightline is more than a privately funded passenger rail service. The ability to develop dynamic mobility-centric urban centers of Transit Oriented Development was a significant factor in the decision to launch the service.

October 27, 2017 - Modern Cities

Sidewalk Closed

The Real First-Last Mile Solution: Fix the Sidewalks

Upgrading sidewalks on the way to transit stations could make a difference in cities facing declining transit ridership.

October 27, 2017 - TransitCenter

Alaska

Anchorage Buses Switch to a High Frequency Grid

Anchorage's People Mover bus system is the latest in a string of U.S. bus systems to reroute onto a high frequency grid.

October 26, 2017 - Alaska Dispatch News

New York City WiFi

100 LED 'Information Kiosks' on Their Way to Philadelphia Sidewalks

All the details on the new information kiosks expected to hit Philadelphia streets—80 on Center City and University City sidewalks and 20 more in other parts of the city.

October 26, 2017 - Philadelphia Inquirrer

Southwest Chief

An Amtrak Train Runs Through Them

Efforts to ensure that Amtrak's Southwest Chief continues its current route through three states has united more than 20 small communities in New Mexico, Colorado, and Kansas.

October 26, 2017 - The Denver Post

Electric Cars

The Future of the Nation's Electric Vehicle Infrastructure

People won't drive electric vehicles much differently than they drive gas powered vehicles. That means charging infrastructure will be needed in communities to supply electricity for many short drives.

October 26, 2017 - Infrastructure USA

Bumblebee Bike

Like Waze, But for Bikes

The mobile app LaneSpotter, described as a navigation app like Waze but for cyclists, has announced eight cities as the location for a pilot launch.

October 26, 2017 - St. Louis Riverfront Times

Cars Banned From New York's Prospect Park Starting in 2018

Decades of activism have led to this victory for pedestrian advocates, Streetsblog NYC reports.

October 26, 2017 - StreetsBlog NYC

Curitiba

Study Finds Bus Rapid Transit More Comparable to Light Rail Than Previously Thought

A new study challenges the conventional wisdom regarding the superiority of light rail over bus rapid transit.

October 25, 2017 - The City Fix

Gas Pump

California Gas Tax Repeal Provokes Internecine Republican Conflict

Chances for a repeal of California's 12-cents gas tax increase have doubled in that two measures aim to qualify for the November 2018 ballot. The initiatives are opposed by the state's major business groups that usually side with Republican causes.

October 25, 2017 - CALmatters

Public Transportation Provides a Vital Mobility Link in Rural and Small Towns

A new report describes the important roles that public transit plays in rural communities and small towns, current demographic and economic trends that are increasing these demands, and examples of successful rural transit development programs.

October 25, 2017 - Public Transportation’s Impact on Rural and Small Towns: A Vital Mobility Link [pdf]

Dallas Area Rapid Transt

Report: Dallas Public Transit Fails Equity and Access

Researchers at the University of Texas at Arlington have produced a scathing report on the inadequacies of public transit in Dallas.

October 24, 2017 - D Magazine

New York Bus

New York's 'Bus Forward' Plan to Add 21 Select Service Bus Routes

Critics of the Bus Forward plan say the it does not reflect the urgency of the need for better buses in New York City.

October 24, 2017 - StreetsBlog NYC

Text and Drive

Dearth of Data Masks Scale of Distracted Driving Fatalities

Bloomberg links the uptick in traffic fatalities throughout the United States to rising smartphone use while driving.

October 24, 2017 - Bloomberg

Bay Bridge Toll

Analysis Debunks Equity Criticism of Congestion Pricing

Oregon's recently approved gas tax legislation also calls for tolling of I-205 and I-5 in the Portland metro area, with the application of value or congestion pricing so peak period tolls would be higher, which have raised equity concerns.

October 24, 2017 - City Observatory

Tolling the Interstates: Will Indiana be the First?

Indiana is on track to be the first state to apply new tolls on all lanes of selected interstate highways if they are successful in their application for a waiver from the Federal Highway Administration.

October 23, 2017 - The Times of Northwest Indiana

Autonomous Vehicle

The Many Problems With Autonomous Vehicles

Optimists predict that autonomous vehicles will be a transportation panacea, but there are good reasons to be skeptical. They may create as many problems as they solve.

October 23, 2017 - Todd Litman

Intersection

Confronting Wisconsin's $1.1 Billion Highway Widening Proposal

A coalition of environmentalists, civil rights activists, and other community interests teamed up to successfully oppose a Milwaukee highway widening proposal. In an interview, one of the leading lawyers discusses his work.

October 23, 2017 - Streetsblog USA

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.