Transportation

Another Use of Motor Vehicle as a Weapon Leaves 10 Dead, 16 Injured in Toronto

A van driver apparently deliberately mowed down pedestrians on sidewalks and intersections in the North York area of Toronto on Monday. The suspect is in custody. The incident is reminiscent of a similar scene last May in Times Square, Manhattan.

April 24, 2018 - CNN

Michigan State Capital

And the Parking Crater Award Goes To…

One of the biggest days of the year on the urbanism calendar took place on April 20. No, not marijuana day—the awarding of the Golden Crater award to the winner of Streetsblog's annual Parking Madness competition.

April 24, 2018 - Streetsblog USA

San Francisco Bay

How SB 827 'Cleaved the California Environmental Movement'

Even before the bill was defeated, it exposed a major generational divide between anti-development environmentalists and their pro-density, pro-housing heirs.

April 23, 2018 - San Francisco Magazine

New York City Winter

Game-Changing 'Bus Action Plan' Announced in New York City

If you're a fan of improved bus service, we have some good news from New York City.

April 23, 2018 - StreetsBlog NYC

BART Train

BART's Transit-Oriented Development Bill Sets Disturbing Precedent, Says APA

AB 2923, which would allow the Bay Area Rapid Transit District to rezone their properties near stations for transit-oriented development, passed its first committee. The California chapter of APA objects to the preemption of local land use authority.

April 23, 2018 - California Chapter of American Planning Association

Horse Carraige

Cars Banned in Central Park

Starting June 27, cars will no longer be allowed to drive through Central Park.

April 23, 2018 - AM New York

Waze

Roads for Residents Only

Leonia, New Jersey made it illegal for non-residents to drive on 60 public roads in an effort to stop Waze users from cutting through their community.

April 23, 2018 - CityLab

Biker Bike Bikes

Opinion: A Surprising New Foe in the War Against Pedestrians

Allowing bikes on sidewalks pits cyclists against pedestrians, an advocate argues.

April 23, 2018 - Crosscut

Biking in Denver

Colorado Legislature Wants to Make it Easier to Legalize the 'Idaho Stop'

They call it a "Safety Stop" in Colorado, but it's the same idea.

April 22, 2018 - Streetsblog Denver

Downtown Nashville Bus

Editorial Support for the Let's Move Nashville Plan

The Let's Move Nashville plan would spend $9 billion (including $5.4 billion for capital costs) to build a new transit network in the quickly growing city of Nashville. Voters will decide if the plan is worth the cost.

April 22, 2018 - Tennessean

Montreal Transit

How Can the U.S. Grow Transit Ridership? Start by Looking North

"Canada looks a lot like much of the US, in terms of economic types, city sizes and ages, development patterns," Jarret Walker says. So why can't Americans keep pace with Canadian public transit?

April 22, 2018 - Human Transit

Downtown Seattle

Nashville Comes to Seattle for Transit Lessons

Seattle officials invited to Nashville to share insights from public transit success, as Davidson County mulls "Let's Move Nashville."

April 21, 2018 - USA Today

Indianapolis Public Schools' Pilot Program Puts Kids on Public Transit

As Indianapolis expands its public transit, the public schools are trying a pilot program that provides bus passes for some students who would have used the school’s transit in the past.

April 21, 2018 - Indianapolis Star

Getting the Politics of Cordon Tolling Right

With Mayor Jenny Durkan's announcement that Seattle will pursue cordon area congestion pricing coming five days after New York dropped its plan, a Washington State pro-business publication looks at the difficulties in getting the politics right.

April 20, 2018 - Lens

Transportation Network Company

Lyft Aiming for Carbon Neutrality

Lyft has announced a plan to offset carbon emissions generated by its rides.

April 20, 2018 - The Atlantic

Caffeine

If Traffic Costs Americans Billions, What About Waiting for Coffee?

The folks over at City Observatory brew up a "Cappuccino Congestion Index" to show that anything can be shown to cost Americans vast sums of money.

April 20, 2018 - City Observatory

Bike Amsterdam

U.N. Declares ‘World Bicycle Day’

International celebrations commence June 3.

April 20, 2018 - Bike Europe

Houston Traffic

Trends Show Lower-Income Millennials Driving More

Data from the 2017 National Household Travel Survey reveals that circumstances may be forcing lower-income young people to drive greater distances.

April 20, 2018 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

North Lake Shore Drive

Bus Lane Proposed for Chicago's Famous Lake Shore Drive

Chicago's buses are getting slower. Putting dedicated bus lanes on the drive could speed buses up, and a growing coalition supports the idea of dedicated bus lanes on one of Chicago's busiest thoroughfares.

April 20, 2018 - Crain's Chicago Business

Amtrak Calfornia locomotive at station in San Jose

States Risk Losing Billions in Funding for Trains if They Don't Act on Safety

The Federal Transit Administration cannot award funds to states that don’t have federally approved safety-monitoring programs in place. On Monday, the agency warned a number of states that they needed prove they've undertaken these programs.

April 20, 2018 - Sacramento Bee

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

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100 Most Influential Urbanists

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Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.