Transportation

Bridge Bike Lane

Wet and Soggy, Maybe—Pacific Northwest Cities Lead in Bike Infrastructure Anyway

Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver have all prioritized the design and implementation of bike infrastructure. A study of how each is implementing its goals reveals the many ways cities can decide to make healthy, active transportation a priority.

May 4, 2017 - Sightline Institute

Freeways

Déjà Vu and the Dilemma for Planners

The future, once again, isn't living up to the expectations of planners. How should long-range planning work in a world that is more suburban and more auto-oriented than a generation of planners and urbanists expected?

May 3, 2017 - Steven Polzin

Low Gas Prices

Trump Open to Hiking Gas Tax to Fund Infrastructure Package

Like so many of the president's assertions, the statement, made in a Bloomberg interview on Monday morning, could be open to interpretation, but he's gone where none of his predecessors since Bill Clinton on the issue of raising the gas tax.

May 3, 2017 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Denver Region

Death of a State Transportation Sales Tax Measure

Partisan politics killed what was labeled as a bipartisan effort to increase funding for Colorado's roads by allowing voters in November to determine whether to raise the state sales tax to fund a bond measure.

May 3, 2017 - The Denver Post

Expo Line LA Skyline

Proposed New Zoning Around the Los Angeles Expo Line

Los Angeles' proposed transit neighborhood plan for the Expo Line corridor includes minor changes, but nothing earth-shattering. Many of the line's stations remain underutilized.

May 2, 2017 - Urbanize LA

Wheelchair Accessible

Disability Activists Sue New York MTA

Two class action lawsuits take New York’s inaccessible metro system to task.

May 1, 2017 - New York Times

Handicapped Seating

Badges for Transit Riders with Non-Visible Impairments

Transport for London is experimenting with badges that say "Please offer me a seat" for people who wouldn't necessarily be offered seats.

May 1, 2017 - BBC

Google Self-Driving Car

More Changes Coming for Transportation

Even as cars and commuter planes look much like they did generations ago, big changes are coming for transportation, argues Timothy B. Lee in a piece for Vox.

May 1, 2017 - Vox

Turnstiles

Joined at the Hip: Transit Use and Walkability

Zak Accuardi argues that while mobility services can enhance transit, only walkability can solve the "first and last mile" problem.

April 30, 2017 - TransitCenter

Crash

DUIDs Surpass DUIs as Cause of Fatal Vehicle Crashes

2015 was the first year that driving under the influence of drugs (DUID) surpassed those killed while driving under the influence of alcohol. Increased legal access to marijuana is correlated with the surge. Amphetamine use is also a factor.

April 29, 2017 - The Washington Post

Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

Electronic Vehicle Permit Moratorium in Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney neither signed nor vetoed the anti-electric car bill allowing it to become law, but is symbolically not giving it his approval.

April 29, 2017 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Commuter Rail

A Simple Idea to Fix Transit on Chicago's South Side

On Chicago's massive south side, fixing transit means working on more than just CTA trains.

April 29, 2017 - South Side Weekly

Barbie Store

Friday Funny: Commuter Barbie Rides the Subway, Deals with Manspreading

Millennial Barbie reads literary fiction and wants you to know about it.

April 28, 2017 - Gothamist

 Indiana State House of Representatives

Indiana Legislature Passes 10-Cents Fuel Tax Hike on Final Day of Session

Just past midnight on Saturday morning, the Indiana State Senate passed the transportation plan after the Housed approved it Friday. It also passed a $32 billion, two-year state budget bill, then adjourned for the year, one week ahead of schedule.

April 28, 2017 - Eagle Country

Uber Lyft Departure

Lyft Shuttle Test in Chicago and San Francisco Sure Does Resemble a Bus

Lyft's shuttle service runs along a pre-determined route during peak commuting times and you can pay for it with your Lyft app.

April 28, 2017 - The Ringer

Washington, D.C.

One Year Later: H Street and the D.C. Streetcar

Intended to spur redevelopment along blighted commercial corridors, the streetcars are the first to run in the District since the 1962 dismantling of the previous early 20th century citywide streetcar network.

April 28, 2017 - Modern Cities

Toronto Subway

MTA Ready for Open Gangway Subway Cars

Open gangways are featured on subway trains in Toronto and Montreal. They could also be a welcome addition to the crowded New York Subway by 2023.

April 27, 2017 - New York Daily News

Grid Bike Share

Phoenix Looks to Expand Bikeshare Into Neighborhoods

Grid Bike Share is expanding in Phoenix.

April 27, 2017 - KJZZ

Presidio Park

The Environmental Trade-Off for Raising California's Fuel Taxes

Come November 1, gasoline and diesel taxes will increase by 12 and 20 cents per gallon, respectively, in California, providing badly needed revenue to repair roads, bridges, and improve transit, but truck pollution loophole will still foul the air.

April 27, 2017 - The Press-Enterprise

Ocean Grove Sidewalk

What Would Delivery Robots Mean for Public Space?

If companies like Startship and Marble get their way, sidewalks will play host to hundreds of rolling delivery bots. It's one solution to "last-mile" logistics, but are pedestrians prepared to give way?

April 26, 2017 - The Guardian

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.