Transportation

Route Approved for Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar
Construction on the Downtown Los Angeles Streetcar could begin as soon as 2018.
What Mobility Leaders Think About Car Connectivity
As autonomous vehicles prepare to disrupt transportation systems, Ford Motors President & CEO Mark Fields, L.A Chief Sustainability Officer Matt Petersen, and rideshare company Chariot co-founder Ali Vahabzadeh opine on tomorrow's mobility ecosystem.

App Detects Open Parking Spaces with 99% Accuracy
Technology startup Parkifi seeks to use the Internet of Things to address the long-lamented problem of congestion created by drivers seeking parking.
New 'Peanutabout' Reinvents the Roundabout for Diagonal Streets
Diagonal crossings can be the most dangerous for pedestrians and bikers, the "peanutabout" could protect bikers and drivers alike.

The Trump Administration: Good for Transit?
The conventional progressive wisdom is that the Trump Administration will be bad for cities and for transit users. But in recent decades, a unified Republican government has been better for public transit than a divided government.

Defending Multi-Modalism
An efficient and equitable transport system must be diverse to serve diverse travel demands. Planners need better tools to quantify and communicate the benefits of walking, cycling and public transit to sometimes skeptical decision makers.

Why Bother with Community Engagement?
What is the highest purpose of community engagement? Why do some planners go all out to hear from the public? This article dives into these questions based on nine interviews conducted at APA 2016.

Trying to Understand What Elaine Chao Will Mean for Transportation in the U.S.
Incoming transportation secretary, Elaine Chao, has a long history at the highest levels of American Federal government. Laura Biss looks at what her past may tell us about how Chao will govern.

Bike Lanes For Who? Johannesburg's Bike Lanes Prove Divisive
The placement of new bike lanes in the city of Johannesburg has become yet another symbol of inequality between rich-white and poor-black residents.

New, Modern Regulations May Speed Trains
The Federal Railroad Administration will soon update regulations regarding U.S. trains, this could have major impact on the industry and train travel.

Quick Internet Delivery Services Clog City Streets with Delivery Trucks
Services like Amazon Prime and other quick delivery online retailers are creating more demand for short trip delivery, the result is streets jammed with vans. Bikes may offer an alternative.

Chicago Elevated Train Funding Passes with Unanimous Support
The Chicago City Council has authorized a billion dollars in funding for upgrades and maintenance for the city's Red, Purple, and Brown Line trains; the city hopes to get additional federal funds before Obama leaves office.

Bay Area Sends Mixed Message on BART Funding
BART won big on election night with the passage of Measure RR, a $3.5 billion infrastructure bond measure. But the San Francisco Chronicle observes that results from two other local ballot measures suggest a mixed message on the rapid transit system.

Which U.S. Cities Are Lowering Parking Minimums?
Based on crowdsourced data from across the country, this updated map shows which municipalities have eliminated, lowered, or discussed their parking minimum laws.

Tougher Background Checks for Massachusetts Uber, Lyft Drivers
The companies' agreement with Governor Charlie Baker's administration requires a state-run check in addition to the usual check through an independent contractor. Fingerprinting, however, will not be required.
Trump Selects Elaine J. Chao, former Labor Secretary, as Transportation Secretary
Elaine Chao served all eight years as President George W. Bush's former Secretary of Labor and also under his father's administration as Deputy Secretary of Transportation. She is married to Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

Local Buses Among the First to Benefit from L.A. County's Measure M
Fifteen municipal or regional bus services in Los Angeles County that receive funding from the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority will be among the first to benefit from a newly approved transportation sales tax.

Toronto Could Take a Radical Step by Tolling Local Roads
In some of the biggest transportation planning news of 2016, the City of Toronto is considering a proposal to toll the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway in an effort to raise funds for infrastructure improvements.

The Downside of Removing Tech Buses from Neighborhoods
A new study has shown that moving tech shuttle stops from neighborhoods to conform to a new "hub plan" would result in a drop in bus ridership, with most former riders resorting to driving their own vehicles to their Silicon Valley workplaces.

Downtown Des Moines Hopes Boom Will Continue Into 2017
Des Moines' Downtown Chamber of Commerce expects the city's 2016 development boom to continue into the new year.
Pagination
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.
Municipality of Princeton
Roanoke Valley-Alleghany Regional Commission
City of Mt Shasta
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
US High Speed Rail Association
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)