Transportation

OCTA Bus

Calls to Cut Service for Orange County Buses

Orange County is dealing with falling transit use, and its transit authority is looking for ways to stay afloat.

June 3, 2017 - Voice of Orange County

Caltrain

Funds Flow to Caltrain Electrification Project

Nothing comes easy for high-speed rail, or anything connected to it, as the agency that runs Caltrain learned in February. But now that a $647 million federal grant has been approved, $713 million in state bond funds will be directed to the project.

June 2, 2017 - Los Angeles Times

MTA Bus

MTA Proposes Bus System Overhaul for Staten Island

Staten Island is getting what appears to be the biggest trend in transit planning: a bus system makeover.

June 2, 2017 - Staten Island Advance

Nice Tramway

Eight Cities Rolling Out Streetcar Projects

America's urban streetcar renaissance looks to be on track with eight more projects planning to break ground by 2020. The list includes some of the nation's largest metros as well as plenty of medium-sized cities.

June 1, 2017 - Bisnow

Green Line

Commercial Developers Favoring Transit Access

While the debates around transit-oriented residential development continue, commercial TOD is picking up speed. Offices with nearby transited to fetch much higher rents than their car-only counterparts.

June 1, 2017 - The New York Times

LIRR Train

How Long Island Transit Segregates By Class

Long Island's two major transit services, MTA's LIRR trains and the NICE bus system, are less coordinated than they could be. This has a big impact on ease of movement for low-income residents.

June 1, 2017 - StreetsBlog NYC

Austin Traffic

Austin's Capital Metro Makes Like Uber and Lets Users Hail Their Ride

Public transit is evolving to keep up with the conveniences offered by transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft. The question is whether it will work for the long haul.

June 1, 2017 - KXAN

Bollards

Saving Lives: Including Sidewalk Bollards in Street Design

Countless lives were likely saved by a strategically placed bollard on W. 45th Ave. which stopped a motorist who had driven three blocks on city sidewalks, mowing-down as many pedestrians as possible, from entering the Times Square pedestrian plaza.

May 31, 2017 - The New York Times

Chicago Commuter Rail

Metra Proposes Frequency Changes for the South Side of Chicago

Overall, Chicago's regional train service the Metra has been losing ridership, however, Hyde Park neighborhood stations have seen some growth.

May 31, 2017 - DNA Info

D.C. Metro

D.C. Metro Debuts Air-Freshened Trains

Air fresheners have bene installed on D.C.'s Green Line, an attempt to improve riders' satisfaction with cleanliness. Despite some mixed reactions, perceptions of cleanliness are rising.

May 31, 2017 - The Washington Post

Self-Driving Bus

In Europe, Self-Drivers Focus on Augmenting Transit

Unlike the American focus on luxury personal self-drivers, the European approach favors small self-driving buses that can ferry riders to larger transit lines.

May 31, 2017 - The New York Times

Texas Capitol Building

State Legislation Forces Austin to Lift Ban on Lyft and Uber

A new Texas state law that regulates transportation network companies also overrides more restrictive local regulations, like Austin's requirement for fingerprinting drivers. Austin voters supported the tighter regulations at the ballot box last May.

May 30, 2017 - The Texas Tribune

Los Angeles Metro

Successful Ballot Measures Spell Doom for Transit Funding in Trump's 2018 Budget

President Trump points to the passage of multi-billion ballot measures last November as proof that federal funding isn't needed to fund transit, justifying elimination of a major grants program. The CEOs of two large transit agencies fight back.

May 30, 2017 - The Source

Capitol Hill

Funds Directed to Transit Projects in 2017 Budget May Not Be Allocated

Funding for Caltrain electrification, which Transportation Secretary Chao approved May 22, is one of 21 transit projects receiving funding in the omnibus spending bill that may be contingent on approval from the Trump Administration.

May 30, 2017 - The Washington Post

Cancun gas station

Gas Taxes Advance in New Mexico and Wisconsin in May

The Democratic-controlled New Mexico legislature passed a 5-cents per gallon fuel tax increase and the Republican-controlled Assembly in Wisconsin backed a plan to apply sales tax to fuel, but their Republican governors oppose any tax hikes.

May 29, 2017 - Wisconsin State Journal

Roanoke

Roanoke Launches a New Bikeshare System

Bikeshare isn't just for the country's largest cities anymore.

May 28, 2017 - The Roanoke Times

Norway Biker

Study: Ignorance of the Law Leads to Road Rage Toward Cyclists

A new study out of the U.K. will vindicate the suspicion of many cyclists: drivers often misdirect their anger at cyclists who are only following the rules of the road.

May 28, 2017 - BikeBiz

Berlin Subway

U2 Concert Costs Transit Agency $61K

The Bay Area agency had to extend service into the night hours when the show ran overtime.

May 26, 2017 - San Francisco Chronicle

Interstate Highway

L.A. Metro Board Removes Support for Controversial 710 Freeway Tunnel Plan

The saga of the 710 Freeway will continue, as it has for decades. Now, however, a proposal to build a 6.3-mile tunnel from El Sereno to Pasadena, has lost key support from the regional transportation agency.

May 26, 2017 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Kids Biking

Friday Fun: Toddlers Take to the Race Track

The hot new wheels of choice for little ones to learn how to ride bikes are called balance bikes. "Welcome to the Tour de France of Toddler Racing," says the Wall Street Journal.

May 26, 2017 - The Wall Street Journal

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

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.