Transportation

Highway Guardrail

As the Speed Limit Goes Up, So Do the Costs

As a number of Western States raise their speed limits, the costs of road maintenance, environmental damage, and lost lives keeps going up.

May 9, 2016 - Wired

Uber Sidecar Lyft

Your Next Lyft Ride May Not Have a Driver

The self-driving car of the future is getting closer to becoming a reality, with GM and Lyft partnering to launch autonomous vehicles for the ride-hailing service within the year.

May 9, 2016 - San Jose Mercury News - Silicon Beat

The Greening of Large Trucks Begins at California's Ports

A Planetizen blog post by Casey Brazeal asks, "When will the trucking industry electrify?" Three truck manufacturers and electric truck builder BYD Motors are now in competition thanks to a $23.6 million state grant to the South Coast Air District.

May 9, 2016 - Fleet Owner

Pierce Transit

Pierce Transit Lets You 'Build Your Own Transit System'

For feedback on a system overhaul, Pierce Transit in Washington is asking residents to design their own transit system through an interactive survey.

May 9, 2016 - The Urbanist

Seeing Eye People

Safety Improvements for Texters Around the World

Cities are experimenting with safety measures for pedestrians who text while they walk, but the projects could benefit everyone.

May 8, 2016 - The Guardian

Green Line

Somerville and Cambridge Offer Cash to Save Expensive Green Line Extension

The cities of Somerville and Cambridge are digging into their pockets to save the beleaguered Green Line extension project. State transportation officials could decide next week if the additional $75 million matters or not.

May 7, 2016 - The Boston Globe

New York Bike Lane

Open Data Practices Still Catching Up With Bike Metrics in New York

A new report released by the New York City Department of Transportation (DOT) shows a steady increase in the number of bikers in the city. A lack of data, however, continues to be a problem for accurate assessment of the trend.

May 7, 2016 - StreetsBlog NYC

Highway 401

Ontario to Double Highway 401 Capacity in the Peel Region

A massive highway widening project will soon begin construction in the city of Mississauga, Ontario.

May 7, 2016 - Toronto Sun

Bus Stop

Failed Public-Private Partnership Leaves Bus Stops With No Shade in Los Angeles

A 2001 contract between the city of Los Angeles and CBS Decaux failed to deliver 662 shelters for bus stops. A case study in what not to do on either side of a public-private partnership follows.

May 6, 2016 - KPCC

Kansas City Streetcar Prototype

Open Today: the Kansas City Streetcar

Today, Kansas City becomes the first Midwestern city to run modern streetcar service.

May 6, 2016 - Kansas City Star

Florida Roads

Roads Come Before Transit for Broward, Florida Metropolitan Planning Organization

County commissioners had approved a one-cent sales tax measure to improve roads and transit throughout the county, but MPO members, dominated by city representatives, prefer an undefined infrastructure tax with a majority of funds returned to cities.

May 6, 2016 - Sun Sentinel

Bicycle Infrastructure Fail(s)

An op-ed by Mikael Colville-Andersen of Copenhagenize Design Company.

May 6, 2016 - Cities of the Future

Del Mar Station TOD

Study: How Does Transit Really Impact Land Values?

The idea that proximity to transit equals higher land values doesn't tell the full story. According to this study, a variety of other factors must be in place to achieve the desired effect.

May 6, 2016 - CityLab

Hudson Yards Subway Station

Mapping Rental Prices Along New York's Transit Lines

A fun, if not conclusive, exercise in layering the country's most famous transit map with data from the real estate market.

May 5, 2016 - DNAInfo

Carpool Lane

New Carpool Lanes Under Construction in Los Angeles County

The ongoing build out of carpool lanes in Los Angeles County continues. A five-mile stretch of I-10 in the eastern portion of the county—a commuter corridor and a corridor frequented for getaways from L.A.—will be adding new capacity.

May 5, 2016 - KPCC

20's Plenty

Boston Lowers Speed Limits to 20 MPH—Columnist Sees Opportunity for Satire

A Boston Globe columnist met the news that the city would reduce speed limits to 20 mph on some residential streets with scorn and snark.

May 5, 2016 - The Boston Globe

Parking Meter Fail

'Pay-By-Plate' Parking Meters Bring Windfall to Pittsburgh

The power of modern parking technology is on display on the streets of Pittsburgh.

May 5, 2016 - Target 11

Pumping Gas

Gas Delivery Straight to Your Vehicle. What Could Go Wrong?

Cities and fire departments around the country are struggling with the sudden explosion of start-ups promising to make your life easier by delivering gasoline straight to your vehicle.

May 5, 2016 - Bloomberg

Lyft

Should Governments Subsidize Uber and Lyft Connections to Transit?

According to a new report from the Center for American Progress, technology network companies like Uber and Lyft offer a unique opportunity for low-income users to connect with transit routes and on to greater economic opportunities.

May 5, 2016 - Center for American Progress

Streetcar Graveyard

The Inevitable Rise of the Auto and Fall of the Streetcar in Los Angeles

A timely piece in The Guardian's City series looks at the demise of streetcars in Los Angeles, beginning with the Great American Streetcar Conspiracy. If only it was that simple.

May 4, 2016 - The Guardian Cities

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.