Transportation

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.).

December 1, 2016 - The New York Times

Foothill Transit

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.

November 30, 2016 - San Gabriel Valley Tribune

Toronto

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.

November 29, 2016 - The Globe and Mail

Tech SHuttle

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.

November 29, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Des Moines, Iowa

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.

November 29, 2016 - Des Moines Register

Broward County Voters Approve One Sales Tax Measure but Reject Another; Neither Passes

Had it not been for the political compromise that enabled it to be placed on the ballot, voters would have narrowly passed a county transportation sales tax measure. In neighboring Palm Beach County, a straight-forward sales tax measure passed.

November 28, 2016 - South Florida Business Journal

Is it Fair to Blame Commuter Rail Woes on Private Operators?

Recent problems on the commuter rail operations contracted out by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and Denver's Regional Transportation District caught the eye of Governing's transportation and infrastructure reporter.

November 28, 2016 - Governing

Austin Complete Street

Protected Bike Lanes Save Lives

New research finds that as more distracted drivers take the road, protected bike lanes are keeping bikers alive.

November 28, 2016 - CityLab

Capital Bikeshare

Train Commuters Moving to Bikeshare in D.C.

Capital Bikeshare's ridership numbers are benefitting from delays and other service constraints resulting from WMATA's SafeTrack maintenance program.

November 28, 2016 - The Washington Post

Atlanta streetcar

Election Outcomes Put Atlanta Metro Region on Two Different Transportation Paths

Three sales tax measures in Fulton County all won on Nov. 8. Two city ballot measures sets a course for investment in public transit and active transportation for Atlanta, while Fulton County will invest in road projects to reduce traffic congestion.

November 28, 2016 - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Control Room

Smart Cities: High Costs, High Potential

Over the next two decades, bold estimates have local governments around the world spending over $41 trillion on "smart cities." But what are smart cities, and how do we measure return on investment?

November 27, 2016 - CNBC

Horrific School Bus Crash in Chattanooga Results In Five Counts of Vehicular Homicide

The driver has been arrested and charged with the deaths of five children who died at the scene of the one-vehicle crash in which the bus slammed into a tree on Monday afternoon. The National Transportation Safety Board is on the scene.

November 27, 2016 - WRCB tv

London Heathrow Airport

London's Mayor Takes Stand Against Airport Expansion

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has aligned himself with opponents to the addition of a third runway at London's Heathrow Airport, citing noise and air pollution concerns

November 27, 2016 - BBC

BART Train

The San Francisco Bay Area Voted for a Sustainable, Inclusive Future

We can’t simply rely on the federal government to solve the San Francisco Bay Area’s challenges. Time and time again, we have turned to local do-it-yourself solutions. This year, voters rolled up their sleeves and took matters into their own hands.

November 26, 2016 - San Francisco Chronicle

Car2Go

Following Setbacks for Car2Go, What's the Future of Carsharing?

Car2Go has pulled out of several cities recently, making even carsharing's most ardent believers wonder if the business model is built to last.

November 26, 2016 - Transportist

New York Subway

Preparing for the Worst with L Maintenance In Brooklyn

As the MTA repairs Hurricane Sandy-related damage to train transit, advocates look for solution to a coming transit crunch.

November 25, 2016 - Politico

Kansas City

Advocates See Opportunity in Kansas City's $800 Million Transportation Bond

Kansas City, Missouri is in the process of considering an $800 million general obligation bond to fund transportation projects. The advocacy group BikeWalkKC, seeing the opportunity, is already advocating for how to put that money to use.

November 25, 2016 - BikeWalkKC

South Mall Parking Lot

Black Friday Is A Case Study On Why Parking Minimums Are Ridiculous

At most big box stores, the parking lots occupy far more land than the stores themselves, sucking up unnecessary resources from our communities.

November 25, 2016 - Modern Cities

Uber Dumbo

Developers Already Catering to the Uber Crowd

Waiting for transportation network companies to change development? The future is already here.

November 24, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

The Hydrogen-Powered Train: Coming Soon to Germany

The Coradia iLint debuted at a trade show in August, but already buyers are ready to add the hydrogen-powered train to their rolling stock.

November 23, 2016 - Independent (UK)

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.