Transportation

Expect Passenger Vehicles to Talk to Each Other in the Near Future

The U.S. Department of Transportation wants light-duty vehicles to communicate with each other via advanced technology, known as connected vehicle technology, to prevent crashes. The vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) rule would be phased in over five years.

December 18, 2016 - U.S. Department Of Transportation

Portland

Recent Pedestrian Deaths Move Portland Residents to Protest

Portland's Division Street has been the site of a number of high-profile pedestrian deaths.

December 17, 2016 - Oregon Live

Pittsburgh Bike Lane

'Bikelash' Over Downtown Pittsburgh Bike Lanes

Business owners in Downtown Pittsburgh are speaking out in opposition to a proposed, and funded, bike lane project on Fort Pitt Boulevard, raising concerns about parking and access to businesses.

December 17, 2016 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Parking

Transit Up, Parking Down in Seattle

Facing an affordability crisis, Seattle is betting on dense, walkable development. The transition away from guaranteed parking promises to be no easier here than elsewhere.

December 16, 2016 - The Seattle Times

Highway at night

The Roads Could Soon Charge Electric Trucks in Colorado

The Colorado Transportation Department and Aecom Inc. are exploring options for an electric trucking charging system that uses a coil buried in the road to charge electric trucks as they drive.

December 16, 2016 - The Wall Street Journal

fisheye photo of DC subway in station

D.C. Metro Will End Late-Night Rail Service for Two Years

A tough decision that has been on the table since the summer has now been made official by the WMATA's board of directors.

December 16, 2016 - The Washington Post

Tide Light Rail

This Light Rail Line Lowers Nearby Home Prices

Not every transit project has a positive effect on adjacent property values. A study finds that people do not, in fact, want to live next to Norfolk, Virginia's Tide light rail.

December 16, 2016 - Next City

Broadway Bus Lane in Everett

A Bus Lane for a Boston Suburb

Everett, Massachusetts, home to many transit users, is getting a bus lane in the hopes of speeding transit during the morning rush hour.

December 16, 2016 - The Boston Globe

Portland Snow Day

Portland Has a Bad Snow Day

Following in the footsteps of the "snowmageddon" events experienced by Atlanta in January 2014, Portland, Oregon had a surprising amount of difficulty with a small amount of snow this week.

December 15, 2016 - AP via OPB

FLV California train

The California High-Speed Rail Authority's Board Took a 'Momentous' Step on Tuesday

The California High-Speed Rail Authority voted on December 13 to approve two plans that would spend $3.2 billion in high-speed rail bond funds for continuing construction in the Central Valley and help pay for Caltrain commuter rail electrification.

December 15, 2016 - The Fresno Bee

Uber Self-Driving Car

Uber Rolls Self-Driving Cars Onto San Francisco Streets; Finds Legal Trouble

Uber chose to ask for forgiveness instead of asking for permission, rolling out self-driving cars to the public in San Francisco this week.

December 15, 2016 - The New York Times

Seattle Streetcar

Seattle Streetcar Extension Looks Unlikely to Proceed

A proposal to extend the First Hill Streetcar along Broadway in Capitol Hill has lost the support of some of its key stakeholders and now looks very much in doubt.

December 15, 2016 - Capital Hill Seattle Blog

Houston Bus Lane

Houston Buses Gain Ridership While Bus Systems Around the Country Struggle

When Houston reworked their bus system they emphasized frequency and simplicity. The results have been a bump in ridership, though some complain the system sacrificed coverage and equity to make those gains.

December 14, 2016 - Texas Star Tribune

Uber Lyft Departure

An Affordable Uber, But For How Long?

A glimpse at Uber's financials show's that the car-hailing app's days of affordability may be shorter than some are expecting

December 14, 2016 - Financial Times - Alphaville

Uber Drivers Are Helping the Company Kill Their Own Jobs

Uber needs only a few more years to start its driverless mobility services. Meanwhile its million-plus self-employed drivers are providing the company with money, data, and future customers before their jobs get permanently ditched.

December 14, 2016 - Cities of the Future

Virginia Capital Trail Map

One Year After Opening, Virginia Capital Trail a Bike Infrastructure Success Story

The Virginia Capital Trail is transforming the state's middle peninsula, according to Mobility Lab.

December 14, 2016 - Mobility Lab

Pedestrian Crosswalk

Thinking Beyond the (Autonomous) Vehicle: The Promise of Saved Lives

While car companies and federal regulators concentrate on the mechanisms of automated vehicles, they're still overlooking the ability for the car to connect with the outside world. The benefit of such a focus could come in lives saved.

December 13, 2016 - William Riggs

Paid Parking

Charging for Parking to Finance Public Services

Donald Shoup, Quan Yuan, and Xin Jiang guest blog about their recent article in the Journal of Planning Education and Research.

December 13, 2016 - JPER

Bmorebikeshare

The Secret to Baltimore's Bikeshare Success: E-Bikes

Baltimore's still-new bike share system is off to a strong start, running 40 percent of its fleet on small electric motors.

December 13, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

TOD Sign

Smart Growth America, FTA Offer Assistance in Making the Most of TOD

Technical assistance is coming to five U.S. cities thanks to the National Public Transportation/Transit-Oriented Development Technical Assistance Initiative.

December 13, 2016 - Smart Growth America

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.