Transportation

Portland Bike

State Departments of Transportation Finally Turning Their Attention to Safety?

Angie Schmitt sees encouraging signs of a change of perspective in some state DOTs, which seem to be following the national lead of Vision Zero Campaign.

November 15, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

Santa Monica Bikes

The Critical Importance of Bicycle Infrastructure to Public Health

The lead editorial in the December issue of American Journal of Public Health provides the introduction for two research papers on the relationship between bicycling safety and infrastructure expansion in Boston and Vision Zero in U.S. and Sweden.

November 15, 2016 - American Journal Of Public Health

New Jersey Transit

More Bad News About the State of New Jersey Transit

The New Jersey Transit system, with an operating budget reduced to 10 percent of its 2009 total, has become more of a vessel for nepotism than a provider of safe transit service, according to a recent editorial.

November 14, 2016 - New Jersey Star-Ledger

D.C. and Arlington Explore Connection by Gondola

A feasibility study suggests a gondola system across the Potomac would be cheaper than a new Metro station.

November 14, 2016 - The Washington Post

SEPTA Token

Tokens Finally a Thing of the Past for Philly's Transit Riders

The Southeastern Pennsylvania Transit Authority (SEPTA) are expecting to roll out the final components of the new SEPTA Key system, allowing all riders to pay the fare with something other than tokens.

November 14, 2016 - PlanPhilly

Could a High-Speed Gondola Fill in for the Loss of the L Train in New York?

Political support is building for a plan to connect Brooklyn to Manhattan by high-speed gondola.

November 13, 2016 - New York Daily News

Indiana State Capital

Indianapolis Voters Overwhelmingly Pass Income Tax for Transit

Marion County may soon have the nation's most progressive tax dedicated to public transit, and only bus transit at that. In addition to the faith and business communities that backed the measure, Gov. (now V.P.-elect) Mike Pence deserves credit.

November 13, 2016 - Indianapolis Business Journal

Seattle Speed Limits

Lower Speed Limits Are the Law in Seattle

The city of Seattle moved quickly in enacting a speed limit change on streets around downtown. File this under real change to achieve the goals of Vision Zero.

November 11, 2016 - The Urbanist

Nashville

Nashville Mulls Funding Ideas for its $6 Billion Regional Transit Plan

The Nashville Metropolitan Transit Authority and the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee adopted the most comprehensive and expansive version of the nMotion plan. Now they have to fund all those big ideas.

November 11, 2016 - The Tennessean

Detroit's Failed Regional Transit Plan Strikes a Blow to the City's Revival

Voters in the Detroit region had a chance to reverse 40 years of neglect for regional transit. Instead, they kicked the can down the road.

November 11, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Mini Metro

Friday Fun: Now You Can Race to Keep the Trains Running on a Mobile Phone

The Mini Metro transit planning game has been around in all its simple and frustrating glory for a few years now, but it only recently became available as a mobile app.

November 11, 2016 - The Verge

MAX Orange Line - Portland, Oregon

Votes Seem to Favor Expansion of Portland-Metro Light Rail System

Votes are still being counted, but an expansion of the MAX light rail system to the suburban community of Tigard appears to be squeaking out a victory.

November 10, 2016 - OPB

Metro Fare

Bronx Pays More Than its Share for Rail Service

Higher per mile prices push, lower-income Bronx commuters to use other means of travel.

November 10, 2016 - RPA Lab

Donald Trump

Election Roundup: Planning's Big Day at the Ballot Box

Beyond the headline-grabbing presidential election, many states and localities voted on issues critical to the planning profession.

November 9, 2016 - James Brasuell

Denver A Line

Problems on Denver's New Commuter Rail Lines Threaten Shutdown by Federal Regulators

The problems caused by crossing gates for the new A and B Lines are so serious that the Federal Railroad Administration had threatened to close both lines on Nov. 5. They granted the Regional Transit District a 90-day waiver.

November 9, 2016 - Regional Transportation District

London Truck

Making the Most Dangerous Trucks Illegal in London

Commercial vehicles, and heavy trucks in particular, cause a disproportionate number of pedestrian and cyclist fatalities, London Mayor Sadiq Khan is proposing to ban the most dangerous trucks from entering the city.

November 9, 2016 - Streetsblog USA

SEPTA Token

An Early Win for Clinton on the Penultimate Day of Election

With Pennsylvania a battleground state and Philadelphia a Democratic stronghold, ensuring that transit-dependent voters get to the polls was a given, but a transit strike beginning Nov. 1 threatened to derail access. The strike was settled Monday.

November 8, 2016 - USA Today

Brooklyn-Queens Expressway

A $1.7 Billion Highway Project Looms in Brooklyn

The Brooklyn-Queens Expressway (BQE) is built atop of crumbling series of bridges. The city is expected to go in high gear on construction on Brooklyn's only interstate highway by the beginning of the next decade.

November 8, 2016 - Politico New York

D.C. Metro

Big Hopes Ride on a Recently Approved Transit Station in Alexandria

A long-delayed decision by the National Park Service and the Federal Highway Administration removes the final regulatory obstacle for the construction of a new Metro station in Alexandria, Virginia.

November 7, 2016 - The Washington Post

Even Quaint Towns Can Be Cutting Edge

Small towns can teach big cities about effective roadway designs.

November 6, 2016 - Modern Cities

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.