Transportation

Transit Fail

Friday Funny: An 'Excuse Generator' for Transit-Related Frustrations

The MBTA Excuse Generator probably won't work on your boss, but it does provide humorously imaginative reasons for why your train made you late to work.

September 9, 2016 - The Boston Globe

Quito BRT

High Quality Public Transportation Can Provide Huge Traffic Safety Benefits

Public transportation increases safety. Transit travel has a tenth of the traffic fatality rate as automobile travel, and transit-oriented communities have about a fifth the per capita traffic casualty rate as in automobile-oriented communities.

September 8, 2016 - American Public Transportation Association

A 'Call to Action' to Find Reasons for Increase in Traffic Fatalities

The U.S. Department of Transportation wants to hear from the public to help explain the 35,092 traffic deaths last year, an increase of 2,348 people from 2014. It has issued a 'call to action' to help interpret the data.

September 8, 2016 - Fast Lane (DOT blog)

People

How Community Engagement Can Restore Trust in Government

Trust between the public and government agencies is low, and democracies are paralyzed without it. How can community engagement help restore trust? This post outlines the challenge and a process for solving it.

September 8, 2016 - Dave Biggs

D.C. Metro

Three Proposals to End Late Night Rail Service on D.C. Metro

Three proposals, that is, save one. David Alpert wants to know why the public isn't considering another option for delivering necessary repairs to the D.C. Metro system.

September 8, 2016 - Greater Greater Washington

Boston Bus

MBTA Considering Privatization of Drivers and Maintenance Workers

A decision to privatize the employment of drivers and maintenance workers, especially for the system's buses, could lead to a wave of layoffs.

September 8, 2016 - The Boston Globe

Hells Kitchen Sidewalk New York City

Questioning the de Blasio Administration's Commitment to Vision Zero

Results showing progress in the fight to end traffic fatalities have disappeared, just like some of the safety projects installed under the banner of Vision Zero.

September 8, 2016 - New York Post

Kids Crossing the Street

How Toronto's Chief Planner Prepared Her Children to Walk Alone to School

Toronto Chef Planner Jennifer Keesmaat describes how she prepared her children for an old-fashioned commute to and from school.

September 7, 2016 - The Toronto Star

Bike Commute

What Kind Of Commute Makes People Happy?

The conventional planning wisdom seems to be that long drives are less beneficial to well-being than a short walk. But what about other commuting options?

September 7, 2016 - Michael Lewyn

Eastside Gold Line and Los Angeles skyline

L.A. Metro's Innovation Chief on the Appeal of P3s

The Office of Extraordinary Innovation at Los Angeles Metro is just over a year old. KPCC checks in.

September 7, 2016 - KPCC

Traffic

Google to Launch Rideshare in Bay Area

The service would operate through Waze, and take a different approach than Uber or Lyft.

September 7, 2016 - Ars Technica

Del Mar Station TOD

Four Ways L.A. Metro Is Increasing Affordable Housing

A median-income family in the L.A. metro area spends 73 percent of their income on housing and transportation alone. L.A. Metro explains why and how they're taking huge steps to get affordable housing on land they own—where it will do the most good.

September 7, 2016 - Shelterforce/Rooflines

A New Era for Drone Aviation

New rules for commercial drone aviation went into effect on August 29, clearing the way for rapid adoption of the technology.

September 6, 2016 - Associated Press via The Dallas Morning News

How U.S Road Safety Compares to Other Countries

That is, not very well.

September 6, 2016 - The Economist

Over $14 Million Awarded to Eight Projects to Find Alternatives to Gas Taxes

The U.S. Department of Transportation is funding ways to transition from the gas tax to other user-based revenue mechanisms to fund transportation infrastructure. The federal gas tax hasn't keep pace with transportation expenditures since 2008.

September 6, 2016 - U.S. D.O.T. Press Release

Subway Sign

The Market Rate of a Shorter Commute

Analysis by FiveThirtyEight offers a lesson in trade-offs. In this case: how much more New Yorkers are willing to pay for less time spent commuting.

September 6, 2016 - FiveThirtyEight

Chicago's South Side Gains New Bus Service

New and improved bus service launched on the South Side of Chicago over Labor Day weekend.

September 5, 2016 - Chi.Streetsblog

Canada Trail

Meet Canada's 'Great Trail'—20,770 Kilometers of Car-Free Trail

It doesn't matter what country you're from, if you like to ride your bike in beautiful places away from cars, you'll be envious of Canada's Great Trail.

September 4, 2016 - MTL Blog

Southwest LRT

Minnesota's Southwest Light Rail Back From the Dead

Regional and county agencies figured out a way to move forward with the Southwest light rail plan without the help of the politically divided state. That could mean the state has time to climb on board by next year's legislative session.

September 4, 2016 - MinnPost

Detroit Motor Bus

Detroit to Expand Bus Service

Good news for transit riders in Detroit—new buses and 24-hour routes are coming soon.

September 4, 2016 - The Detroit Free Press

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.