Transportation

Philadelphia SEPTA Station

Planners Find Support for Rail Transit Connection from Lehigh Valley to Philadelphia

MoveLV: Long Range Transportation Plan process is finding support for the rebirth of defunct rail transit corridor between the Allentown-Easton-Bethlehem and the City of Brotherly Love.

October 16, 2015 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Dutch Fyra Train

Transit Use Thrives on Destination Density

If jobs, services, and other urban amenities are concentrated downtown, suburbanites can use transit to get there quickly without a car. Job sprawl makes transit useless outside central districts.

October 16, 2015 - City Observatory

Toyota Targets 2050 to Eliminate Carbon Emissions

Automakers are ramping up the production of fuel-cells vehicles—so much so that Toyota predicts the end of the conventional engine by the year 2050.

October 15, 2015 - Reuters

California House

Affordable Housing Becomes More Affordable in California Due to Parking Reform

AB 744, a bill which requires no more than one parking space be provided for every two units of affordable and senior housing proximate to transit, was signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Oct. 9.

October 14, 2015 - Smart Growth America

L.A. Metro Tackling Transit's Connection With Gentrification

New leadership at Los Angeles County's Metro says its planning efforts should consider much more than transit routes and service—including the potential for gentrification in the neighborhoods where it's investing.

October 14, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

Waze Index Ranks Driver Satisfaction

One of the world's most popular navigation apps, Waze, has aggregated the data generated by 50 million users to develop a "Driver's Satisfaction Index." Perhaps surprisingly, auto-oriented Phoenix, Arizona leads all cities on the index.

October 14, 2015 - Waze

CTA Buses

Want to Make a Better City? Build a Better Bus System

It's simple, according to this Washington Post column: better buses make a better city.

October 13, 2015 - The Washington Post

Goodbye School Bus: Hello City Bus

Recognizing that providing transit passes to students costs about the same as operating a system of buses in-house, some schools are giving students access to public transit.

October 13, 2015 - MinnPost

Open Streets as Teachable Moments

"There is just too much to learn," from open streets events, says Philadelphia Inquirer Architecture Critic Inga Saffron.

October 13, 2015 - Philadelphia Inquirer

Traffic Light

Good Congestion and Bad

The phrase "traffic congestion" can be misleading; some reductions in traffic speed are less harmful than others.

October 13, 2015 - Michael Lewyn

Charger Rage Hits Electric Vehicle Country in California

All is not copacetic in the Bay Area's EV community. An apparent shortage of electric vehicle chargers is causing incidents where EV owners disregard proper 'charging etiquette' and unplug the charger from other EVs to charge their own vehicle.

October 12, 2015 - The New York Times - Science

Car Bike Lane

Responding to Bike Improvement Skeptics

Communities can receive high economic returns from appropriate bicycle facility invesments. It is important that advocates have solid arguments for responding to skeptics.

October 12, 2015 - Todd Litman

Neighborhood Electric Vehicle

Mainstreaming the Golf Cart

Seniors are on the cutting edge of a movement to make Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs), otherwise known as golf carts, a viable form of everyday transportation.

October 12, 2015 - The Atlantic

Mercedes Benz Suburbs

Mercedes-Benz Bets on a Suburban Future

From a new Silicon Valley facility, Mercedes' R&D department is developing car-share services based on a vision of 21st-century suburbs. The company is also testing self-driving prototypes and electric models.

October 12, 2015 - GreenBiz

Surveying the Weakest Arguments Against Bike Lanes

According to a recent newspaper editorial, "Egged on by the hardcore enthusiasts, New York City is spending lots of money, confiscating lots of lane-miles and basing its transportation policy on a fantasy." Who knew white paint is so threatening?

October 11, 2015 - Mobilizing the Region

SunRail Phase II Receives $93.4 Million FTA Grant

Florida's SunRail commuter rail received a $93.4 grant from the Federal Transit Administration to extend the 61-mile line. The grant will cover half the capital costs for the 17.2-mile extension from Orlando to Osceola County.

October 11, 2015 - Federal Transit Administration

Prospect Park Bike Lane

More Bicycle Infrastructure Equals More Riders

Analysis of Census data shows that, while still small in number, more Americans are taking to two-wheels as part of their daily commute.

October 11, 2015 - CityLab

Editorial: Bike and Pedestrian Proposal for Verrazano-Narrows Bridge an Expensive Joke

A strong scent of snark is detected in a recent editorial criticizing the possibility of building a shared bike and pedestrian path on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge to State Island.

October 10, 2015 - Staten Island Advance

Connecticut Gov. Malloy Picks Sides in the Highway Widening Debate

Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy sees potential benefits in economic development and congestion reduction in a pair of highway widening proposals in his state.

October 10, 2015 - WNPR

From the Bridge to Nowhere Files: Florida's West Bay Parkway

An examination of the proposed plan for the West Bay Parkway in Florida reveals many holes, a wasteful project, and the need for more accountability in transportation planning.

October 10, 2015 - Center for American Progress

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.