Transportation

D.C. Streetcar

D.C. Streetcar Reports First Six Months Better-Than-Expected Performance

It's been six months since the D.C. Streetcar finally opened after years of planning and delays. So far, so good for the performance of the line, and now District DOT has some decisions to make regarding the near future of the line.

August 9, 2016 - WAMU

Brooklyn Bridge

Expansion Proposed for Brooklyn Bridge Pedestrian and Bike Path

A crowded and hurried scene is becoming more and more common on the pedestrian and bike path that spans the Brooklyn Bridge. So much so, that the city is ready to consider a new, wider path.

August 8, 2016 - The New York Times

Bus Stop Winter

Will New Transportation Technologies Affect Lower Income Households?

Kevin Cashman, a Truthout researcher, asks in this op-ed if lower income people will not only be left out from the transportation technology revolution, e.g., EVs, AVs, car-hailing, but will they be hurt by it?

August 8, 2016 - Truthout

Colorful Kayaks

A Kayak Share Service Blossoms in Minneapolis

The National Park Service is bringing the sharing economy to the Mississippi River in Minnesota this month with a first of its kind kayak sharing service.

August 8, 2016 - Minneapolis-St. Paul Star-Tribune

Bus Stop

Help Transit Riders Improve Their Bus Stops

Riders in ten cities are raising money to spruce up their bus stops.

August 8, 2016 - Streetsblog

Rail Deck Park

Planetizen Week in Review: August 8, 2016

It only takes two minutes to catch up on the biggest news stories of the week.

August 8, 2016 - Planetizen

Hollywood Blvd

Los Angeles' Chief Technology Officer Helped to Connect City on Transit and Transparency

Chief Innovative Technology Officer of Los Angeles, Peter Marx, recently stepped down. But first, he offers some lessons learned during his tenure, which included an L.A. mobility app and a successful open data initiative.

August 7, 2016 - The Planning Report.

Denver Union Station

Suburban-Skewing Transit Improvements Leave Denver's Core Needing More

Don't call Denver a transit-rich city yet, says a Denver Post reporter.

August 7, 2016 - The Denver Post

BABS bikes in a socking station

California's Plan For Zero Emissions Now Includes Bike Share

Funding from California's Environmental Protection Agency to put zero-emissions car sharing programs into disadvantaged communities met with strong interest last year. Now the agency is expanding the program, with the opportunity for bike shares.

August 6, 2016 - Next City

A SEPTA R5 commuter train heading for Doylestown, Pennsylvania from Lansdale station.

SEPTA Expects to Be Operating at Normal Fleet Size in *November

After 120 of Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority's new but faulty Silverliner V cars were grounded in early July, regional rail service was drastically reduced. Repaired cars will begin returning to service this month.

August 6, 2016 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Transit Signal Priority Lacking for New Fleet of NYC Buses

Seventy-five new buses hit the streets of Queens in May, but none of them have transit signal priority technology, proven to improve travel times, on board.

August 6, 2016 - AM New York

Texas Highway

Texas Considering a $70.2 Billion Highway Spending Program

Texas transportation officials will spend the month considering the state's Unified Transportation Program, which could greenlight construction on some $70.2 billion in highway construction between 2017 and 2026.

August 5, 2016 - Houston Chronicle

Cross-Bikes

Portland Introduces 'Crossbikes'

It's like a crosswalk, but for bikes.

August 5, 2016 - Bike Portland

Seattle Light Rail Construction

Details of the Seattle's Big ST3 Light Rail Plan

The $54 billion ST3 plan would add 62 miles of light rail over 25 years.

August 5, 2016 - Seattle Transit Blog

Sharrows on Sidewalks?

Generally speaking, bikes on sidewalks are not a good idea, but a federally funded project in Duluth, Minnesota may cause planners to take a second look at the practice.

August 5, 2016 - The Bemidji Pioneer

Median Parking: A South Philly Tradition Some Hope Will End

A group of local activists argue that the median parking that is so common on South Broad is dangerous. Some South Philly residents say median parking is part of the neighborhood's DNA.

August 5, 2016 - NewsWorks

Wayne's World

Friday Funny: Turning Urban Planning Into Poetry

The Bard of Avon would be proud.

August 5, 2016 - RPA Lab

Ann Arbor

Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Plan Back From the Dead

The board of the Southeast Michigan Regional Transit Authority found a compromise and managed to get a regional transit plan onto the ballot for voters to consider in November.

August 4, 2016 - Detroit Free Press

Purple Line

Court Ruling Will Delay Maryland's Planned Purple Line

A project dogged by controversy and opposition took another blow this week, this time from a federal judge. The ongoing safety and operations issue of the Metrorail system played a role in the ruling.

August 4, 2016 - WTOP

2016 TIGER Grants

2016 TIGER Grants Award $484 Million to 40 Winning Projects

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced the latest round of TIGER grants on July 28.

August 3, 2016 - Engineering News-Record

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.