Transportation
Let Smokers Pay for Roads
Missouri has come up with a unique way to pay for roads, and it's even a user fee, though it bears no direct relation to road users other than for those driving to the store to buy their cigarettes. So much for using the tax to address public health.
How the Triboro Line Could Improve Transit for Boroughs Not Named Manhattan
The Regional Plan Association presents the details of a plan to build a rail line connecting the Bronx, Queens, and Brooklyn: the Triboro Line.
Recommendations for Reforming the American Public Transportation Association
In light of the resignation of APTA's president following the withdrawal of the New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the Transit Center offers its recommendations for reforming the national transit advocacy organization.
Op-Ed: Why Uber Wasn't Welcome in Austin
In the spirit of civic self-congratulation, Austin resident Richard Parker writes about how the transportation network company giants canceled service after losing a referendum vote. He ascribes this victory to the city's enduring contrarian streak.
Reflecting on Regional Planning—50 Years Later
The planning world celebrated Jane Jacobs's 100th birthday earlier this month, and has already begun commemorating the centennial of New York's first zoning code. But did you know regional planning rose to prominence 50 years ago?
Transit Planners Put Ann Arbor-Detroit Commuter Rail in Motion
A long-stalled, but partially built-out, commuter rail line has achieved institutional legitimacy with the Regional Transit Authority of Southeast Michigan. Novembers will have a chance to decide on the idea in November.
Why the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Doesn't Use 'Accidents'
Call them crashes, collisions, even incidents, just don't call them 'accidents,' emphatically states Mark R. Rosekind, Ph.D., Administrator for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the nation's premier traffic safety agency.
Critiquing Uber's Cross-Border Service from San Diego to Baja California
In Mach, Uber launched Passport, a service allowing cross-border service from San Diego to any location in the northern Baja California region. A columnist's experiment with the service reveals more PR effort than mobility service.
What L.A.'s New Expo Line Extension Won't Do
The $1.5 billion, 6.6-mile light rail extension from Culver City to Santa Monica is projected to double trips on the line by 2030, giving commuters a viable alternative to driving. Just the same, don't expect the extension to reduce congestion.
More Kudos for Denver's Rail Network and Newest Rail Line
Rail has transformed the Mile-High City, and the new University of Colorado A Line from Union Station to the airport is but one of many lines that has turned Denver one of the nation's fastest growing and attractive cities. And more lines are coming!
In Support of the Right to Cross the Street
Benjamin Ross argues that the walk signal is a fundamentally flawed approach to creating walkable streets and shareable roadways—making walking slower, less convenient, and more dangerous.
An Interview with the General Manager of the Los Angeles DOT
What's it like to lead the department of transportation in a city trying to overcome decades of car-centric planning? Let LADOT General Manager Seleta Reynolds tell it in her own words.
New Yorkers Bracing for L Train Closures
Two alternatives for repairs on the New York subway's L Train line will have severe consequences for 225,000 riders who cross the East River daily.
Friday Funny: Take the Bus That's Also a Bike
Or maybe it's the bike that's also a bus?
What It's Like to Ride the New Expo Line to Santa Monica
For a bit of fun, take this animated ride on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's new Expo Line extension.
Raleigh Passes 10-Year Bike Plan Update
Completing a year-long process, the Raleigh City Council approved an updated bike plan this week. The plan includes major updates to the 2009 plan, including a 10-year priority plan, focusing on separated bike facilities and neighborhood bikeways.
Beverly Hills Planning for Self-Driving Shuttles, Connecting to Transit
A city known for its opposition to transit might be on the cutting edge of first-last mile technology innovation.
Explained: Calculating Vehicle Impacts on Road Surfaces
Pedal Fort Collins explains the math used to calculate the impacts of various sized vehicles on the roads they travel.
Parking Concerns Raised Around L.A.'s New Expo Line
Good news: Metro Los Angeles will open the long-awaited Expo Line extension, connecting Santa Monica and the the beach to Downtown Los Angeles, this weekend. Bad news: the public waited until now to worry about the parking around new stations.
New Ten-Year Bike Plan Proposed in Toronto
Toronto planners have proposed a new ten-year bike plan that focuses on connecting and improving the city's current network of bike infrastructure.
Pagination
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello