Transportation
World Leaders Shouldn't Underestimate the Climate-Saving Potential of Bicycles
Writing in The Guardian's Bike Blog, Peter Walker has an important message for the 40,000 delegates from 195 nations gathered in Paris for the COP21 talks: Don't discount the carbon-reducing, planet-saving potential of the bicycle.
Portland to Test Stop Thinning to Speed Up Streetcars
Responding to the leading complaint about the Portland Streetcar—that they move too slow to be useful compared to other modes—service will temporarily make fewer stops along routes in the Pearl District and Downtown.
Maine Partnership Connects Transportation Design and Public Health
Planners and public health professionals in Maine are working together to increase opportunities for physical activity and active transportation.
The Citizen Kane of Parking Cartoons
The City of Ottawa (Canada) has produced an animated video to engage the public as it goes about reviewing its minimum parking standards, some of which date back to the 1960s.
Public Transit May Boost Mental Health
A new study based on an analysis of the residents of Turin, Italy, a city of over 900,000, reveals that walkable access to public transit and urban services benefits mental health, particularly for women and seniors.
25 Years of Rails-To-Trails Success on St. Petersburg's Pinellas Trail
A bike trail can be much more than a bike trail.
Pittsburgh Launches Complete Streets Planning in Earnest
With a planned pace of ten new miles of bike lanes every year for the next five years, Pittsburgh is already making over many of its thoroughfares in the complete streets model. A formal city policy certainly won't hurt, however.
Transportation Reauthorization Now a Done Deal
The plan, now five years rather than six, still needs the sign-offs from both chambers before being sent to the president for his signature on Friday according to POLITICO. Ironically, another extension will be needed to allow a signing ceremony.
New Research: Planning for Cars That Drive Themselves
Erick Guerra of U Penn guest blogs about his new article in Journal of Planning Education and Research, which explores why regional plans have overlooked the future of autonomous vehicles.
Traffic Fatalities Rising Again—As Does the Blame Game
Traffic fatalities are on pace to reach 35,000 in the United States this year. Some advocates are saying it's time for traffic engineers to stop blaming the victims.
Transportation Planners and Reformers: Rethink Your Terms
Remember the term "transportation alternatives," as in alternatives to motor vehicle transportation? It's not used much anymore, and for good reason. But more modern terms, e.g. road diet, need to be rethought as well, posits Nate Holmes for Medium.
Message from 1965: Cars Are Like Frankenstein's Monster
We've known for some time that it would be difficult to rein in the automobile once the country's obsession had taken hold. Footage from a news special aired in 1965 offers historic perspective.
Bus Rapid Transit Hitting Speed Bumps in the Silicon Valley
A proposed BRT route between Palo Alto and San Jose is the latest to hit a setback.
Federal Transportation Reauthorization Agreement Close at Hand
The Wall Street Journal reports that a deal is very near—maybe Monday—for a 6-year transportation reauthorization bill with funding for not three years, as both the House and Senate bills include, but five.
Two Regional Transit Planning Efforts Underway in Portland
With a light rail network now reaching 60 miles, the Portland region is ready to explore its next regional transit options.
Pittsburgh Neighborhood Ready for Traffic Safety Solutions
A string of fatalities has residents and commuters alike ready to explore new options, such as a complete streets plan, to improve the safety of the neighborhood's streets.
Urban Revitalization Through Highway Teardowns
Alana Semuels, staff writer for The Atlantic, examines highway teardowns beginning with the San Francisco Embarcadero in 1989 to see how they have worked in terms of revitalizing poorer areas or restoring the urban fabric that they destroyed.
Somerville, MA, an Urban Lab for Mobility
In Somerville, Massachusetts, Audi is working in partnership with the city and the Federal Realty Investment Trust, a developer, to build the infrastructure to test two new technologies, Car-to-X technologies and automated parking.
Possible Competition for Bay Area Bike Share
With Bay Area Bike Share serving nearby Redwood City in San Mateo County, it might seem odd that the city of San Mateo would look elsewhere for starting a bike share program. However, the city of almost 103,000 did not want a "hub-based" model.
High-Speed Rail to Stop Short of Downtown Houston
The latest plan for the Texas Central high-speed rail line would stop trains well short of downtown Houston. Transit advocates are displeased with the change of plans.
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.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
