Transportation
Houston's Big Year in Transit Pays Off in New Ridership
It was a big year for transit in Houston: two new light rail lines launched operation and the regional bus system got a makeover on the high frequency grid model. Ridership is also up.
10 Best Bike Lanes of the Year Announced
The victories keep piling up for the advocates, bureaucrats, and politicians fighting for more and better bike infrastructure.
'Transit-Oriented Communities': A New Agenda For L.A. Metro
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is implementing a new vision for "transit-oriented communities."
Meet the Beautiful Bridges 'Spanning Oregon'
Oregon lovers and bridge lovers alike will find lots to appreciate in the "Spanning Oregon" series.
Air Pollution Forces Italian Cities to Enact Serious Driving Restrictions
Unusually mild and dry weather in much of Italy has worsened air quality so much that city governments are acting to reduce emissions from one of the chief sources of air pollution by enacting odd-even license restrictions on driving.
Rail Extensions Receive Sizable FTA Grants in Omnibus Spending Bill
Sound Transit, L.A. Metro, and Santa Clara VTA received sizable funding in FTA's New Starts/Small Starts program for their light and heavy rail extensions, thanks to Congressional representatives who included them in the omnibus bill,.
Toll-Paying Motorists Crowding-Out Carpoolers in Seattle Area Express Toll Lanes
The new I-405 Express Toll Lanes between Bellevue and Lynnwood might be undercharging solo commuters at $10. Carpoolers, who drive for free, are increasingly hard to spot in the lanes, according to anecdotal reports.
Google and Ford Partner-Up to Develop Self-Driving Cars
Google and Ford have partnered to bring together their software know-how with their auto building know-how as the launch of autonomous cars moves one step closer.
All I Want for Christmas Is a Driverless Car
An op-ed describes some of the not-so-hard to imagine drawbacks of a world full of a world full of self-driving cars.
BRT in High Gear in Jacksonville
A car-dependent city is undertaking one of the most ambitious build-outs of bus rapid transit found anywhere in the United States.
Big Transit Happenings Expected for the Sun Belt in 2016
A streak of landmark years for public transit in Sun Belt cities from the West Coast to the Florida Panhandle will continue in 2016.
Bertha Awakens—New Hope After a Two-Year Delay for Seattle Tunnel-Boring Machine
Baby steps are an improvement for the tunnel-boring machine known as Bertha. The drill moved a total of 1.5 feet this week, but the symbolic distance probably felt like a mile.
Popularity of Electric Vehicles Threatens Viability of Bay Area's Express Lanes
The California DMV announced that the maximum of 85,000 Green Clean Air Vehicle Decals had been issued to plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, denying new Volt and plug-in Prius owners the coveted sticker allowing them free access to HOV and HOT lanes.
Austin Transit Planners Regroup After Bond Defeat
The voters of Austin rejected a $1 billion transportation bond in 2014, but transit advocates and Capital Metro staff are already reorganizing to make a new pitch for transit in the quickly growing city.
Civil Rights Activists Target Baltimore Red Line Cancellation
A complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Transportation alleges that Maryland Gov. Hogan's decision to cancel the long-planned Red Line rail project violates the Civil Rights Act.
Vote on 2015's Best and Worst Developments in Streets
Streetsblog is calling for voters in the 2015 Streetsie awards—make your opinion count about the year's biggest developments in multi-modal transportation.
Staten Island Hasn't Seen the Good Side of Vision Zero
The early results of New York City's far reaching Vision Zero initiative to reduce traffic fatalities to zero has produced positive results—everywhere except Staten Island.
Remix Promises to Streamline Transit Planning
Based out of San Francisco, Remix is an intuitive, data-rich tool for transit planners as they consider new routes. All you need to do is draw out the line on a map and add stops.
Uber's Impact on the New York Rush Hour
Researchers found a small uptick in Manhattan traffic during rush hour, as Uber gains more riders from 4 to 7 p.m. than taxis lose. Uber also holds general sway over the other boroughs when it comes to for-hire vehicles.
What's Wrong With Removing Sidewalks in the Name of Pedestrian Safety?
Broken Sidewalk analyzes an example of the kind of street design decisions continuing to encroach on pedestrian infrastructure around the country. The case study: Ninth Street in Louisville.
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