Transportation
Huge Surge in Biking in Santa Monica
The city of Santa Monica recently released a report to assess its progress toward meeting the goals of the Santa Monica Bike Action Plan.
CicLAvia Rides into South Los Angeles
CicLAvia, the Los Angeles open streets event, heads to South Los Angeles for the first time today. Sahra Sulaiman explains the communities preparedness leading up to this historic event.
Study Provides Lessons in Bike Lane Politics
Eric Jaffe examines the successful (on the third try) bike lane on the Burrard Street Bridge in Vancouver as a case study in pushing a difficult project through to completion.
Does Peak Car Mean the End of Induced Demand?
Aaron Renn provides a dissenting argument on the implications of peak car, namely, "if we’ve really reached peak car, maybe we really can build our way out of congestion after all."
Complete Street Makeover in the Works for 2nd Street in San Francisco
Planners in San Francisco are working on a complete street redo of a key corridor through the SoMa neighborhood that will connect downtown, Mission Bay, and the Central Waterfront.
Report: Bus Rapid Transit Up 383 Percent in Ten Years
Jarrett Walker shares news and analysis of a recent study by the Institute for Transportation & Development Policy (ITDP) finding explosive growth in the construction of bus rapid transit lines around the world in the last ten years.
San Jose Enacts 'Pedestrian Safety Zone'—Bans Bikes from Sidewalks
The city of San Jose has responded to concerns of seniors in the community by banning bikes from sidewalks a large swath of downtown near the convention center, City Hall, and San Jose State.
Parking Meter Revenues Donated to Santa Claus Fund for Low Income Families
A small town in Northern Ontario, Canada, annually gives its parking meter revenues over a two-week period to a fund providing aid for low income families over the holidays.
California Fuel Consumption Rises—First Time in Eight Years
For the first time since 2006, gasoline consumption in California increased from the prior fiscal year. From July 2013 through June 2014, consumption increased 1 percent.
San Francisco Planners Study Extension of Central Subway to Fisherman's Wharf
San Francisco is hard at work on a Central Subway project expected to open in 2019 with a terminus in Chinatown, but planners have already been hard at work studying an extension of the subway to Fisherman's Wharf.
Mexico's High Speed Rail Plans Hits $3.75 Billion Contract Snag
Mexico's planned high-speed rail project looked like tit was full speed ahead until the country rescinded the original construction contract, awarded to the China Railway Construction Corp. A new round of bids is expected soon.

Details on Chicago's First Shared Street
Planners are crafting the details of Chicago's first shared street, where pedestrians will rule.
How Bicyclists Paved the Way for the Rise of the Automobile
Sarah Goodyear shares insight into a book by Carlton Reid titled "Roads Were Not Built for Cars," which details the secret history of the bicyclists that helped launch the fledgling automobile industry in the late 19th century.
Motorists have OPEC to Thank for Lowest Oil Prices in Five Years
American motorists are enjoying the lowest gasoline prices in five years because OPEC chose not to reduce oil output in the hopes that decreased oil prices will be lower than the cost needed to frack oil from shale.

Amtrak's Achilles Heel, Infrastructurally Speaking
Aging, obsolete, and deteriorating bridges affect both road and rail. The 104-year-old Portal Bridge, a swing bridge over the Hackensack River in New Jersey that frequently fails to close properly, tops Amtrak's list for replacement.
On the Symbolism of Highway Protests
Freeways have a rare ability to symbolize both a mundane convenience and a bulwark of segregation. One columnist notes the powerful act of protesting racial injustice by closing freeways.
Legislation Proposed to Ban Sidewalk Tolls on Golden Gate Bridge
If two assembly members from San Francisco and Marin counties have their way, pedestrians and bikers on the Golden Gate Bridge will not be tolled as if they were in a motor vehicle.

Critiquing the 'Twenty Percent' Argument Against Transit Funding
This post critiques a common argument against federal support for public transit: that transit gets 20 percent of transportation spending yet has a much lower market share.

If Millennials Drive Less, it's Not All a Matter of Taste
Bill Fulton writes for CP&DR that while some Millennials may be driving less because they've chosen urban, transit-friendly lifestyles, many more young people are driving less simply because they can't afford to.
BART's Oakland Airport Connector Now in Service
Depending upon which Bay Area newspaper you read, the new 3.2-mile Oakland Airport connector, an elevated, driverless tram that takes eight minutes and costs $6, is either a huge success or a $484 million boondoggle. It began service on November 22.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Smith Gee Studio
City of Charlotte
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)