Transportation
Alabama Bill Would Hike Gas and Diesel Taxes by a Nickel, and Then Some
A bill to increase both gas and diesel taxes by five cents in Alabama has passed its first committee on a voice vote and goes to the full House of Representatives on Thursday. The bill indexes both taxes using only two-cent increments.
Proposed Santa Ana Branch Light Rail Would Connect Downtown Los Angeles and Artesia
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) is exploring alignments for a new light rail line.
Light Rail Leading the Way in the Sun Belt
Cities traditionally thought of as car-centric are putting ambitious light rail plans at the center of ambitious plans for transit.
Cuomo and Christie Ask for Federal Funding for Hudson River Tunnels
The bi-partisan duo of governors from New Jersey and New York have penned a letter addressed to President Obama asking for a 50-50 funding share on the critical tunnel project for the Amtrak line connecting the two states.
North America Needs a New Model for Pedestrian-Friendly Planning
Where pedestrian-only streets have failed to draw business, the problem may be a failure to think big enough.
White House Smart Cities Initiative Uses Connected Vehicle Technology
Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx unveiled a $42 million transportation program in Manhattan that is part of President Obama's new $160 million Smart Cities Initiative. Funds will go to NYC, Tampa, and Wyoming to reduce congestion and crashes.
Northeast Ohio Regional Planning Efforts to 'Fix It First' in Urban Areas
The Northeast Ohio Areawide Coordinating Agency (NOACA) has committed to a drastic shift in its transportation planning paradigms.
What's the Rush on the Highway Bill Reauthorization?
Surprise! A three-month transportation funding bill turns out to have funds for nine months! While unanticipated funds certainly sound like good news, it also takes immediate pressure off the House to working on a six-year reauthorization bill.
Carbon-Saving Urban Development Makes Economic Sense
A new report stresses the importance of international cooperation on low-carbon development.
Los Angeles' Mobility Plan 2035 Slapped with Lawsuit
The group, Fix The City, sued the city on September 9 on its visionary plan that emphasizes transit, biking, and walking, claiming the traffic lane reductions will create more air pollution, imperil public safety, and add to traffic congestion.
Uber's Stumble Into Urban Design
As companies like Uber, Lyft, and Bridj expand to small scale transit options, they are setting the stage for a new kind of small scale transit oriented development where the new station is the sidewalk.
Australia's 'Biggest Bike Lane Skeptic'
The New South Wales minister for roads has taken a firm position against separate bike lanes. Sydney cycling advocates say his policies will bring the city out of step with its global peers.
California Transportation Funding Bill Stalls in Final Week
Gov. Jerry Brown's intervention to soffen Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill by halving both the gas and diesel tax hikes did not assuage Republican critics of the bill, so Brown is extending the special legislative session past Friday.
More on the U.S. Surgeon General's Historic Pro-Walking Stance
The idea that Americans should walk rather than drive: "a radical idea wrapped in a banal government document."
New York's First New Subway Station In 25 Years Opens Sunday
On Sept. 13, the Hudson Yards Subway Station, the new Manhattan terminal for the #7 line that terminates in Flushing, Queens, will open with a grand ribbon-cutting ceremony considering the $2.4 billion cost for the one mile extension.
California Won't Require 50 Percent Reduction In Oil Consumption After All
An ambitious energy-climate bill strongly backed by Gov. Jerry Brown was stripped of one of its three goals—to reduce oil consumption in half by 2030. The other two goals, increasing the renewable portfolio and increasing energy efficiency, remain.
Bikeshare Finally Coming to the City that Made Bikes Famous—Portland
Still without a corporate sponsor, Portland is moving ahead with a bikeshare proposal that will add 600 shared bikes to the city's streets.
Atlanta's Transit System to Add Cell, WiFi Access
"Cool, cool, cool, cool, in every way," is Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority CEO Keith Parker's assessment of a proposed deal to install cell phone and WiFi access in transit stations and tunnels.
Dallas Puts New Downtown Light Rail Line on the Fast Track
The Dallas City Council has given preliminary approval to a proposed light rail line, currently called D2, which would add service capacity to the downtown core.
A New Algorithm to Predict Train Delays
An algorithm developed in Sweden adds an extra layer of reliability for rail commuters.
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