Transportation

Tech Shuttle Pilot Might Stick Around San Francisco

They're hated by many, blamed for the city's gentrification, but are an integral part of regional transportation, enabling tech employees to work on the Peninsula and South Bay while living in the city. A city-approved pilot may become permanent.

September 10, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

1984 Olympics

Olympic Hopes Move the Finish Line for Los Angeles Rail Plans

The city of Los Angeles is leveraging its hopes as the U.S. candidate to host the 2024 Olympics to ramp up rail construction to an "extremely aggressive" timetable.

September 10, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

Chapultepec Fountain

Reinventing a Storied Thoroughfare in Mexico City

A team of designers will convert one Mexico City's most dangerous highways into an urban oasis.

September 10, 2015 - ASLA's The Dirt blog

Rail Crossings Exacerbating Traffic Concerns

As the city of Houston is growing, car traffic and rail traffic are also growing. The conflict between the two will be very expensive to resolve.

September 10, 2015 - The Houston Chronicle

Sprawl Connected to Traffic Fatalities in Louisville

A Louisville case study of the findings and recommendations of the World Resource Institute's "Cities Safer By Design" report.

September 10, 2015 - Broken Sidewalk

Cambridge Looking to Value Capture Transit Funding

The city of Cambridge is proposing a new transportation enhancement fund that would charge developments to fund upgrades Red Line’s Kendall/MIT Station or enhanced bus service.

September 10, 2015 - The Boston Globe

National Attention for the Bold Plan to Reshape Transportation in the City of Angels

Mobility Plan 2035, a visionary plan to get Angelenos out of their cars, attracted the attention of The New York Times. The plan calls for using road diets and transit-only lanes to replace auto trips with bike and bus trips, but many are skeptical.

September 9, 2015 - The New York Times

Subway Tunnel

Subways Central to San Francisco Supervisor's Ambitious Transit Agenda

San Francisco County Supervisor announced an ambitious agenda to construct underground rail transit—arguing that the city "should always have a subway under construction."

September 9, 2015 - San Francisco Examiner

Ça c'est Paris

Paris to Clear Streets of Cars for a Day

In perhaps the most aggressive move in the young history of tactical urbanism, the City of Light will clear not just one street or neighborhood, but rather an entire district of cars for 'Une Journée Sans Voiture' September 27.

September 9, 2015 - Forbes

Better Data Means Safer Streets

Open data can be a powerful tool for illustrating the risks to public safety that will have to be overcome as more cities adopt Vision Zero initiatives.

September 8, 2015 - Greater Greater Washington

Structural Deficiencies on 600 Missouri Bridges Reach 'Critical Condition'

Missouri's inability to pass transportation funding legislation or ballot measures has come home to roost in the growing number of bridges classified in "critical condition"—just one or two steps from being closed, according to MoDOT.

September 8, 2015 - AASHTO Journal

Safety of Southern California's New Metrolink Cab Cars Questioned

After a February Metrolink commuter train crash in Oxnard, Calif., train officials hailed the new Korean rail cars as having performed well. Now they have expressed second thoughts, and are replacing the front cab cars with BNSF locomotives.

September 8, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

Woman in Bike Lane, Toronto, Canada

Embracing the Bicyclist as One of Us

In his new book, James Longhurst asks: "Why are most American cities still so ill-prepared to handle cyclists?"

September 8, 2015 - The Urban Edge

Drivers Enjoy Lowest Gas Prices in 11 Years on Labor Day Weekend

Not since 2004 have gas prices been this low, an outcome of a glut of oil on the market from producers amidst a slowdown of demand from China. No surprise that driving is at all-time hime. Prices are expected to drop below $2 per gallon by Christmas.

September 8, 2015 - USA Today

Transit Ridership

Comparing the World's Transit Systems

How does New York stack up compared to London, Tokyo, or even Moscow?

September 7, 2015 - Business Insider

Studies Find Spike in Bike-Related Injuries and Deaths

A pair of studies finds separate but related evidence that as more people are biking, more people are getting injured while biking. What to do about it is still under debate.

September 7, 2015 - KPCC

Image of train tracks at Plano, Texas train station

Op-Ed: Dallas' Rail Plans Are Bigger Than All the Rest

The Dallas Morning News thinks it's safe to say that no city in the United States compares to the ambition of Dallas when it comes to planning for rail transportation.

September 7, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Tracking the 'Bikeshare Boom'

The latest in CityLab's chronological explorations of multi-modal infrastructure examines the rise of bikeshare into a global and ubiquitous phenomenon.

September 6, 2015 - CityLab

Illinois DOT Head: System Is Stuck in the Past

Strong words from the head of the Illinois Department of Transportation, who says the state is planning for "yesterday's transportation system." Are we witnessing a sea change in leadership of transportation at the state level?

September 6, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Toyota Places $50 Million Bet on Driverless Car Research

Toyota is racing to keep up with Google and Uber on driverless car technology.

September 6, 2015 - AP via The Australian

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.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.