Transportation
Hopes for Restoring New Orleans-Florida Amtrak Service Pinned on Transportation Bill
Included in the draft version of the DRIVE Act: funding to study the restoration of Amtrak's Sunset Limited route along the Gulf Coast until Hurricane Katrina.
Uber Looking More and More Like Transit: Is that Good or Bad for Transit?
A spate of media coverage responded to the news that Uber had released a new feature called "Smart Routes."
New York Car Service Companies Go Digital
Facing tough competition from Uber, New York City's neighborhood car service providers are using apps to retain clientele. The jury's still out on whether adaptation will help them stay in business.
Aging Boomer Suburbanites: The Coming Transit Disaster
The suburbs are not conducive to the aging baby boomers that populate them. How do we prepare?
Florida Counties Alter Development Fees to Encourage Compact, Mixed Uses
Hillsborough County, home to Tampa, has already shifted its "transportation concurrency fees" to encourage compact development and a mix of uses. Nearby Osceola County is following their lead.
Amtrak Becoming Bike Friendlier
It's still not bike-friendly, but it's getting better. The Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington joins a small list of routes allowing for "roll-on, roll-off," though reservations and a $25 fee may apply.
What If Seattle Had a Century-Old Subway?
Virgil Bogue's 1911 Plan of Seattle called for a centrally-planned metropolis with efficient transit, parks, and a cap on building height. It was voted down, but remains an interesting study on planning for the long term.
Legal Marijuana Still a Challenge for Road Safety
The state of Washington is finding that more and more fatal car crashes involve drivers under the influence of THC. But legal limbo, lack of research, and spotty detection makes the question of what to do very hard to answer.
First Rail Link in a Over a Century Now Connects U.S., Mexico
Instead of building a wall separating the United States and Mexico, officials from both countries celebrated the opening on Tuesday of the West Rail Bypass International Bridge.
Los Angeles Sets Vision Zero Target for 2025*
The mayor of Los Angeles followed the lead of cities like New York and San Francisco in setting Vision Zero targets for traffic fatalities by the year 2025. The question remains: Will it be done?
Interviewed: Jerry Wray, Director of the Ohio Department of Transportation
Excerpts of an interview with Ohio Department of Transportation Director Jerry Wray, who spoke candidly about the state's role in maintaining and building transportation projects in Cincinnati and around the state of Ohio.
More Criticism of Texas Transportation Institute's Congestion Report
The Texas Transportation Institute's latest Urban Mobility Scorecard claims, that "TRAFFIC GRIDLOCK SETS NEW RECORDS FOR TRAVELER MISERY." This critique by the Frontier Group puts their hyperbole into perspective. No need to panic!
SEPTA Cycle-Transit Plan a Model for Multi-Modal Commuting
As ridership grows on the Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority (SEPTA) rail system, system planners are looking to a novel approach to relieve crunched station parking: bikes.
Phoenix Transportation Sales Tax Measure Wins On Tuesday's Ballot
Phoenix voters, by 55 percent according to preliminary results, chose to increase their sales tax from .4 to .7 percent on Tuesday, continuing until 2051 to pay for $17 billion in transportation improvements.
California Transportation Bill Would Increase Taxes on Gas, Diesel
Sen. Jim Beall's transportation funding bill has been renumbered for the special session and was amended on July 14 to include a 12 cents per gallon, or 40 percent, increase in the gas tax and a 22 cents, or 169 percent, increase in the diesel tax.
First Bus Rapid Transit Comes to Portland Metro Region
But not to Portland, nor even in Oregon for that matter. The Vine will service downtown Vancouver, Washington and be operated by Vancouver's public transit agency, C-TRAN. It broke ground in downtown Vancouver on Monday.
Study: Capital Bikeshare Reduces Congestion
A new study finds evidence of a causal link between bikeshare and congestion in Washington, D.C.
Pricetag for MBTA's Green Line Extension Jumps $1 Billion
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority is scrambling to resolve a major cost overrun for the planned Green Line extension—in peril is potential rail service to one of the most densely populated cities in the country.
Questioning 'Drive Baby, Drive' Federal Policies
Americans are driving more, again. Streetsblog dares to challenges the Federal Highway Administration on whether that's data worth celebrating.
Security Issues Raised for U.S. Commuter and Intercity Trains
Friday's foiled attempt by an alleged terrorist to massacre civilians on a Paris-bound, high-speed Thalys train has raised fears that a similar attack could be launched on one of America's lesser-speed trains. Are current security measures adequate?
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
