Transportation
The Case Against Jaywalking Laws, Part 2
Laws designed to keep pedestrians off streets are not merely useless, but create a variety of social harms.
Should Electric Vehicles Be Taxed or Subsidized?
The answer depends on location, according to previous studies on EVs. The study from NBER evaluated both gas and electric-powered vehicles to determine their effect on the environment. A surprising recommendation is a new road funding option.
Controversy Emerges Over Chicago's Polka Dot Intersection
Local residents are upset with the effects of the placemaking installment in Chicago, opened this spring—namely slower traffic and a polka dot color scheme. An article in DNAinfo points out that slowing traffic was kind of the point.
Trails Win Big in Florida's 2015-16 State Budget
Florida Governor Rick Scott approved a $78 billion state budget last week, which includes $25 million for a statewide network of non-motorized trails.
Economic Underperformance Tied to Bad Commutes
The price of long commutes can't just be measured in lost hours. Income segregation, job sprawl, and the resulting negative feedback on families eats into overall economic and social well-being.
12-Cent Gas Tax Increase Deal in Washington State
The Associated Press reports that while the exact details of the compromise plan that involve an 11.9-cent gas tax increase have yet to be released, the deal affects Gov. Jay Inslee's proposed low carbon fuel standard.
Transportation Spending and Taxing Considered by Key Senate Committee
When Congress returns from the July 4 recess, they will have less than four weeks to pass and fund a transportation bill—be it for six years, as desired by transportation advocates, or less, as Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch prefers.
Op-Ed: Maryland Governor Is No Friend to Transit
According to this editorial, Governor Larry Hogan's decision to halt a planned $2.9 billion light rail line betrays a politically-motivated preference for roads.
Latest FHWA Data Shows Vehicle Miles Traveled Continue to Increase
Those who thought peak VMT was in the rear view mirror will be disappointed in new data from the Federal Highway Administration.
Phoenix Mayor Advocates Self-Reliance Due to Federal Gridlock
Frustrated with Congress' inability to fund a six-year transportation bill, Mayor Greg Stanton is backing an August sales tax measure to expand light rail. Stanton also discusses climate change and water rights in the article and accompanying videos
Op-Ed: Streetcars Should Actually Serve Locals
While they're currently in vogue, streetcars are only worthwhile if they can be a viable option for local residents. Unfortunately, this is rarely how the systems are designed.
Houten, Netherlands: Where Cars and Bikes Coexist
Well-known in transportation planning circles, Houten's suburban multi-modality can be found almost nowhere else. Perimeter ring roads, train access, and bike-friendly features have cut car trips down to 44 percent.
Debate Over Proposed Utica Avenue Subway Line
One of the suggestions in Mayor Bill de Blasio's OneNYC citywide plan is nothing new: an oft-proposed subway extension down Utica Avenue in Brooklyn. Some question whether the area's relatively low density warrants such an expense.
Downtown Pittsburgh Stakeholders Pitch Shared Streets
It's an early idea, but Pittsburgh, with support from transportation planners and the Pittsburgh Downtown Partnership, could be the next U.S. city to consider the shared streets concept.
New Crude-by-Rail Rule Restricts Access to Information
A May 1 Federal Railroad Administration rule on moving crude by rail was supposed to make routing information more accessible to the the public, but due to lobbying by the rail industry, it will do just the opposite.
Drinking and Peddling Is Legal in Cincinnati (Yes, There's a Catch)
Drinking and riding isn't legal for everyone—but it is legal on a vehicle known as the Pedal Wagon, which seats 15 people around a mobile bar, thanks to a new state law.
Toronto's New Complete Street: For Everyone, By Everyone
A complete streets makeover for a stretch of Queens Quay in Toronto earns high praise.
Way to Go, Göteborg!
Smart cities around the world are finding creative ways to make walking, cycling, public transit, carsharing and delivery services more attractive and efficient. Way to go!
Confederate Flag Debate Spreading to Federal Transportation Funding
An Ohio Senator hopes to use the transportation reauthorization bill to motivate states that issue license plates bearing the Confederate flag to remove them. A week ago the Supreme Court ruled states can do so without violating the first amendment.
Cities Lose Supreme Court Case on Sign Regulation
The Supreme Court, in two separate opinions, unanimously ruled on June 18 against an Arizona town's sign regulation that denied the placement of a street sign based on its content. At question was a sign directing passers-by to a church service.
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
