Transportation
Mexico's Lacandon Jungle Under Development Pressure
Lacandon Jungle in Mexico is under pressure as tribes, the Mexican government, and preservationists fight between development versus conservation.
LIRR Strike Averted!
A planned shutdown of the nation's largest commuter railroad on Sunday morning appears to have been averted after MTA leaders reached a tentative labor agreement was reached with the eight labor unions after Gov. Andrew Cuomo joined the talks.
In Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh to Oakland BRT Plans Moving Slowly
In the hopes of finalizing a plan to connect Pittsburgh and Oakland with a bus rapid transit route, the Port Authority of Allegheny County has approved $3 million out of the needed $4 million for a preliminary engineering and environmental review.
More People are Riding Bikes; After That It Gets Confusing
A pair of articles explores the implications of data released in May by the U.S. Census about the increasing use of bikes among commuters. The articles, however, don't agree about the implications of the data for low income and minority citizens.
Friday Funny: Daily Show Burns Congress' Highway Trust Fund Dysfunction
In a segment The Daily Show calls "Shabby Road" (complete with photoshopped image of President Obama, Rep. John Boehner, Sen. Harry Reid, and Vice President Biden as the Beatles), Jon Stewart takes down Congress' inaction on the Highway Trust Fund.
*Cleveland's Public Square Redesign is Great—But What About Bus Riders?
Writing for Rust Wire, Angie Schmitt wonders about the odd-person out in a proposal to redesign Public Square in downtown Cleveland: bus riders.
New Orleans Transit Service Not Keeping Pace with Recovery
A pair of articles in the Times-Picayune, along with a new study from advocacy group Ride New Orleans, finds the transit system in New Orleans doing less with more.
Post-Car? Helsinki's Plans for a Tech-Enabled Mobility Network
Helsinki, capital of Finland's, is working to create a "mobility on demand" system that integrates shared and public transit in a single payment network. The idea is that with such a system in place, residents would no longer need cars.
Proposed Pipeline Poses Dilemma for Keystone Pipeline-Supporting Governor
Iowa Governor Terry Branstad supports the Keystone XL Pipeline, as do most Republican leaders. Then again, it doesn't go through his state. Not so for the newly proposed Bakken Pipeline that cuts across the heart of Iowa. No word on his position yet.
Transit-Oriented Cities and Safety: Another Look
Transit-oriented cities are safer than car-dependent cities of comparable size, especially if one considers traffic fatalities in car-dependent cities.
The $20 Million Road for No One in Minnesota
A writer laments the lack of return on investment reflected by a state DOT's decision to fund a highway-widening project for $20 million that will serve 1,100 daily car trips.
Should Transit Systems Break from the Low Fare Orthodoxy?
A proposal for a radical reinvention of the fare structure for the country's transit systems—one that balances the cost of transit with that of driving, generates more revenue from fares, and enables more capital investments.
Governors Blame Congress for Failure to Sustain Highway Trust Fund
Bipartisan governors faulted Congress for failing to find long-term funds for the Highway Trust Fund, but how do their state records match their rhetoric aimed at raising federal gas taxes? Planetizen looks at some of the governors cited in the WSJ.
College Town Proposes Median Barriers as Solution to Pedestrian Deaths
State transportation officials, the president of the University of Maryland, and a local city councilmember agree: a barrier on the median of Route 1 in College Park is the way to curtail a tragic rash of pedestrian deaths on the corridor.
Op-Ed: Comprehensive Plan Needed to Replace Dallas' Aging Traffic Lights
An editorial calls for a comprehensive plan to address Dallas' growing need to overhaul its streetlights—80 percent of which are now older than their recommended 25-year life span.
In Progress: London's 'Pedestrian Safety Action Plan'
Like cities in the United States—most notably, New York City—London is working to improve walkability while reducing pedestrian fatalities. The policy that will direct London in these efforts, the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan, is still taking shape.
Portland Shows How to Create More Downtown Parking (Without Building Any)
Dynamic pricing is not the only route to increasing parking availability. Better management of disabled placards at metered spaces may be an easier and more effective strategy. Implemented on July 1, Portland's policy is showing dramatic results.
More Great Research Quantifying Smart Growth Benefits
New research can help planners understand how specific decisions will affect transport activity (how and how much people travel), and their ultimate economic, social, and environmental impacts.
Ready and Waiting: New Law Makes Light Rail Possible in the San Fernando Valley
In another example of Los Angeles slowly unraveling itself from prior legislation that hinder its transit goals, Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that will allow light rail construction in the San Fernando Valley.
State, Local Governments Clash over Highway Planning
A clash between transportation planning mentalities is playing out in Milwaukee over a proposed highway expansion—on one side the car-centric concerns of the state; on the other, the placemaking concerns of the city.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
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)
