Transportation
Study: Bike Commuters Are Less Stressed
A new study finds that biking to work does wonders for reducing stress levels throughout the day. Too bad most it's so hard to fund biking infrastructure.
Amtrak Resumes Full Service on Northeast Corridor Today
Six days after one of Amtrak's worst derailments that resulted in the deaths of 8 passengers, service will resume on the Northeast Corridor, the busiest train route in the U.S. Amtrak #188 had accelerated to 106 mph as it entered a curve on May 12.
Nebraska Legislature Overrides Governor's Veto to Hike Gas Tax
Thirty votes were needed on May 14 to overturn Gov. Pete Ricketts veto of the six cents per gallon gas tax hike approved by the state legislature, and that's just how many Sen. Jim Smith received. South Carolina may be next.
Mayoral Op-Ed: U.S. Needs to Play Catch-Up on Transportation
Mayors Bill de Blasio of New York and Mick Cornett of Oklahoma City say federal dollars are the only way to restore crumbling infrastructure. China and Europe are investing heavily, while U.S. rates are at a 20-year low.
Op-Ed: Charge Drivers by the Gallon, Not by the Mile
Ben Adler of Grist makes a convincing case of why we should stick with gas taxes and not switch to a road usage charge, as Oregon will do July 1 in a limited program. Tax what you burn, not by how much you drive, he argues, to get the best results.
Montreal Debates Tolls or Mileage Charges to Finance Bridge Construction
A powerful realty group fears tolls will 'marginalize' downtown Montreal, so they propose a regional kilometer-traveled-fee to finance the new Champlain Bridge.
154 Cities Earn Marks in Updated Bike Score Rankings
Walk Score released an updated ranking of the best cities for biking—including Bike Scores for a total of 154 U.S. cities—in time for Bike to Work Week and National Bike Month.
California Transportation Spending Gets Boost from Budget Revision
A short term increase in spending hides California's annual structural deficit of almost $6 billion—money needed to maintain the state's roads and bridges.
How Regulatory Changes Facilitate Transit Oriented Development
Darnell Grisby makes the case for focusing on ridership and boardings (rather than travel time) and clarifying joint development rules to better facilitate transit oriented development and transit oriented communities.
Malcolm Gladwell on Transportation Safety
Looking at the history of car recalls, Gladwell recognizes a tension between the way engineers see malfunctions and how the public sees them. It's easy to blame the machine, but that doesn't always solve the problem.
Walkability 'Growing Pains' in Los Angeles
By many estimates, a city known for its pedestrian unfriendliness is developing pockets of local walkability. Minor disputes over pedestrian rights may add up to something bigger.
House Republicans Slash Amtrak's Budget Hours After Seven Die in Derailment
The timeliness of the debate on Amtrak's budget could not have been worse for House Republicans who appeared insensitive at best in approving almost a 20 percent cut in funding after the fatal Philadelphia derailment that sent 200 to hospitals.
Seattle Lowers Transit Fares for Low-Income Residents
Joining Chicago, Cincinnati, Denver, and Kansas City, Seattle now offers reduced bus fares to low-income residents. Some worry the program entrenches class differences and doesn't truly aid social mobility.
Denver's I-70 Expansion Undercuts Alternatives
To fund a wider I-70 on its route through Denver, the regional planning commission set aside $50 million in federal funds before considering other projects.
Bay Area's Newest Commuter Rail Service on Display
The Northwestern Pacific RR served Marin and Sonoma counties and the North Coast in the 1890s. The route of the new SMART train, while not as long, will run in the same right-of-way, starting next year. One new train was on display in San Rafael.
Speed a Major Factor in Tuesday's Fatal Amtrak Derailment
The death toll has risen to seven in the May 12 derailment in Philadelphia. NTSB confirmed the train was traveling over 106 mph on a curve where the speed limit is 50 mph. Positive Train Control, which would have stopped the train, was not present.
How Developers Can Help Make Streets Safe for Children Again
It will take a broad coalition of interests to once again make it safe for "free-range kids" to walk and bike on the streets of American communities.
Op-Ed: Microtransit Shouldn't Replace Public Transit
Halfway between public transit and private cars, new and varying forms of 'microtransit' threaten to out-compete traditional public services. Concerns about equity, inclusion, and employee compensation follow.
On the Pros and Cons of Driveways
Whether driveways are anti-urban or 'anti-pedestrian' depends on how we segregate street uses. As shared spaces where they cross sidewalks, driveways inform the wider question: what makes for a good street?
Amtrak Train Derails Near Philadelphia—At Least Six Confirmed Dead
A northbound Amtrak Northeast Regional train derailed after leaving the Philadelphia Amtrak station around 9:30 p.m, on May 12. The scene was called a disaster, with the first of the seven cars that derailed severely crushed. No cause was given.
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
