Transportation

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.

July 17, 2014 - The Times-Picayune

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.

July 16, 2014 - Guardian Cities

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.

July 16, 2014 - The Des Moines Register

Crime Watch

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.

July 16, 2014 - Michael Lewyn

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.

July 15, 2014 - Streets MN

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.

July 15, 2014 - CityLab

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.

July 15, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

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.

July 14, 2014 - WTOP

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.

July 14, 2014 - Dallas News

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.

July 14, 2014 - Living Streets

Parking Sign

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.

July 14, 2014 - AP (via KATU.Com)

street design

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.

July 14, 2014 - Todd Litman

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.

July 13, 2014 - Los Angeles Times

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.

July 13, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

Bike Shed Netherlands

Surveying Innovative Bike Parking Solutions

Writing for Woodhouse, Mike Clay leads a worldwide tour of the most innovative bike parking technologies and facilities.

July 12, 2014 - Woodhouse

Portland Businesses Advocate for Road Diet

Angie Schmitt covers Bike Portland's article on store owners teaming up to bring road diet as a means to improve business.

July 12, 2014 - Bike Portland

Transit Ridership

The Secrets of Transit Line Success

Payton Chung summarizes a new report from the Transportation Research Board that reveals the indicators of successful transit projects.

July 12, 2014 - Streetsblog USA

Holy Autonomous Bicycles Batman!

Recent reports reveal that a Chinese Internet search company known as Baidu is developing a bicycle that will ride itself. The technology could be game changer in Asia—China, for instance, has 551 million bike riders.

July 11, 2014 - Tech In Asia

Despite Woes, Bike Share Programs Continue to Spread

Bike share programs are spreading throughout the United States, now in 36 urban areas, up from six four years ago. However, half the programs have encountered technical or financial difficulties, according to a tally by The Wall Street Journal.

July 11, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Innovative Transportation Systems Require Innovative Transit Oriented Developments

As new transportation systems continue to emerge and gain popularity, the sacred cows of land use and transportation planning require radical new thinking, according to Gabe Klein.

July 10, 2014 - CityLab

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.

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.