Transportation

Oregon Bill Would Require Reflective Clothing for Bikers

State lawmakers in Oregon are the latest to consider a law that would require bikers riding at night to wear reflective clothing.

March 9, 2015 - Bike Portland

Chicago to Scale Back Red Light Camera Program

The nation's largest automated red light enforcement program will get a trim. How much is mayoral election politics responsible for the change?

March 9, 2015 - Chicago Tribune

Report: 10.8 Billion Americans Rode Transit in 2014

The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) has released its annual report on public transit ridership. Although more Americans are taking public transit, the trend doesn't hold in every city.

March 9, 2015 - The Hill

Do Driverless Car Safety Features Merit Fuel Efficiency Credit?

Manufacturers say yes, arguing that the reduction in vehicle crashes decreases traffic congestion. Other features improve traffic flow. But these are safety technologies, not emission-reducing measures, that critics worry will water-down CAFE.

March 9, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal

Warning Sign

Study: Dynamic Road Signs Make for Better Drivers

A psychological experiment finds that warning signs depicting more movement gain more attention, making drivers navigate more carefully.

March 9, 2015 - The Atlantic

Wind farm and greenhouse gas farm, together

Op-ed: "Fix-It-First" is California's New Infrastructure Policy

In this San Francisco Chronicle Open Forum, Brian Kelly, secretary of the California State Transportation Agency, makes the case that maintenance as well as capital costs be included when financing new infrastructure projects.

March 8, 2015 - San Francisco Chronicle

Chicago Bus

Bus Advocates: Chicago BRT Plan Could Be Better

The Central Loop BRT project, scheduled to break ground this month, will improve commuter travel times. But a collection of compromises means many ideal BRT components won't be installed.

March 8, 2015 - CityLab

Google Self-Driving Car smaller

How Driverless Cars Could Affect Suburban Land Use

Successful driverless cars might lead to "mini mass transit," a distinct mode from public transit and the private automobile. The consequences for land use could reshape suburbia.

March 8, 2015 - The Greater Marin

Evaluating California's SB 375 Implementation So Far

Julie Pierce, city of Clayton councilmember, chair of the Contra Costa Transportation Authority, and president of the Association of Bay Area Governments, evaluates the effects of SB 375, California's key land use law to address climate change .

March 7, 2015 - Western City

D.C. Streetcar Expansion May Be Further Trimmed

New Washington, D.C. Mayor Bowser may deviate from the prior administration by not supporting the expansion of the streetcar line. This is a double-blow to streetcar advocates, as Mayor Gray had already pared down the new streetcar's expansion plans.

March 7, 2015 - WAMU

Cause of Crude-by-Rail Explosions Identified

The Wall Street Journal's senior energy reporter, Russell Gold, is interviewed on NPR about the February 16 derailment and explosion in West Virginia of an oil-train hauling 109 tanker cars of Bakken crude from North Dakota.

March 6, 2015 - NPR

Critiquing Plans for Cleveland's New 'Opportunity Corridor'

As local officials claim that all is ready for work to begin on Cleveland's $330 million "Opportunity Corridor" road construction project, one writer critiques the plan's remaining shortcomings.

March 5, 2015 - Rust Wire

Houston Light Rail

How Not to Evaluate Public Transit Risks

Randal O'Toole claims that light rail transit is more dangerous than bus or automobile travel, but he fails to account for exposure or overall safety benefits. This is a good example of bad statistical analysis.

March 5, 2015 - Todd Litman

Polk Street Bikes

America's Best Bike Lane May Finally Earn the Title

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency voted 6-0 on March 3 to approve a controversial plan to redesign 1.3 miles of Polk Street, one of the most dangerous corridors for biking and walking in The City. It only took 2.5 years.

March 5, 2015 - The San Francisco Examiner

Wrong Way

On the U.S. Transportation System's Structures of Inequality

The tendency of transportation planning of the 20th and 21st centuries to negatively impact poor and minority populations received deep attention on national media outlets over the past few days.

March 4, 2015 - Slate

Atlanta Announces Bikeshare Plans; Targets 2016 to Double Bike Commuters

The contract is signed, after years of planning, Bikeshare is coming to Atlanta as part of an ambitious goal to double the number of bike commuters in the city by 2016.

March 4, 2015 - Atlanta Creative Loafing

Expiring Leases Causing Headaches for EV Manufacturers

The Nissan Leaf, the world's best selling electric vehicle (EV), has a major depreciation problem: leasing contracts are so favorable that when the lease expires, dealers return many of them to the manufacturer because of low demand.

March 3, 2015 - The Wall Street Journal - Business

Crosswalk no daylight

Anatomy of an Unsafe Crosswalk

Streetsblog NYC analyses one of the street design standards in place in New York City that will make it impossible to achieve zero pedestrian fatalities under Vision Zero.

March 3, 2015 - StreetsBlog NYC

Another California First: the End of the Carbon Externality for Motorists

California's cap-and-trade market saw its largest carbon sale, $1.02 billion, thanks to millions of motorists now paying about a dime a gallon for the right to emit carbon for the first time since the program began in November 2012.

March 3, 2015 - The Sacramento Bee

New Mobile App Alerts Drivers to People on Bikes

A free app, still very nascent in its adoption, alerts drivers to the presence of bikers.

March 3, 2015 - The Chicago Bicycle Advocate

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.

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.