Transportation

Big Changes, Additions for Citi Bike

Big changes are taking place at Citi Bike as the Big Apple looks to improve on its earliest efforts at bikeshare.

April 2, 2015 - Capital

Data, Communications, and the Future of Urban Mobility

Qualcomm and Arup recently published a report on their vision for the future of connected cities. We spoke to Chris Luebkeman, Arup Fellow and Global Director of Foresight, Research and Innovation, and Qualcomm's Kiva Allgood to learn more.

March 31, 2015 - Arup Connect

Pricey AirTrain To Oakland Airport Proves Popular with Riders

The eight-minute elevated, driverless tram costs twice as much as the AirBus shuttle it replaced, which riders aren't happy about, but you wouldn't know it from the ridership numbers. The new connector service opened just over four months ago.

March 31, 2015 - Contra Costa Times

School bus with stop sign

Hard to Get to Class in Charter-Only New Orleans

In a district now comprised entirely of charter schools, many New Orleans children face hour-plus journeys. This makes for increased stress on low-income families and a potential rise in chronic absenteeism.

March 31, 2015 - Pacific Standard

nyc. subway.

New York Will Phase Out C Train 'Brightliners' By 2017

Once the subway's pride, R-32 'Brightliner' trains that operate on the C line will soon disappear from service. Mid-century promo videos notwithstanding, the line's rolling stock was in dire need of an update.

March 31, 2015 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

$55 Million Overhaul Proposed for Memphis' Central Station

A transformative project is in the works for the South End neighborhood of Downtown Memphis.

March 30, 2015 - The Daily News (Memphis)

Portland-Milwaukie Light Rail Connection Due On Time, Under Budget

The thing of legend will come to pass: the TriMet Portland-Milwaukie light rail construction project is expected for delivery on time and between $10 and $40 million under budget.

March 30, 2015 - Progressive Railroading

Debating the Trinity Toll Road Proposal in Dallas

Dueling op-eds argue the controversial Trinity Toll Road proposal.

March 30, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Billboard pepsi

Op-Ed: Transportation Assets Should Generate Revenue

Scott Rawlins argues that public-private partnerships could help transportation departments turn assets into income streams. Underutilized land and data are two areas of interest.

March 30, 2015 - Governing

Metro Light Rail Crash and Derailment Near USC in Los Angeles

Two cars of a three-car Metro Exposition Line train derailed after hitting a compact car in Los Angeles: 21 hurt; train operator and motorist critically. Service was disrupted for thousands of people headed to an international soccer game at USC.

March 29, 2015 - Los Angeles Times - L.A. NOW

San Francisco MUNI's New Competition (in the Marina District, at Least)

Live in the Marina District and work downtown or SoMA? You now have more transit choices thanks to two new startups, Chariot and Leap. Think of the two private shuttle services as Google buses for the public, except they are not quite so large.

March 28, 2015 - Ars Technica

Los Angeles HOT Lanes Have an Oversubscription Problem

The 110 High Occupancy Toll Lanes, conversions of carpool lanes, appear to be a victim of their own success, writes LA Times transportation reporter Laura J. Nelson. An economist would say the solution is to raise the maximum per-mile toll. Or is it?

March 27, 2015 - Los Angeles Times

AAA Takes on Teenage Driving in New Study

Teenagers have a lot on their minds, which is not a bad thing, except when it comes to getting behind the wheel. A report released March 25 reveals that six out of ten teen crashes involve driver distraction—400 percent greater than a prior study.

March 26, 2015 - KHOU 11 Houston

Vintage Taxi

Mental Maps Yield to GPS for Taxi Drivers

In the old days, every taxi driver in New York City was required to prove at least a basic working knowledge of the city's streets and landmarks. A new licensing exam does away with geography, assuming that taxis will rely on GPS.

March 26, 2015 - New York Times

Bell Street Seattle

'Move Seattle': a $900 Million Plan to End the 'Multi-Modal Wars'

City officials in Seattle have proposed a levy on property owners that would finance an integrated approach to transportation infrastructure improvements.

March 25, 2015 - Crosscut

First Look at the New Dallas Streetcar

In a private preview in anticipation of the April 13 system opening, a lucky few got a first look at Dallas' new, battery-powered streetcar.

March 25, 2015 - The Dallas Morning News

Support for a Protected Bike Path Along Cleveland's 'Opportunity Corridor'

The unfolding saga of Cleveland's proposed Opportunity Corridor project has a new twist: community development organizations and bike advocates would like to add a protected bike path alongside the route.

March 25, 2015 - The Plain Dealer

Portland Parklet

The Economic Case for Converting Parking to Parklets

Emily Badger of The Washington Post Wonkblog writes about a new study showing the economic benefits of converting street spaces in front of storefronts to parklets. Other options for street spaces include bike lanes, bikeshare docks, and bus lanes.

March 25, 2015 - The Washington Post - Wonkblog

Long Range Transportation Plan Released for St. Louis Region

The Connected2045 plan lays out a 30-year vision for transportation projects in the St. Louis region, with attention paid to access, the environment, freight movement, alternative transportation, neighborhood preservation, and safety.

March 25, 2015 - nextSTL

Second Gas Tax Increase Proposed in New Hampshire

New Hampshire gas taxes increased four cents last July after a lengthy gas tax debate, but those funds were targeted toward specific repair projects, as opposed to the DOT's annual budget, which will be cut by $88 million unless funds are found.

March 24, 2015 - Concord Monitor

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.