Transportation

San Francisco Skyline

Auto Use Holds Steady in San Francisco

Even as innovations like ridesharing take hold in tech-friendly San Francisco, the percentage of trips taken by personal auto is stuck at just under 50 percent.

February 5, 2015 - Streetsblog SF

Philadelphia Skyline

Pennsylvania Comes 'Round To Roundabouts

When two roads meet in William Penn's Forest, what do you do? New plans from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation say, increasingly, you build a roundabout. No fewer than forty are on the drawing board throughout the state.

February 5, 2015 - Philadelphia Magazine

South Boston

South Boston Sheds Its 'Gritty' Image

An ambitious new transportation plan is yet another step in the transformation of South Boston from a gritty, blue-collar waterfront to one of the nation's most promising zones of innovation.

February 5, 2015 - Next City

Mapping the Morning Commute

What time did you leave for work this morning? What time should you have left for work this morning?

February 5, 2015 - FlowingData

Metro-North Train Slams into SUV at Railroad Crossing; Six Dead

The commuter train had left Grand Central Terminal on Tuesday evening and hit the Jeep at a grade crossing in Valhalla, Westchester County at 6:30 pm. Five passengers died in the lead car of the train which was engulfed in flames from the impact.

February 4, 2015 - Transportation Nation

Gas Tax vs. Carbon Charge Debate Looms in Washington State

The Republican chair of the Senate Transportation Committee is considering an 11.5-cent gas tax increase, setting up a potential conflict with Gov. Jay Inslee's preference to apply a carbon charge to industrial emissions to fund transportation.

February 4, 2015 - KUOW

Vancouver Protected Bike Lane

An Inventory of Protected Bike Lanes

Cities around the United States have built nearly as many protected bike lanes in the past two years as they did in the previous 140.

February 4, 2015 - Green Lane Project

Uber's Newest Competitor: Google

Big news on the automated vehicle front yesterday, as Google and Uber now seem destined to become competitors in the battle for the future of transportation.

February 3, 2015 - Bloomberg

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker Drops Gas Tax Hike in Favor of Bond Financing

Walker had supported increasing the gas tax and user fees last November, but now that he's being taken as a serious contender for the Republican nomination for president, he's changed his transportation funding preference to increased bonding.

February 3, 2015 - Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Unlikely Duo Propose Alternative to Obama's Tax to Fund Infrastructure

A few days before President Obama announced his 14 percent offshore corporate profits tax, Sens. Rand Paul and Barbara Boxer teamed-up to announce they would be offering a repatriation tax, somewhat similar to Obama's tax. Both fund infrastructure.

February 3, 2015 - The Bond Buyer

A New Future Proposed for Georgetown

After announcing its Georgetown 2028 Plan last year, the Georgetown Business Improvement District is continuing its ambitious efforts to bring new facilities and amenities online in Georgetown.

February 3, 2015 - The Washington Post

10 Years in the Making—Surveying the Progress on Denver's FasTracks

The remodeled Union Station in Denver led the national transit headlines in 2014, but that is just the centerpiece of a 120-mile network of transit lines approved ten years ago and only just beginning to come online.

February 2, 2015 - The Denver Post

St. Petersburg a Top Draw for Millennial Job Seekers

Most of Florida has a reputation as the place northeasterners go to retire. A new study from NerdWallet, however, points out the best places to look in the state if you're young and looking to start a career.

February 2, 2015 - Tampa Bay Times

A New Interactive Mapping Tool Showcases Chicago Region's Mobility Infrastructure Needs

A new interactive mapping tool, created by the Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning, makes the case for a renewed, regional focus on the infrastructure that moves the region.

February 2, 2015 - Next City

Obama 2016 Budget: New Tax to Yield $238 Billion for Highway Trust Fund

President Barack Obama is expected to propose a one-time, 14-percent tax on overseas profits from companies, resulting in a contribution of $238 billion toward a total $478 billion, six-year Highway Trust Fund package. But will Republicans agree?

February 2, 2015 - The Hill

Oakland's New Mayor Voices Support for Alternative Transportation

Newly elected Libby Schaaf, an Oakland native and former city councilmember, spoke like a tried-and-true alternative transportation advocate at a recent event.

February 1, 2015 - Streetsblog SF

Senate Passes Keystone XL Authorization Bill: What's Next?

The new Republican-controlled Senate achieved its first major legislative victory on Thursday (Jan. 29) by passing S.1 to authorize construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Five more votes are needed to override a potential presidential veto.

January 31, 2015 - The Hill

Capital Bikeshare Exceeds Ridership Expectations in Montgomery County

The Capital Bikeshare system's push into the suburbs of Maryland surged back from an initial slow start.

January 31, 2015 - The Washington Post

'Next Silicon Valley' Ambitions in Las Vegas

What will it take for Las Vegas to fulfill its ambitions to become a hub of the tech industry?

January 30, 2015 - Las Vegas Sun

Early Returns on Virginia's New HOT Lanes

Virginia opened 29 miles of high-occupancy toll lanes to business on December 29 of 2014. What lessons are drivers and policy makers taking from the ongoing test of the concept?

January 30, 2015 - The Washington Post

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.