Transportation

Rise in Car-Free Households Supports "Peak Car" Arguments

After peaking in 2007, new research shows that the rate of vehicle ownership in the U.S. took a dive over the next five years. Researchers argue the growth in car-free households suggests the country has surpassed peak motorization.

January 22, 2014 - DC.Streetsblog

D.C. Area COG Adopts Regional Transportation Plan

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments recently approved a Regional Transportation Priorities Plan that focuses on improving existing systems. A lot of planning remains to decide which projects get built.

January 22, 2014 - Washington Post

Can Minneapolis Shed Its "Car Town" Image?

Minneapolis is mired in a debate over the role the automobile should play in the city's mobility mix. Many neighborhoods want to reduce surface parking and ease minimum parking requirements, but people still view the city as “a car town.”

January 21, 2014 - Star Tribune

Bridge to U.S. Makes Tijuana's Airport Truly International

To meet demand from passengers seeking an alternative to San Diego's small airport, and circumvent the traffic crunch at two nearby border crossings, Tijuana's international airport will provide direct access from the United States.

January 21, 2014 - The New York Times

Cleveland Announces Wave of Bicycle Infrastructure Improvements

The city of Cleveland recently announced plans to more than double its amount of bike routes in an effort to complete a network of bicycle-friendly infrastructure that connects all of the city’s neighborhoods.

January 21, 2014 - Cleveland Plain Dealer

Bike-Share Operator Bixi Files for Bankruptcy

With debts in excess of $30 million owed to the city of Montreal, and unhappy customers in New York City and Chicago refusing to pay for outstanding bills, the Bixi bike-share company has been forced to file for bankruptcy protection.

January 21, 2014 - The Montreal Gazette

Kansas City Bike Share Program Crowdfunds to Expand (Updated)

The B-Cycle bike share program in Kansas City is using a crowdfunding platform to generate funds for capital investments after an underwhelming attempt to generate funds for operations.

January 20, 2014 - Next American City

Ca73

Urban Road-Building Linked to Poor Statewide Economic Performance

Besides wasting billions of taxpayer dollars, road-building may actually be holding back economic growth overall.

January 20, 2014 - Shane Phillips

The Shared Dynamics of Obamacare and Public Transit

Seems like an absurd pairing, right? Perhaps so but please hear me out.

January 20, 2014 - Norman Wright

Performance, Not Efficiency, on Display at Detroit Auto Show

PBS' Hari Sreenivasan and guests share impressions of the North American Auto Show held in Detroit last week. Trucks and luxury cars were the focus, not electric and super-efficient vehicles. Debate on fuel efficiency standards is predicted in 2017.

January 20, 2014 - PBS NewsHour

Tech Cocktail's Startup Mixology Conference, June 2011 Washington DC

What are Transportation Planners Talking About?

Last week, the Transportation Research Board held its annual conference with < 10,000 people in attendance. We analyzed the tweets to generate a list of the hottest topics, links to transportation resources, and most influential people.

January 20, 2014 - Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Rail and Oil Industries Agree on Measures to Prevent Crude-by-Rail Explosions

U.S. DOT brokered a deal with energy and rail industries whereby both would take immediate steps to prevent the recent explosions involving the more volatile Bakken crude. While voluntary, actual regulations will take more than a year to approve.

January 20, 2014 - The Wall Street Journal

Bad crosswalk

Is This the Most Useless Crosswalk Ever?

The Transportation Planner posts about an inexplicable crosswalk at a highway interchange located in McLean, VA, a suburb of Washington, DC.

January 19, 2014 - The Transportation Planner

A Suburb that Makes Walking to School a Priority

It's no accident that the Cleveland suburb of Lakewood is one of the few school districts in Ohio without buses. Choices made by planners, parents, and school officials have preserved the inner-ring suburb as a “walking school district.”

January 18, 2014 - DC.Streetsblog

FLV California train

California High Speed Rail Project Threatened with Loss of Federal Funding

On Wednesday, backers of California's embattled $68 HSR project were grilled by the chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, Jeff Denham (R-Turlock), who wants to kill it.

January 17, 2014 - The Fresno Bee

Pedestrian Safety Becomes a National Issue

With people young and old embracing urban lifestyles and cities working to create more walkable environments, pedestrian safety is a growing concern across the U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx has embraced the issue as a priority.

January 17, 2014 - DC.Streetsblog

Might Virginia's New Governor Halt a Controversial Highway Project?

Depending on who you're asking, Virginia's proposed Bi-County Parkway is either critical to supporting the state's growth or a sprawl-inducing gift to developers. With a key milestone in limbo, Governor Terry McAuliffe will have a chance to weigh in.

January 16, 2014 - WAMU

North America's Largest Bike Parking Facility Planned for Portland

Portland has a well-earned reputation as a mecca for cyclists. But a new mixed-use development with 657 housing units will set the standard for the U.S. by providing 1,200 bike parking spaces in underground garages.

January 16, 2014 - Bike Portland

De Blasio Outlines Plan to Eliminate NYC Traffic Deaths

Yesterday, Mayor de Blasio launched “Vision Zero”, a multi-agency effort to eliminate NYC's traffic deaths within a decade. With eleven deaths (seven of them pedestrians) already recorded in the new year, progress can't come soon enough.

January 16, 2014 - Streetsblog

March Construction Targeted for Charlotte Blue Line Extension

Preparations for the $1.6 billion Blue Line extension project in Charlotte, North Carolina, are nearing completion. Officials have penciled in March to begin construction on the 9.3-mile light rail line.

January 15, 2014 - Charlotte Observer

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.