Transportation

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Los Angeles Breaks Ground on Purple Line Subway Extension


The long awaited groundbreaking for work on Los Angeles’s Purple Line Extension commenced. The project is expected to open in 2023.

November 8, 2014 - The Source

25-Cent Gas Tax Increase Proposed for New Jersey

New Jersey's transportation trust fund is so broke that by next fiscal year, all of it will go toward debt payments. Democratic Assembly Deputy Speaker John S. Wisniewski's legislation would increase the petroleum tax paid by gasoline distributors.

November 8, 2014 - The Star-Ledger

The Rise of Memphis as a Cycling City

In 2009, Memphis was one of the worst cities for cycling, but it quickly reversed its course, becoming the most improved city for cycling according to Bicycling magazine in 2012.

November 8, 2014 - CityLab

Artisan Manufacturing Mixes Uses with Residential

Looking to integrate artisan manufacturing into a residential neighborhood? Berlin examples provide a few pointers, via Hazel Borys.

November 7, 2014 - PlaceShakers

Brookings Study Maps Freight Traffic in the United States

A new report by the Brookings Institution "analyzes domestic and international goods trade data from 2010" toward the goal of better coordinating freight policies and investments between regions.

November 7, 2014 - Brookings Institution

Rail Project on Chopping Block After Voters Reject Gas Tax Indexing

The rollback of gas tax indexing is projected to lose $1 billion for the Bay State over the next decade. Initiative proponents claim that the legislature can increase the gas tax anytime, though last year's tax increase was the first since 1991.

November 7, 2014 - The Boston Globe

TransitScreen Provides Real Time Info in Downtown Seattle

A new service provides transit users live, real-time displays of all transportation options within proximity to various locations in downtown Seattle, Washington.

November 7, 2014 - Seattle Transit Blog

MARTA to Expand into Suburban Clayton County

After a ballot measure approved the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority's (MARTA) expansion into a suburban county outside of Atlanta, the transit agency could set precedent on how to effectively adapt to sprawling suburbs.

November 7, 2014 - The Week

Tailoring Bikeshare for Underserved Communities

As discussed on Longbeachize by Brian Addison, a new movement in Long Beach is working to make bikesharing more accessible for marginalized communities.

November 6, 2014 - Longbeachize

Pasadena Ditches 'Level of Service' Review for Multi-Modal Measurements

Pasadena got out in front of the state of California this week by replacing "level of service" with a more holistic, less car-centric, set of standards for review under the California Environmental Quality Act.

November 6, 2014 - Boyonabike!

Einstein's Bike Shop

Study Ties Bike Infrastructure to Increased Active Commutes

A study led by researchers from the University of North Carolina finds a connection between bike-friendly infrastructure investments and positive public health outcomes.

November 6, 2014 - ScienceDaily

Campaign 2014 Results: Bay Area Transportation, Land Use, and Soda Tax Measures

Votes exceeded the two-thirds threshold to pass two vital transportation funding measures in San Francisco and Alameda counties. In Berkeley (which passed the nation's first soda tax) and Menlo Park, voters resoundingly reject anti-growth measures.

November 6, 2014 - San Francisco Chronicle

Campaign 2014 Results: Transportation, Energy, Conservation Measures

We've covered a wide variety of ballot measures that appeared on the Nov. 4, 2014 ballot. While the media has focused greatly on Congressional and gubernatorial outcomes, we'll look at the results of the state and local measures we've covered here.

November 6, 2014 - T4America Blog

El Paso Launches 'Brio' Bus Rapid Transit Line

El Paso launched a bus rapid transit line known as the Brio, connecting the Mesa Transfer Center to Downtown El Paso.

November 5, 2014 - KTSM News

Making the Case for Biking in Atlanta

The take of a large culture publication like Atlanta magazine can be helpful in assessing the traction of a movement—in this case, biking in the city of Atlanta.

November 5, 2014 - Atlanta

The High Revenue Potential of a Mileage-Based Driving Fee

Based on a comparison to a list of federal revenue options to make the Highway Trust Fund sustainable, one stands out far above the others—a mileage-based user fee which, surprisingly, is also one of its disadvantages, writes Eric Jaffe of CityLab.

November 5, 2014 - CityLab

One Way Sign

Downtown Denver Converts 18th Street to Two-Way Traffic

Efforts to reshape Downtown Denver to complement the recently re-opened Union Station have now taken to the streets.

November 4, 2014 - The Denver Post

The fronts of three double-decker buses in London

Why Self-Driving Buses Hold More Potential than Self-Driving Cars

An article by Greg Lindsay and Anthony Townsend takes the shine off of self-driving cars and identifies a preferable avenue for autonomous vehicle technology: buses.

November 4, 2014 - Quartz

Two Proposed San Jose BART Stations on the Chopping Block

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) officials have sparked a controversy after announcing that they are likely to cut two of the four proposed stations, one in San Jose and one in Santa Clara, from BART extension plans.

November 4, 2014 - San Jose Mercury News

The Twin Cities Offer Free Election Day Transit—Does it Matter?

There is little, or no, evidence that offering free transit on election day improves voter turnout. Today the Twin Cities will do it anyway for the sake of, hopefully, improving the democratic process.

November 4, 2014 - CityLab

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.