Transportation

Cars driving on the American Legion Bridge in Maryland

U.S. Miles Driven Rose by 1 Percent in 2024

Americans drove a total of 3.279 trillion miles in 2024, but per capita VMT stayed the same.

March 10, 2025 - Eno Center for Transportation

An adult man, stopped on a Seattle, Washington street corner, preparing for a rainy morning bike commute.

Seattle Recorded Zero Bike Deaths in 2024, per Early Data

The city halved the number of pedestrian deaths compared to 2021.

March 10, 2025 - Seattle Bike Blog

Close-up of green ULEZ sign in London, UK.

Study: London ULEZ Rapidly Cleaning up Air Pollution

Expanding the city’s ultra low-emission zone has resulted in dramatic drops in particle emissions in inner and outer London.

March 10, 2025 - Smart Cities World

People walking on crowded New York City sidewalk

Density and Disorder: The Imaginary Link

A recent article tries to tie public transit and walkability to social disorder — but in fact, sprawling Sunbelt cities like Memphis are as likely to have high crime rates as transit-rich metropolises such as New York and San Francisco.

March 9, 2025 - Michael Lewyn

Close-up of row of electric cars plugged into chargers at outdoor station.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives

A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.

March 9, 2025 - UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation

Woman and two children sit on bench at public transit stop waiting for tram with stroller next to them.

Are Mobility Hubs Child-Friendly?

‘Mobility hubs’ aim to make urban travel easier by connecting travel modes. Adding more services could make them more accessible and useful to women and families.

March 7, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Rendering of blue and white light rail train passing next to tree-shaded walkway with pedestrians in Austin, Texas.

Austin’s Project Connect Funding Safe for 2025

The light rail project is moving ahead with plans to finalize its environmental impact review by late 2025.

March 7, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

The Capitol dome in Washington, D.C. viewed from middle of Pennsylvania Avenue protected bike lanes.

Planning Trends for 2025: Creative Housing Solutions, Ongoing Transit Woes, and the Ever-Creeping Tentacles of AI

Urban planners have no shortage of urgent issues to delve into, from a deepening housing crisis to an increasingly unpredictable climate to a new federal administration bent on slashing key funding for everything from electric cars to housing assistance.

March 7, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Black and white photos of couple walking on Great Highway road in San Francisco on the water during the pandemic when the road was closed to vehicular traffic.

Part of San Francisco Waterfront Highway to Become Pedestrian-Only in April

Two miles of the ‘Great Highway’ will be permanently closed to cars, in part due to erosion that makes the road unsafe for vehicles.

March 6, 2025 - Streetsblog San Francisco

People walking down Bourbon Street in New Orleans at night.

Bourbon Street Could Be a Model for Pedestrian Spaces

The conversation around pedestrianizing public streets isn’t new — think Times Square. Could one of America’s oldest streets lead the way in a revival of the pedestrian mall?

March 6, 2025 - Streetsblog USA

Rush hour traffic jam of cars, buses, taxis and trucks on the Williamsburg Bridge in Brooklyn, New York City with the colorful glow of sunlight in the background.

Multiple Lawsuits Aim to Save NYC Congestion Pricing

Environmental and transit advocacy groups, along with the MTA, are suing USDOT over its recent crusade to end the cordon pricing program.

March 6, 2025 - Sierra Club

Massachusetts state capitol with gold dome in Boston, Massachusetts.

Massachusetts Gov. Makes Case for Road Funding Reforms

A package of proposed bills would change the state’s road funding formula to ensure more money flows to rural areas with limited resources.

March 6, 2025 - WAMC

White 'dollar van' commuter transit minibus in New York City.

What is the Future of NYC’s ‘Dollar Vans’?

A semi-formal transportation system has served New Yorkers for half a century, but complex regulations prevent most drivers from operating legally.

March 5, 2025 - Next City

People walking on San Francisco street with 'Slow Streets' signs.

San Francisco Slow Streets Bucks Citywide Trend, Reducing Injuries by 61 Percent

Low-cost interventions aimed at slowing traffic are making a major impact on road safety.

March 4, 2025 - KQED

Electric Cars

Report: Transportation Equity Requires More Than Electrification

Lower-income households often lack the resources to buy electric cars, signaling a need for a more holistic approach to improving mobility and lowering transportation costs.

March 4, 2025 - Smart Cities Dive

Brown "Park Closed" sign on metal swing gate outdoors.

February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Federal policy changes send shock waves through agencies at all levels of government as we continue to monitor the effects of the new administration’s slash-and-burn approach to government.

March 4, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Green electric Volkswagen van against a beach backdrop.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan

Volkswagen’s ID. Buzz reimagines its iconic Bus as a fully electric minivan, blending retro design with modern technology, a 231-mile range, and practical versatility to offer a stylish yet functional EV for the future.

March 3, 2025 - ABC 7 Eyewitness News

Close-up of green sign with SEPTA logo in Philadelphia, PA.

Philadelphia Tests Bulletproof Enclosures for Bus Drivers in Wake of Fatal Shooting

The city is one of several aiming to improve driver safety.

March 3, 2025 - U.S. News & World Report

Orange sign and traffic cones indicating work zone on road.

Old Versus New Traffic Safety Paradigms

Current U.S. traffic safety programs are failing to reduce crash rates. A new traffic safety paradigm expands the scope of strategies that can be used to reduce crashes, which increases effectiveness and total benefits.

March 2, 2025 - Todd Litman

Blurred black and white image of bicycle laying down in road with orange traffic cone in foreground.

Trump Administration Takes Aim at Transportation Research

Researchers warn of a “chilling environment” as studies examining road safety and other topics are killed off and layoffs hit federal agencies.

March 2, 2025 - Bloomberg News

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.