Transportation
States Address Impending Cut-off of Federal Transportation Funds
With federal highway funds likely to be cut off in August unless Congress can reach an agreement on a stopgap solution, some states, e.g., MO, VT, GA, AR have taken matters into their own hands to ensure that vital construction projects continue.
Pennsylvania's $2.3 Billion Transportation Funding Plan Clearing Project Backlog
In November, Pennsylvania approved the state's comprehensive transportation funding plan, also known as Act 89. The plan will spend $2.3 billion over five years, and has provided a productive signal to regional and local transportation planning.
First Commercial Drones Take to the Skies after FAA Approval
The first FAA-approved commercial drone flights took place this week. The flights will inform the FAA's policy expected by 2015 regarding non-military drone flights, per a mandate from Congress.
Labor Unrest Surrounds Transit Systems in Brazil on the World Cup's Opening Day
Questions about workers' strikes in two transportation systems persisted right up until the launch of the World Cup, the world's most watched sporting event, today in Brazil.
Double-Checking Chicago's Ambitious Bike Lane Plans
Checking in on the status of Chicago's ambitious plans to add 645 miles of bike lanes by 2020, one journalist finds a number of bikers who are questioning some of the choices made by planners.
For Sale: Air Rights at MARTA's Urban Train Stations
MARTA is exploring the desire of developers to build mixed-use buildings over its urban train stations. Any such deal would be the first of its kind in MARTA's 40-plus-year history.
Is Traffic Speed Compliance A Congestion Cost?
Conventional evaluation often exaggerates congestion costs by using baseline travel speeds which exceed speed limits. This assumes that traffic speed compliance is a congestion cost that justifies major infrastructure investments to alleviate.
Study: Car Sharing Reduces VMT Over Time
Research out of UC Berkeley shows that car sharing lowers all customers' vehicle mileage by about a quarter over time.
The Demographics of Pedestrian Safety
While pedestrian safety affects all areas, it disproportionately affects cities with large minority populations because they are more likely to walk than whites. Santa Ana, Calif. a majority "minority" city, is taking steps to make walking safer.
Riding D.C. Metro's Silver Line: the Great Suburban Retrofit
CityLab provides an in-depth analysis of the planning efforts surrounding the D.C. Metro's forthcoming Silver Line in Tysons Corner, Virginia. At stake, according to the article: "the future of the American suburb as we know it."
Chicago Accumulating Bike-Friendly Bonafides
Chicago officials hope that nearly 5 percent of the city's commutes will be by bike in 2020. The goal requires a lot more work (biking's share of daily trips rose to 1.3 percent in 2012 from 0.5 percent in 2000), but there are many signs of a shift.
Two-Way Streets Can Fix Declining Downtown Neighborhoods
America’s multi-lane one-way streets are a disaster for neighborhoods. A recent study, released at the International Making Cities Livable Conference and led by John Gilderbloom, finds benefits to converting such streets to two-way traffic flows.
Tolls vs. Taxes: Wisconsinites Choose Their Preference
All taxes are not equally disliked—some are more tolerated than others. Jack Craver of The Cap Times examines an academic poll and speaks with policy makers and one advocate about the least objectionable options to pay for roads in Wisconsin.
California Takes Legislative Steps to Address Growing Crude-by-Rail Shipments
While regulated on the federal level, there is still much that can be done on a state level, including adding per-barrel fees to pay for cleanup plans. Plus, a new regulation took effect requiring railroads to notify states about Bakken crude trains.
Urbanists Soak Up Buffalo: PlaceMakers Empty Their Notebooks
Many of you attended CNU in Buffalo last week, but for those of you who couldn't make it, here's a quick collection of a few of the ideas shared.
The Inside Scoop on Portland's Street Signal System
A new installment of the BikePortland podcast reveals the technical considerations in the city’s signal system that contribute to bike and pedestrian safety.
Philadelphia City Council Moves Bikeshare Proposal Forward
A council committee has approved a bill that would pave the way for Bicycle Transit Systems to set up a bikeshare program in Philadelphia. The bill now moves to the full council.
Green Light for Red Light Cameras in California
A decisive California Supreme Court ruling on June 5 made life easier for jurisdictions to enforce red-light laws using traffic camera technology by stating that the photos have the "same presumption of validity as other types of photos and videos."
French Employees Get Paid to Bike to Work
French companies attempt to boost bike commutes by paying employees who cycle to work.
Arguing for Cars, Not Transit, as a Poverty Solution
Data show that cars are more effective than transit in providing poor people to jobs and economic opportunity. But does that mean transit systems are fundamentally inadequate or just currently inadequate?
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.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association
