Transportation
Report: 9.8 Miles of New Train Track on Long Island Could Generate More Than 14,000 Jobs
A report from the Long Island Index explores the economic impact of a new Third Track on the Long Island Rail Road.
Massive Bus System Overhaul Proposed for Houston
Houston has proposed a large-scale overhaul of the Metro bus system. Based primarily on a high-frequency grid, the proposed plan would make sweeping changes to routes, nomenclature, and more. The plan will be a "must watch" for planners.
Should Bikes Be Allowed to Roll through Stop Signs?
Joseph Stromberg discusses the "Idaho Stop"—so named because Idaho has been allowing bikers to roll through stop signs since 1982.
Safety Program Launched to Combat Distracted Driving in I-95 Work Zones
Some 1,500 workers are building the 95 Express Lanes in Virginia, south of Washington D.C. Meanwhile, most of the drivers commuting the corridor are using their cell phones while they drive.
Making Metro Cool
Michael Lejeune is the creative director for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and as such he's tasked with making transit cool in a city that long worshipped the automobile.
China Considering High Speed Rail Project—to the United States
Reports from Beijing are that Chinese officials are considering a high speed rail project that would connect China to North America. The project sounds like science fiction—but the question remains whether China would or could pull off the project.
New Research Suggests Collaborative Approaches Produce Better Plans
Open Access to Deyle, Robert E., and Ryan E. Wiedenman. "Collaborative Planning by Metropolitan Planning Organizations A Test of Causal Theory."
Filtering Permeability With Traffic Diverters
Traffic diverters can be designed as a hybrid of permeable greenways and woonerfs to make walking and biking easier, safer, and even more pleasant than driving.
A Transportation Redline that Obama is Required to Keep
If Congress can't agree how to fund the Highway Trust Fund shortfall, Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx warned state DOTs that he will be unable to reimburse them for funds already spent. The redline is the $4 billion mark projected to come July.
How Fair Were Reports of Portland's Light Rail Shortcomings?
After a recent report questioned the value Portland's light rail investments, a local journalist and a TriMet representative provide countering metrics of success.
Mapping the D.C.'s Region's 267 Miles of Proposed Transit
Proposals for light rail, streetcar, and BRT lines spread in every direction from Washington D.C. into nearby climes. Although some are more realistic than others, one blog dares to dream about what the full extent of the proposals would look like.
Why BRT Needs to Go Downtown
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) is controversial all over the country. Controversy can often lead to compromises, such as mixing the buses into traffic. A recent article makes the case for overcoming controversy and committing to BRT in downtowns.
Job Sprawl and Commuting Times
Suburbanization has not led to shorter commutes—except perhaps for residents of the most job-rich, affluent suburbs.
A Primer on Effective Bike Parking
Two writers share the secrets to Arlington County's multi-modal success—especially with regard to the importance of well-designed bike parking at locations residential and commercial.
For Sale: Data on 90 Million Bike Rides and 20 Million Runs
The same week that the New York Police Department released a boat load of data about traffic collisions comes news that exercise app Strava will sell its data on the how, where, and when bikers and runners use streets.
DOT's Emergency Actions on Shipping Bakken Crude by Rail Fall Short
In what is being billed as the first emergency order of more to come, the Department of Transportation (DOT), the federal regulator of transporting crude oil by rail, hopes to quell the growing national furor over what some call 'ticking time bombs'.
Can Atlanta's BeltLine Achieve its Potential?
The Eastside Trail of the Atlanta BeltLine is immensely popular. With funding still in question and construction behind schedule on some of the transit that would integrate with the BeltLine, one writer re-examines the trail's vast potential.
GOP's 2015 Appropriations Bill Would Transform TIGER
The GOP-backed 2015 Appropriations Bill would cut funding for TIGER grants, historically a friend to cities and metro areas looking for funding for multi-modal programs, and make it, essentially, a roads program.
Comprehensive Crash Data for New York City Released Online
In a big victory for safe streets, New York City has released to the public an online database of crash data for the city. Previously, poor and incomplete data made creating safe streets "next to impossible."
'Gayborhoods' and Walkscore: the Importance of Community
Richard Florida opines that among many factors in the most walkable neighborhoods, "[who] our neighbors are, and how similar or different they are from us, matters too."
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
