Transportation

The Ups and Downs of the Bike Sharing Economy

What makes Capital Bikeshare, the largest such program in the U.S. with nearly 2000 bikes, a success? What are its shortcomings? Mohana Ravindranath investigates.

May 22, 2013 - The Washington Post

Environmental and Transportation Challenges Await New L.A. Mayor

Whoever is victorious in today's election to choose L.A.'s next mayor, the celebrating may be short lived. Pressing needs to strengthen the city's water supply, maintain transit momentum, and relieve toxic hotspots await the city's next leader.

May 21, 2013 - KPCC

Comprehensive Planning off the Beaten Path

Liven up your comprehensive planning effort Texas style. Matthew Lewis, Development Director for the city of San Marcos, used everything from Legos to "design rodeos" (i.e. Texas charrettes) to get to common ground.

May 21, 2013 - PlaceShakers

Syracuse Confronts 'Most Important Civic Decision in 60 Years'

To demolish, or not to demolish? As Syracuse considers what to do with its aged elevated highway, special interests are mobilizing to prevent tearing down the crumbling I-81 viaduct and replacing it with an urban boulevard, says David M. Rubin.

May 20, 2013 - The Post-Standard

10 Exemplary Approaches to Station Integration

Different contexts call for different approaches to inserting new transit stations into existing urban environments. From iconic statement to net-zero depot, Ron Nyren looks at 10 stations built recently in cities across the world.

May 20, 2013 - Urban Land

Miami Highway

How Miami Lost Its Way to a Transit-Rich Future

Forty years ago, Dade County officials sketched a vision for a paradigm shift away from highways and towards a multi-modal transportation system for the area. Four decades onward, highway expansion is alive and well in Miami-Dade. What happened?

May 20, 2013 - TransitMiami

Train Derailment Halts America's Busiest Train Line

A Friday evening collision between two Metro-North trains near Fairfield, Conn. injured 60 people, 5 of them critically. It's not known when service will be restored along the busiest train line in the nation.

May 20, 2013 - The New York Times

PATH Train

PATH to Ruin: New York Builds the World's Costliest Train Station

Stephen Jacob Smith examines how high emotions, grand designs, poor negotiating, and "extreme politicization" drove the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to build the world's most expensive train station in Lower Manhattan.

May 18, 2013 - The New York Observer

Bike Commuting

Where in America is it Easiest to Bike to Work?

Today, the U.S. is celebrating Bike to Work Day. With increasing investment in bike infrastructure across the country, cycling is becoming a commuting option for more and more workers. Richard Florida looks at the places where it's easiest.

May 17, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Bay Area Commuters Clamor for More Ferry Service

Several days a week dissatisfied patrons are left behind when full boats depart the Larkspur Ferry Terminal in Marin County. More ferries to SF are planned, as are new parking fees at the terminal and shuttle service for those who forgo driving.

May 17, 2013 - Marin Independent Journal

An Ode to Biking in New York

BuzzFeed clearly knows its way around a New York City bike lane. A recent listicle of 44 insights into the pleasures and pains of biking in New York is sure to resonate with the city's growing cycling community.

May 16, 2013 - BuzzFeed

Gas Tax Debate: USA Today vs. Rep. Earl Blumenauer

The USA Today editorial board argues that increasing the gas tax is the best way for states to fund transportation while Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) extolls Oregon's VMT fee pilot project, which the editors calls complex and bureaucratic.

May 16, 2013 - USA Today

Bike Sharing Prepares to Get its World Rocked

The evolution of today's infrastructure-intensive bike sharing systems has been a hard-fought learning process; alas, the current paradigm is about to get turned on its head, and it's happening – surprise - this week in Hoboken, New Jersey.

May 16, 2013 - Ian Sacs

Despite Driving Decline, U.S. Builds for Far More Cars

A new study from U.S. PIRG and the Frontier Group projects three scenarios for Americans' future driving patterns that all fall short of current government projections. Transportation planning priorities should be reconsidered, the study contends.

May 14, 2013 - DC.Streetsblog

Rejoicing in L.A.'s Walkable Heritage

The Big Parade, an annual event organized by writer Dan Koeppel, utilizes Los Angeles's historic public staircases as the setting to educate and entertain Angelenos, while building a sense of community.

May 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Biking in the Motor City: How Detroit is Returning to its Roots

Detroit is moving away from its focus of investing solely in automobile infrastructure. The city is now turning towards bicycle infrastructure as a means of appealing to a different demographic, one that seeks alternatives to the car.

May 14, 2013 - Global Site Plans - The Grid

Must Cycling Give Up its Outlaw Image to Become a Mainstream Mode?

In cities across America, cycling is fast becoming "just another way to get around," causing friction with its outsider reputation. Sarah Goodyear argues that for cycling to become safer for everyone, riders need to renounce their special status.

May 14, 2013 - The Atlantic Cities

Changing the Water in the Fish Tank

David Foster Wallace's commencement speech, now a viral video, misses an essential truth.

May 13, 2013 - Tim Halbur

Investigation Exposes New Jersey Transit's Botched Sandy Prep

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, NYC's rail system was up and running again fairly quickly, with only 19 of its rail cars damaged by the storm. By comparison, hundreds of New Jersey Transit's rail cars were damaged and months of delays ensued.

May 13, 2013 - WNYC: Transportation Nation

Electric Vehicles Are Money Losers, But That's Expected

All-electric vehicles - those without tailpipes or gas tanks, are entering the marketplace, particularly in California, but unlike other models from the same manufacturers, they are not expected to sell well. So why are they even being manufactured?

May 13, 2013 - USA Today

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.