Transportation
Planes that Run on Natural Gas
Qatar Airlines is gearing up their jets to run on a fuel derived from natural gas - so don't expect to see fuel tanks holding liquefied gas. Similar to the "Messerschmitt Fuel" in World War II that was derived from coal, they are called synfuels.
Saving a Transit System Through Free Rides
Jean-Francois Mayet, the mayor of Châteauroux, introduced free ridership in a bid to turn around his town's failing transit system. Eleven years later, total ridership has increased 208 percent. Henry Grabar examines whether free transit is scalable.
The One Form of Public Transit That Sandy Didn't Shut Down
Though fewer in number, taxis had no competition with subways, buses, and commuter rail all shut down in advance of the Monday night storm. Matt Flegenheimer continues his update on how Hurricane Sandy affected pubic transit and roads in New York.
Unprecedented Northeast Transit Shutdown as Sandy Approaches
Sommer Mathis writes about the largest planned shutdown ever of train and bus service in the U.S. as New York City, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. cancel service on the eve of Hurricane Sandy's arrival along the mid-Atlantic seaboard.
Who Will Pay for America's $2.2 Trillion Infrastructure Backlog?
With the federal government unable to agree on much of anything, state and local taxpayers are bearing the burden for repairing and replacing America's aging infrastructure says a new report from Standard & Poor’s Rating Services.
Visualizing the Connection Between Transportation and Public Health
An informative infographic produced by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation illustrates the role of walkable, bikeable, and transit-oriented communities in producing healthier populations.
Bad Habits Are Hard to Break for US Metro Commuters
Despite significant investment in transit infrastructure, and renewed interest in downtowns and walkable neighborhoods, new data shows that gains in transit commute mode share have been hard to come by in America’s largest cities, says Kaid Benfield.
In a Victory for People Over Cars, Indian Court Upholds BRT
In a landmark ruling issued last week, the Delhi High Court upheld the use of New Delhi's streets for a 5.6-kilometer bus rapid transit corridor, in a blow to auto owners seeking have it removed for use by all traffic, including private vehicles.
LA Politicos Make Final Cases For and Against Extending Transportation Sales Tax
In 2008 Los Angeles voters passed a half-cent sales tax to finance construction of a new transit system. In November, Angelenos will decide whether to extend this tax to 2069, allowing Metro to borrow more in the short term and expedite construction.
Transit Improvements Boost Business in NYC
In addition to making the city's streets safer, the pedestrian plazas, bike lanes and rapid-transit bus system built in New York City over the past several years have been a boon to surrounding businesses finds a new report released this week.
Guide to Building Better Streets Released
This week, NACTO released a preview of its Urban Street Design Guidebook, a document meant to assist local governments in designing their streets on the principle that they're spaces for people and commerce as well as arteries for traffic.
An 'Earth Friendly' Parking Garage in Chicago Begs the Question: What is 'Green'?
With wind turbines, a "daylighting" system, and charging stations for electric cars, Chicago's Greenway Self-Park bills itself as the city's first "earth friendly parking garage." John Greenfield asks, can a downtown garage truly be eco-friendly?
Food Systems Planning: The Next Step in NYC's Public Health Crusade
Now that Mayor Bloomberg has had his say in what New Yorkers drink, Alan Brake argues it's time for the next mayor and his partner in Albany to focus on what they eat, by devising a plan to link New York's upstate farms with its downstate markets.
Giving the Informal Economy a Voice in Planning Processes
In the first of a new series of articles tackling urban livelihoods, Caroline Skinner explains why the informal workforce matters, and offers six strategies for developing more inclusive urban planning processes.
7 Visions for the Accessible City of the Future
With the portion of American's living in cities set to rise to 90 percent by 2050, a new set of accessibility issues will confront the nation's disabled and aging. Metropolis invited 7 teams of designers to develop solutions to meet this challenge.
Absent From Political Debate: Transportation Infrastructure
National Journal engaged several experts on the state of transportation infrastructure. Both Ken Orski and Rep. Earl Blumenhauer examine different aspects of the 'Infrastructure Deficit". What can we expect to see in the next four years?
Two Opinions on NYC's Proposed Subway Fare Increase
Editorializing on the expected fare increase for New York City's 8.5 million transit riders, the Times suggests ways to soften the blow. Writing in response, the president of the Citizens Budget Commission suggests looking toward motorists.
New Study Supports Advocates of Bike Infrastructure
Emily Badger discusses new research showing that dedicated bike infrastructure has a demonstrated impact on reducing the risk of injury for cyclists.
West Coast's Tallest Building Gets Approved
Last week the San Francisco Planning Commission gave final approval for the 1,070-foot Transbay Transit Center tower, reports Mike Billings.
Midwest Gets Taste Of High(er) Speed Rail
The speedometer on the Chicago to St. Louis train hit 110 mph - and stayed there for five minutes, but it was enough to elevate the spirits of Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and the other dignitaries on-board. Normal speeds top out at 79 mph.
Pagination
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Smith Gee Studio
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
Municipality of Princeton (NJ)