Transportation
Popularity Threatens Progress in Boston's Booming Seaport District
With growth ten years ahead of estimates, Boston's Innovation District is in need of some fresh ideas to help stave of death by traffic asphyxiation. Local roads and mass transit are already stretched to capacity during the evening commute.
Will HOT Lane Usage Decrease When Drivers Realize How Little Time They're Saving?
Perhaps it's not surprising to learn that HOT lane usage increases when prices increase. Higher prices, after all, signal congestion up ahead. What is surprising is the amount drivers are willing to pay to shave mere minutes off their commute.
Court Ruling May Derail CA's High-Speed Rail Project
Unlike prior litigation based on environmental grounds, this suit, brought by a farmer, homeowner and the Kings County Board of Supervisors, is based on the rail project's business plan violating the bond measure the voters approved to fund it.
Texas Embraces Cycling to Slim Down Residents and Beef Up Economies
From the panhandle to the Gulf coast, cities across traditionally car-crazed Texas are building bike-share systems and expanding bike infrastructure to lure businesses, residents, and improve public health.
Editorial: Obama Should Assist States in Implementing VMT Fees
In this opinion piece on how to pay for roads, Noel Popwell gives 5 reasons for switching from gas tax to vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee revenue collection - even if the Highway Trust Fund wasn't facing insolvency next year. Obama is opposed to it.
Could Non-Profit Ownership Be the Solution to Transit Funding Woes?
A scholar and former New York City planner has an interesting idea for improving the financial state of America's often beleaguered public transit systems: let non-profits run them instead of public agencies. Eric Jaffe explains his reasoning.
Jan Gehl: People-Friendly Cities Are Cheap & Easy
Famed Danish architect Jan Gehl shared his thoughts this week about people-friendly cities, and why we have no option but to build them.
More Hype on Hyperloop
LA Times' technology blogger Jon Healy takes a look at Elon Musk's Hyperloop, and after careful analysis, decides he'd bet on a proven, high-speed technology - the same one that inspired Musk to do an all-nighter to draft plans for an alternative.
A Film You Need to Watch About Distracted Driving
Forget all the statistics you've read about the rise in distracted driving, they'll never have the potency of this film by acclaimed director Werner Herzog on the impact of texting while driving on victims, their families, and the drivers themselves.
San Francisco Gains Affluence and Loses Its Identity
The latest 'digital gold rush' has been a boost for the Bay Area's high earners, but a blow to its diversity and affordability. Conspicuous transportation modes - fleets of private buses and black town cars - epitomize the area's growing divide.
How Green Is Your Electric Car? Depends Where You Live
According to a new report from Climate Central, your EV is only as clean as the power plant used to generate the electricity it runs on. Furthermore, due to the huge carbon cost of batteries, a hybrid may be more climate-friendly than a plug-in.
Base Your Transit Investment Arguments on Agglomeration
Forget reducing congestion and improving the environment; a new paper makes perhaps the strongest argument yet for investing in public transit based on its ability to agglomerate, or cluster people together, raising wages and productivity.
Could Saudi Arabia's New Subway Unleash a Social Revolution?
The construction of Riyadh's Metro has ambitious goals to relieve gridlock and reduce obesity. Perhaps more importantly, it aims to grant women the freedom of mobility. “That's a lot to expect from a public transport system,” writes Susanne Koelbl.
California Ushers in New Rail Age
A new rail age is dawning in California, thanks to high-speed rail; BART's impending "fleet of the future"; and more, says Projjal Dutta, director of sustainability at NYC's MTA. If successful, this will mean a major reduction of car use and sprawl.
Bay Area Bike Share Prepares for August 29 Launch
Dwarfed by its city counterparts, the Bay Area's 1,000 bikes will cover a larger region (5 cities in 3 counties) with fewer bikes, many placed at key transit nodes. It also distinguishes itself by being a 'pilot program' with multiple public owners.
30 Years Later, Debate Still Rages Over Impact of America's Largest Light Rail System
30 years ago, voters in North Texas approved a sales tax to fund the Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) system based on promises of reducing congestion, spurring development and sustainable funding. Has the system met its goals? Depends who you ask.
Schedule Slippage Casts Doubts on CA High-Speed Rail
With fantasies of a Hyperloop suddenly offering a tantalizing, albeit far-fetched, alternative to the $68-billion project, CA's high-speed rail has apparently encountered more schedule slippage. The delay could cause more obstacles for the project.
Hyperloop = Hyperlame?
Last week we looked at the dangers of focusing on transportation fantasies. But alas, entrepreneur Elon Musk's vision for a "fifth form" of transportation is here and we just can't help ourselves.
Can Atlanta Solve Its Transit Problems by Taxing Parking?
In the aftermath of the disappointing defeat of a one-cent regional sales tax transportation measure, the city council is considering two measures to raise transportation revenue, one being a parking tax based on a Georgia Tech masters thesis.
Oil and Gas Revenue May Fund Texas Roads
The nation's largest oil and natural gas producer is flush with revenue from energy production. If Gov. Rick Perry signs the bill supported by two-thirds of both chambers, voters will decide whether to use about $1.2 billion of it annually for roads.
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.
City of Rosemead
Rutgers University, Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy
One Hundred Miles
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS)
Hunter College, City University of New York (CUNY)
The Architects Foundation
City of Cambridge
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
