Transportation
Is Walkability a Universal Human Right?
An Indian newspaper has started a campaign aimed at making Chennai more accommodating to pedestrians. The issue is particularly acute in the global South, as growing auto ownership threatens the safety of those yet to climb the economic ladder.
Quebec Rail Disaster Revives Oil Pipeline vs. Crude-By-Rail Debate
In a scene reminiscent of the Denzel Washington movie "Unstoppable", but without the heroic ending, an unmanned, 72-car oil train traveled 7 miles to Lac-Mégantic, pop. 6,000, where it derailed, setting off a fireball downtown. 5 fatalities so far.
Despite Lean Budgets, European Transit Goes Green
Despite widespread budget woes and austerity programs, European cities are pushing forward with plans to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by retrofitting existing transit systems in a "slow-motion revolution" in electric transport, reports Erica Gies.
Wash. Gas Tax Legislation Fails in Senate, Killing Columbia River Crossings
Wash. state senate Republicans dealt a crushing blow to governors of both Wash. and Ore. by killing a 10.5-cent gas tax bill needed to tap $850 million in federal funds to finance rebuilding of two, obsolete I-5 spans over the Columbia River.
Cargo Bikes Go Mainstream
Spotted on the front page of Saturday's WSJ is a picture of a Yuba Mundo longtail cargo bike, directing readers to Tom Vanderbilt's feature article of the "Off Guard" section describing the many types of cargo bikes. Main cargo is kids and groceries.
Pa. Budget Passes but Without New Transportation Package
Gov. Tom Corbett's goal of increasing transportation funding was thwarted by political differences in the House. Republicans couldn't agree on lifting the gas tax cap while Democrats wanted more funding for transit. They will try again in the fall.
BART Strike Provides Lessons for Creating a Resilient Bay Area
As news reports indicate, the recent BART strike made a mess out of the Bay Area's morning and evening commutes. For planning think tank SPUR, it has helped to illustrate significant gaps in the region's transportation infrastructure.
Divvy Coasts Onto Chicago Streets
Since we covered the many problems encountered by users of New York's Citi Bike, we though it only fair to share news of a large-scale bike share system that recently launched with far fewer problems (at least according to one reporter).
Stroading: A Meme to Advertise America's Overbuilt Streets
Have you heard of stroading? While we don't recommend you try this at home, it behooves us to tell you about the ingenious meme that Charles Marohn and his friends have devised to point out America's over-engineered urban streets.
Outgoing DOT Head Shares His Vision of the Future of Transportation in America
On Tuesday, Anthony Foxx was sworn in as America's 17th transportation secretary. But before he could take over the keys to the department, outspoken DOT head Ray LaHood spoke with Sommer Mathis about the future of transport in America.
Are Electric Cars Any Greener Than Conventional Ones?
As substantial state and federal subsidies for electric cars continue, and the number of vehicles on America's roads climbs, a new article is raising questions about their environmental benefits over conventional cars.
Infrastructural Tourism Takes Off
Shannon Mattern examines how media scholars and environmental artists are working to reveal the material and immaterial infrastructures that shape our lives, from the Interstate to the Internet.
Gridlock Grips the Bay Area
Long lines for transbay ferries and the limited number of free charter buses operated by BART, packed AC Transit transbay buses, and traffic crawling on the S.F.-Oakland Bay Bridge show the effects of the BART strike on day two.
BRT: Cities Get on Board with Better, Reliable Transportation
With Millennials leading America’s historic decline in driving, cities are exploring ways to attract young professionals through reliable mass transit. Benjamin de la Pena and Nicholas Turner argue that Bus Rapid Transit is the optimal solution.
Rural Transit: A Matter of Life or Death, and in Danger
Public transit that serves rural communities is no less essential to the everyday needs of their users as those systems that serve cities. So, why do some states seem so eager to cut subsidies to rural transit providers?
More Than a Toll Increase Needed to Fund Ohio's Transportation Projects
A 2.7% increase on Ohio Turnpike Tolls and the new bonds that revenue will generate will not be enough to repair Ohio's aging road and bridge network, so a task force will recommend strategies - one of which must be elimination of the gas excise tax.
#TeslaCrash: Three reasons for Tesla (and all of us) to be concerned
Tesla has just disclosed the first fatal crash of a driver using its "Autopilot" system. Tesla should be concerned about the question of who's liable, and we should all be concerned about the wider consequences of this tragic event.
Surprising Census Results Demonstrate London's Bicycle Bona Fides
Move over Amsterdam. A new study of London's road use patterns has found that bicycles account for 24 percent of all road traffic during the morning commute. At nearly a fifth of the areas monitored, bikes actually outnumbered other vehicles.
Midwestern DOTs Struggle to Keep Up With Forward-Thinking Residents
Across America's Midwest, resident revolts have challenged the traditional DOT orthodoxy of continuous highway construction. The most recent battleground is St. Louis, where a growing movement is protesting a highway project first conceived in 1957.
What Would Happen if an American Town Went Carless?
For a possible answer, look to Mackinac Island, Michigan, where cars have been banned for 115 years. Does chaos ensue when the island's population grows to 15,000 during the summer tourist season? Not quite, says Stephen Messenger.
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.
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
Eagle County Government
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
