Transportation
Retrofitting Long Island Suburbs For The Pedestrian
Complete streets, road diets, streetscape improvements - geared to promote suburban downtowns for new residents who seek access to amenities without having to drive is a hit for some towns who have successfully obtained government grants to fund them
HUD Announces Sustainability Grant Winners
The 27 communities and regional planning organizations selected will receive a total $96 million to achieve their economic and environmental goals.
Dude, Where's My People Mover?
Automated monorails were the hottest invention since the wheel back in the 1960s, and the Feds wanted to see them in every city. So what happened?
Big Retailers See Benefits of Transit
At a recent conference, spokespeople for Burlington Coat Factory and other big retailers explained that they are having great success at locations on subway stops and major bus lines.
Rising Prices All Too Familar in D.C.
In Washington D.C., Michael Perkins explains that starting next July, Metro would be at a deficit of $120 million. They have come up with several ideas to raise a portion of that money through fares.
A Pedestrian Plaza for Outer Brooklyn
Public plazas aren't just for Manhattan. As part of DOT's Public Plazas program, one outer Brooklyn neighborhood has seen a traffic island turned into a pedestrian plaza. Matt Chaban reports on the praise it has earned.
Public-Private Partnerships Don't Solve Everything
NY Governor Andrew Cuomo touts private investment as a solution to New York's transportation funding woes. But a conference of infrastructure experts agree that private partnerships aren't a substitute for public funds.
LaHood Defends HSR At House Transportation Committee Hearing
Speaking before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood defended the viability of the President's ambitious, national high-speed rail program.
Massive Mixed-Use Transit Oriented Development To Hit White Flint
In Maryland, the Washingtonian Tower has been the tallest skyscraper in Montgomery County. Developers in White Flint are proposing an even taller building that will incorporate mixed-use, transit-oriented, and retail/office development in one plan.
Freight-Oriented Development To Be Implemented Along the Red Line
In Charlotte, N.C, planners are looking at ways to appeal to freight users. In addition to transit-oriented development, their plan is to allow freight trains to run on the same tracks as passenger trains promoting the use of the Red Line.
Field Poll: HSR Falls Into Disfavor With Majority Of Californians
According to the non-partisan, independent poll, 64% of respondents endorse placing the 2008, $9.95 billion bond measure back on the ballot to allow voters to choose to proceed with the train project now that costs have doubled; 59% would vote 'no'.
The Myth of the Elitist, Gentrifying Bicyclist
Will Doig asks, "Are urban bicyclists just elite snobs?" Turns out the answer is, basically, no.
Toll Increase Pushes Commuters Into Transit
The Port Authority of N.Y & N.J toll increase on Hudson River bridges and tunnels causes a 4% drop in vehicles and 3.7% increase in PATH train ridership despite fare increase; 3/5% increase in E-Z pass usage, and 20% increase in toll revenue.
Why Transportation Projects Are Expensive
David Levinson poses some possible answers, such as inaccurate project scopes, insufficient economies of scale, and an increase in safety standards.
Gas Prices & Transit Ridership: New Report Details The Connection
Eric Jaffe reports on new research by urban travel behavior expert Bradley Lane of U. of Texas/El Paso on elasticity of gas prices and bus and rail ridership. Interestingly, rail ridership spiked twice as much as bus ridership when gas prices rose.
Regional Planners Sued for Promoting Sprawl
The Cleveland National Forest Foundation is suing SANDAG over a $200 billion transportation plan that purportedly only promotes sprawl through freeway extensions.
San Francisco: "Transit First" In Name Only
Well ahead of it's time, San Francisco adopted a 'transit-first policy' in 1973. However, the 'drive-alone' mode dominates at 39%. While far better than elsewhere in the Bay Area and much of the U.S., transit remains clearly in second place at 32%.
U.S. Transit Vulnerable to Terrorism
Josh Stephens writes that while Al Queda seems obsessed with air travel, they have attacked transit in other countries and the U.S. system is vulnerable.
MCTS Announces Greenline, Blueline, and Redline
In Milwaukee, a new express service will operate on three new routes which will begin service on January 29th, 2012. In addition to the new service, MCTS is restructuring a number of other routes, and creating new routes as well.
Extensive Cycling Infrastructure Created By Mass Protest
The Netherlands gains the title of 'Safest Place to Cycle,' which is mainly due to their extensive infrastructure. But how did these high quality cycle paths come to exist?
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.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
Greater Baltimore Committee
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
