Transportation
Ideological Clash Over Transportation Bill
A proposal to cut transportation funding by chairman of the House transportation committee John Mica (R-Fla.) received wide criticism from the Democrat counterpart.
Urbanist Heavyweights Compare European and US Planning
Leading urban thinkers weigh-in on a debate of the merits of European and US approaches to urban planning, with a specific focus on the place of automobiles in cities. Ed Glaeser, Ellen Dunham-Jones, and Sam Staley are among the contributors.
LA's Pilot Express Lanes Coming Soon
California Report previews 25 miles of new express or high occupancy toll lanes coming to LA as a pilot project paid from the competitive value pricing grant program under President Bush. The lanes currently are reserved for high occupancy vehicles
600,000 Jobs Depend on New Transpo Bill, Says US Senator
Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) says that the US economy could lose up to 600,000 jobs if a transportation reauthorization bill is not passed by September 30.
"Carmageddon" Hits L.A.
Shutting down the Interstate 405 corridor for two days on July 16 and 17 is akin to clipping L.A.'s mobility wings. Commuters and residents in the region are making contingency plans to circumvent heavy traffic congestion next weekend.
California Law Doesn't Stop Sprawl
A draft report from San Diego reveals that California's SB 375 law, which passed in 2008, was ineffective in reducing sprawl in the long term, Ethan Elkind writes for the UCLA UC Berkeley Legal Planet blog.
The Bicycles of Amsterdam
Cargo bikes, tandems and even ice cream bikes - this photo-essay highlights the great variety of bicycles being used in Amsterdam. Charles Siegel hopes the pictures will get Americans over their timidness when it comes to practical bicycling.
The End of the Great American Highway
The American highway is in shambles, and there is not enough money to fix it, reports Zach Rosenberg of Car and Driver Magazine.
Female Cyclists the Minority in New York City
Male cyclists outnumber females cyclists in New York City three to one. New York City lags behind Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Portland, Oregon, in female ridership.
US DOT To Distribute $527m in Next Round of TIGER Grants
The US Department of Transportation will begin accepting applications for the transportation grants on August 22nd.
The Soon-to-be Glamorous and Cutting Edge LAX
The addition of the Bradley terminal and modernization projects across LAX are pushing the airport back into relevance, Dan Weikel reports for the Los Angeles Times.
A Transit Pilgrimage to Los Angeles
When Colorado transportation officials sought an example of effective bus rapid transit to visit while developing a system of their own, they headed to an unexpected source.
Shrinkage Moving Too Slowly in Rust Belt Town
Rust Belt poster child Youngstown, Ohio made waves almost a decade ago with its revolutionary plan for "controlled shrinkage." But progress has been slow in a political system still wired for growth.
Sustainable Practices Find a Home in the Americas
Whether in Cupertino, Calif. or Curitiba, Brazil, cities are starting an aggressive move toward sustainability in the Americas. In this evolution, technology, citizen involvement and innovation will play a role transforming cities, Leon Kaye writes.
The Environmental Impact of New Cars
The new "Eco-Drive Index" offers a mode of comparing the average monthly environmental impact by an individual U.S. driver who has purchased a new vehicle that month.
Cash for Transit Independence
The DOT awarded a billion and a half in grants to transit projects on the Fourth of July. Eric Jaffe has the lowdown on projects from Connecticut to Colorado.
70's-Era Personal Rapid Transit System Still Operating in West Virginia
The only true PRT in the United States, the system serves 15,000 students of West Virginia University each day when school is in session. Some even credit the school's growth to the effectiveness of the PRT.
Obama's Mileage-High Ambition
The Obama administration is proposing new mileage and emissions standards for U.S. vehicles. By 2025, American automakers will have to manufacture cars that achieve 56.2 miles per gallon (mpg).
More U.S. Cities Launching Bike Sharing Programs
More American cities are following successful European cities' leads and launching their own bike sharing systems.
Injured Cyclists Team Up to Fund Fix for Heavy Accident Area
An accident-prone section of bike path in Seattle has prompted dozens of lawsuits and resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars in payments to injured cyclists. Now the cyclists themselves are trying to fix the infrastructural problem.
Pagination
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