Transportation
The Bizarre Planning of the Las Vegas Monorail
There's a monorail on the Las Vegas Strip. Well, kinda. It's actually behind the casinos and hotels that line the famous strip. This piece from Metropolis explains how it got there and why it's not so good.
The Absurdity of Stationary Bikes
Cong. Earl Blumenauer, speaking at an event with David Byrne and Janette Sadik-Khan, points out the absurdity of people driving to gyms to hop on stationary bikes. Lack of bicycle infrastructure is to blame, he says.
More Bang For Your Buck From Transit Spending Over Highways
A new study shows that stimulus funds spent on public transportation were a more effective job creator than stimulus funds spent on highways.
So Cal's Infrastructure A Mess, Says New Report
A new report from The Road Information Program, a D.C.-area nonprofit, documents the growing number of highway, bridge and transit systems in need of repair in Southern California and lacking the necessary funding.
Streetcars Return to Vancouver
Vancouver, B.C. will launch its first new streetcar in 65 years next month. TheTransitFan got a sneak preview.
Report Indicates Drop in Portland Bicycling
Figures from a new report indicate that cycling is on the decline in Portland, widely considered America's top biking city.
LaHood Talks Trains on the Daily Show
U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood talks about the federal government's mobility plans on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.
CTA Opens Transit Data
The Chicago Transit Authority is opening up its transit arrival data to web developers, spurring what officials and riders hope will be the creation of new tools to make riding transit in the city easier.
Will Carpools Be Tolled in San Francisco?
The Bay Area Toll Authority is recommending carpools on the Bay Bridge be tolled, along with several other changes like different rates for off-peak hours and a steep increase on truck tolls.
Life is a Two-Way Street
Vancouver, Washington's Main St. had languished for years, until city officials turned the street back to two-way traffic. Everyone was surprised at how much difference it made.
Seattle's Big Dig Controversy
Seattle's new mayor come January, Mike McGinn, a former Sierra Club activist, withdrew his campaign threat to veto the highway tunnel planned to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct.
The Longest and Most Frustrating Commutes
This chart from The Economist lists how frustrated international workers are with the commute times in their countries. The U.S. ranks surprisingly low.
Beloved Bicycles, in Oil and Acrylic
Artist Taliah Lampert paints portraits of bicycles, particularly well-used and loved bikes. She sees them as symbols of freedom and empowerment.
Counting Bikes in Copenhagen
Streetsfilm reports from Copenhagen during the UN climate summit, looking at the city's innovative bicycle infrastructure, including a prominent bicycle counter next to a lane to inspire civic pride.
Boxcars Getting in the Way of High-Speed Rail
In Chicago, plans to make passenger and commuter trains faster are limited by the freight trains that share the tracks. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency (CREATE) is working to improve that relationship.
Streetcars: Old is New Again in Rockford
Rockford, Illinois used to have a system of streetcars, interurban rail and long-distance passenger trains like many cities. Planners now say the time is right to consider rebuilding.
Is Riding Transit Necessarily Better For The Environment Than Driving?
In the third of a 5-part "Rethinking Green" series, the National Post casts doubt on public transit's ability to reduce global warming while praising driving; applying similar scrutiny to recycling and aquaculture in the first and second installments
Banning the Cul-de-Sac and Building Bike Highways
From bicycle highways to a ban on the cul-de-sac, the built environment is the focus of many of The New York Times Magazine's ideas of the year.
Bus vs. Rail: An Oversimplified Comparison
Most comparisons of bus and rail systems assume a classic city with a central business district that commuters need to reach, and that each serve a single function, say Jeffrey R. Brown and Gregory R. Thompson of Florida State.
High-Speed Rail Flourishing in Europe
Five new connections opened just last week, including the Salerno to Torino line in Italy and a new section between Bruxelles and Amsterdam.
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 Wisconsin Rapids
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
KFH Group Inc.
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
