Transportation
Why Bus Rapid Transit Works
This interview with Walter Hook, director of the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy, probes the merits of Bus Rapid Transit versus subways and light rail. The first of four installments.
With Nowhere to Go, Rail Cars Stall and Stay Put
Over a hundred boxcars have sat for about a year in an Indiana hamlet, proving to be the biggest nuisance to those who, live, and play near them. Of no use to railroad companies with nothing to ship, such rail cars now sit idle all over the country.
'Keep Freeways Free' Legislation Introduced
In 2007, the PA legislature passed Act 44 that calls for converting Interstate 80 into a tolled facility. A freshman PA Congressman, continuing in his predecessor's footsteps, introduced a bill to ensure that never occurs.
Wired Says: It's Time for Cities to Favor People, Not Cars
Wired Magazine figures out what the planning world already knows- that there is a need to shift planning policies away from auto-oriented development and towards the pedestrian.
For Big Events, Transit Beats Cars
Twice in the last month, planning expert Bill Fulton has ridden public transit to and from large public events. In both cases, transit was far more effective than driving.
Visualizing The World's Public Transit
This info-graphic from Good compares subways an rapid transit rail systems from around the world, by track miles and ridership.
No Plans For Federal VMT Tax Switch
Amid talk by Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood of converting the gas tax into a vehicle miles traveled tax, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs stated that the plan "will not be the policy of the Obama administration."
Top 10 Cities for Economic Upheaval
Forbes releases its first ever list of "America's Fastest-Changing Cities", documenting the cities that have undergone the most drastic economic shifts.
Seattle TOD Bill Needs Work, Critics Say
An ambitious bill encouraging dense, transit-oriented development in the Seattle area has drawn negative responses from residents who criticize its "one-size-fits-all" approach.
Too Many Cars, Not Enough Driveways in Austin
A suburban city near Austin tried to beautify with a parking ordinance, but city leaders are rethinking it.
Stimulating The Economy- and Greenhouse Gases
In this NPR interview, Michael Replogle, Environmental Defense Fund's transportation director, points to a 12-lane highway that will be built with stimulus funds that he says exacerbates our dependence on foreign oil and global warming.
$8 Billion for High Speed Rail? How Did That Happen?
What were the inside politics that allowed for the largest investment in high speed rail in the U.S? Politico reports on the Obama-Emanuel workings of the rail investment in the stimulus package - and no, it wasn't based on the LA to Las Vegas route.
Details from FTA on Stimulus Money for Transit
The Federal Transit Administration has released its preliminary calculations of how much each of the nation’s transit systems will receive from the overall stimulus bill.
Drive-Thru Pollution
Leaders in Arlington, Texas, near Dallas, are studying how to reduce pollution generated by idling cars at drive-thru windows.
Stop Building Homes, Stop Suburban Poverty
America's suburbs are no longer impervious to "slumming," as low income earners are forced into places that were once firmly middle class. Therefore, researchers say, anti-poverty measures should go beyond mere suburb relocation.
The Interplay of Housing and Transportation
Housing on city fringes may be cheaper, but research has shown that after a certain threshold (about 15 miles), the high cost of commuting is no longer offset by it.
Beijing Adds 1,466 New Cars Daily
For the first month and a half of 2009, the amount of new cars added daily in Beijing has climbed from 1,350 in 2008 to more than 1,450, bringing more than 65,000 cars into the city so far this year.
Infrastructure Needs to Get Smarter
The Wall St. Journal reviews the latest in smart technology for infrastructure, from vehicle infrastructure integration to smart utility meters.
Light Rail Talks Nearing an Agreement
Houston may be able to anticipate four new rail lines before 2012, if a deal two years in the making can be worked out through negotiations.
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
