Transportation

Op-Ed: Legislature Blew It By Not Leasing PA Turnpike

In this op-ed, the former Secretary of the PA D.O.T. bemoans the lost opportunity to lease the PA turnpike to receive $12.8 billion from a private investor group, placing the blame squarely on the state legislature and the Turnpike Commission.

November 13, 2008 - Northeast PA Business Journal

In Total, $75 Billion Approved for Mass Transit

Last week, a majority of transportation initiatives were approved by voters. This is good news for transit advocates, but risks still loom.

November 13, 2008 - The Wall Street Journal

A Biofueled Car- That Flies?

The Skycar is a combination parasail, swamp boat and dune buggy. Sponsored by a British knight and arctic adventurer, the design team is planning an expedition from London to Timbuktu in January of 2009.

November 13, 2008 - autobloggreen.com

Billion-Dollar Transportation Plan Announced in Oregon

Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski has proposed a suite of tax and fee increases to create more than $1 billion for transportation projects in the state. The package will hit the legislature in January.

November 13, 2008 - The Oregonian

NYC Imposes Bike Parking Requirements

New office and apartment buildings in New York City are now mandated to provide a certain proportion of secure bike parking spaces.

November 12, 2008 - Business Week

Estates for All

Wendell Cox looks at how single-family detached housing came to be, and why it's likely to remain a popular option for the middle class.

November 12, 2008 - New Geography

European Bike Sharing Programs Transform Cities

Paris' bike sharing program is well-known, but not alone - these programs are flourishing throughout Europe. The key to their proliferation lies in the new technology they utilize. This article highlights the 'third-generation' Barcelona program.

November 11, 2008 - The New York Times

Freight Rail Flourishes Due To Innovations

In a time of plummeting oil prices, one might think rail would lose business to trucks, but the freight business is more detailed. In this interview with Burlington Northern Santa Fe CEO Mathew Rose, one gains an insight into freight rail's future.

November 11, 2008 - Business Week

New U.S. Streetcars A Boon to European Makers

A surge in streetcar system construction in the United States is benefitting a number of tram builders like Siemens of Germany and Skoda of the Czech Republic.

November 11, 2008 - International Herald Tribune

Cycle-Friendly Cities

Urban Velo Magazine updates readers on new methods for making cities cycle-friendly, and provides a brief history of cycles in cities.

November 11, 2008 - Urban Velo Magazine

China's Rail Investment Needs Pricing Reform

As China embarks on the greatest rail-building investment since the U.S. built its transcontinental railroad, this article points to the urgent need to reform its state-controlled pricing system, both for freight and passengers, to make it effective.

November 11, 2008 - Business Week

Britain To Try Road Tolling By Mileage

Transportation officials in Britain have announced plans for a road pricing system that tracks drivers' mileage to determine charges.

November 9, 2008 - The Times

Traffic Hackers

Two traffic engineers in Los Angeles hacked into a traffic light control system with the intent to influence upcoming contract negotiations.

November 8, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Board Members Need to Get on Board

Not one board member of the Metrolink in Southern California is an everyday rider. But is it so bad that these members, usually politicians, are calling the shots?

November 7, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Seattle Area Voters: Yes To Transit; No To Road Measure

Puget Sound voters strongly supported Sound Transit's sales tax measure to expand public transit while Washington state voters overwhelmingly rejected an Eyeman initiative to allow solo motorists to use carpool lanes during off-peak hours.

November 7, 2008 - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Tree Fungus In Your Tank

An organism discovered in the Patagonian rainforest produces a mixture of chemicals similar to diesel.

November 7, 2008 - Guardian.co.uk

Los Angeles Transit Sales Tax Passes...Barely

Los Angeles County voters narrowly approved Measure R, a half-cent sales tax measure, by 67.4% (2/3 was necessary) to fund rail and road projects, including the Subway to the Sea. The victory is seen as a huge coup for LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

November 6, 2008 - Los Angeles Times

Citizens Redesign Brooklyn Street

On Monday, Gothamist revealed the winners of a contest to redesign the traffic-clogged intersection of 4th Avenue and 9th Street in Brooklyn.

November 6, 2008 - Gothamist.com

Shipping Methods Shift From Truck to Canal Barge

The Erie Canal has been long forgotten as a passage for transportation, but the affordability of shipping goods by canal barge is making it a more attarctive option than doing so by trucking.

November 6, 2008 - The New York Times

North Bay Approves Diesel Light Rail Ballot Measure

The fourth attempt proved a charm as Marin and Sonoma county voters narrowly passed a 1/4 cent sales tax measure to build and run a diesel light rail train through both counties along with an adjacent bike path. The tax measure needed 2/3 to pass.

November 5, 2008 - Marin Independent Journal

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.

Community Development Director

City of Wisconsin Rapids

Professor of Urban Planning

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

Transportation Planner I

KFH Group Inc.

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

100 Most Influential Urbanists

The who's who of urbanism, according to Planetizen readers.

Urban Planning Creators You Should Know

A short list of voices on social, video, and podcasting platforms.