Transportation
Oil Price Plunge Dampens Green Technology
The new 'oil shock' is one of plummeting oil prices and its effect on alternative technologies and energy. Combined with the credit crisis, the fallout in some green technologies is shown by difficulties in attracting capital and customers.
Bike Programs Cut Cars on Campuses
Universities are looking to cut down on the number of cars students bring with them to school by offering free bikes and bike sharing programs.
Traffic-Fighting Proposition Falls Short
According to Neal Payton, Santa Monica's Proposition T, intended to cut traffic growth, is useless.
Phoenix Hopes for Light Rail Revitalization
Phoenix is counting on a new light rail system to revive one of the city's long-ignored commercial corridors when trains start operation at the end of the year.
The Dreaded 'Empty-Lane Syndrome'
As a new 2.7 mile dedicated bus lane opens in Austin, transportation planner Ralph Trapani of Parsons Transportation Group says to watch for 'empty-lane syndrome': the tendency of drivers to use open lanes illegally when in bad traffic.
NIMBY Couple Fights Bus Route
This column looks at the NIMBY-minded attitude of one couple that has been fighting to prevent a bus line from coming into their neighborhood.
California's $10 Billion High Speed Gamble
Sacramento Bee columnist Daniel Weintraub evaluates the pros and cons of California's $10 billion High Speed Rail Proposition 1A. With state revenues are already expected to be over $10 billion short than projected, he thinks it is a risky measure.
Road Closures, Pedestrianization Key to Successful Urbanization
Chris Turner looks at successful car-free pedestrianization and bicycle planning in Copenhagen and Melbourne and wonders why Canada's sprawling, frigid cities can't adopt these ideas as well.
Amtrak Reauthorization & Safety Bill Signed
Two weeks after Congress passed HR 2095, Bush signed this bill to double Amtrak funding and mandate safety technology to prevent Metrolink-like crashes. It may be a precursor to greatly expanded transit spending in the next administration.
Tesla Laying Off Employees and Delaying All-Electric Sedan
Electric car start-up in Silicon Valley said Wednesday that it would lay off employees and delay production of its second car, the Model S, until 2011.
HOT & Green Proposal For Illinois Tollway
What do you get when you designate a carpool lane on a toll road for hybrids and carpoolers? A 'green' lane, say Illinois planners. However, they still pay the toll. Now add a "HOT lane overlay" to it - solo drivers can use it for a 'premium'.
Zip Line Your Way Across Town
Zip line tours- where you slide down a wire hanging from a lanyard- are growing in popularity in tourist spots like the canopies of rainforests. BLDBLOG proposes an urban application.
The Presidential Election and the Future of America's Transportation
The federal transportation spending bill will be up for reauthorization in 2009. The fate of the nation's transportation will hinge on how this bill is reworked, which will largely be determined by who wins this November's presidential election.
Have Bike Lanes, Cyclists Will Travel
Cyclists are much more likely to use bike lanes when they're available -- even if it means going out of their way and taking longer routes, according to a recent study from Portland State University.
It's Light Rail Versus BRT in Honolulu's Mayoral Race
As election day approaches in Honolulu, the Hawaiian capital's mayoral race has centered around transit. The incumbent has been pushing light rail, but now the challenger has unveiled a cheaper bus rapid transit system.
'Housing That Works' Plan Announced
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has announced that within the next five years, $5 billion will go to funding 20,000 new affordable homes near public transportation.
MBTA's $190 Million Rail Car Gamble
MBTA is spending almost $200 million for 75 new rail cars from a South Korean company that has yet to sell its cars in the U.S., so rail experts have expressed doubts about the wisdom of this purchase for the troubled Boston T.
No Relief for Chicago's Drivers
Paradoxically, Chicago's roads are more gridlocked than ever despite fewer trips by car overall due to gas prices.
Navigating Shared-Space Streets in the US
At a time when motorists have a smorgasbord of distractions to contend with, select US streets take a taste of a Scandinavian recipe for street design, where pedestrians, cyclists, other motorists, and even trees are blended together intuitively.
Will Cheaper Gas Cause Increased Driving?
As oil prices plunge to well below $100/barrel, will Americans reverse all their fuel-efficient behavior learned from $145 oil seen in July? It appears that the economic crisis may continue where the energy crisis left off.
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
