Transportation

SoCal Residents Overcoming Fear of Transit

Southern Californians, facing some of the worst gas prices in the country, are experimenting with taking public transit, as these personal stories from the Los Angeles Times attest.

July 9, 2008 - The Los Angeles Times

Forget $4, What About $9?

With gas prices at more than $9 per gallon in Britain, driving habits are changing.

July 8, 2008 - The Christian Science Monitor

Parking Key to Tysons Corner Redevelopment

In the Washington D.C.-suburb of Tysons Corner, plans for a major downtown redevelopment hinge on one basic issue: parking.

July 8, 2008 - The Washington Post

Gas Prices Beget Golf Carts

City officials in Lockhart, near Austin, consider allowing golf carts on arterial streets.

July 7, 2008 - Fox 7 KTBC Austin

In Congestion Fight, Market Trumps Policy

Despite efforts by politicians to enact policies that reduce congestion, the biggest improvements in traffic reduction appear to be tied to rising gas prices and tolls, according to data from New York.

July 6, 2008 - The New York Times

Bridge Expansion Plans Ignore Effects of Growth

Plans to build a new bridge over the Columbia River in Portland ignored projections that said the newer, bigger bridge would contribute to outward expansion of development from the metropolitan core.

July 4, 2008 - The Oregonian

America's Most Fuel-Efficient Neighborhoods

Forbes works with the Center for Neighborhood Technology to find the best neighborhoods to get around affordably.

July 4, 2008 - Forbes

It's Not That Easy Greening Your Fleet

Austin and a number of other cities are working to reduce the carbon footprint left by their fleets of city vehicles. Austin officials are looking for ways to offset their remaining emissions.

July 3, 2008 - Austin American-Statesman

Employers Going Beyond Requirements for Commute Alternatives

Employers in the Seattle area are outpacing City Hall in providing incentives to employees not to drive to work in single occupancy cars. A state law even requires companies with 100 or more commuters to provide alternative commuting plans.

July 3, 2008 - The Seattle Times

High-Speed Transit Comes to Second Life

UC Irvine student Cristi Lopes is writing software for "SkyTran", a virtual high-speed train based in Second Life. The virtual world will actually serve as a useful simulator for the real thing.

July 3, 2008 - The Times Of India

Report Predicts 'Mass Exodus of Vehicles off America's Highways'

A new report for a Canadian bank examining the economic impact of rising oil prices predicts that millions of Americans will be forced to give up driving as gas reaches $7.00 a gallon.

July 3, 2008 - CIBC World Markets

Underground Art

Artist Christoph Niemann's whimsical illustrations tell the story of his sons' love of the subway.

July 3, 2008 - The New York Times

Portland's Bike Sharing Proposal Hits Snag

Plans to establish a European-style citywide bike-sharing program in Portland have been put on hold, as city officials encounter recurring logistical issues.

July 2, 2008 - The Portland Tribune

Freight Trains to the Rescue

A new study suggests that getting freight onto trains and off of trucks would have a significant impact on traffic.

July 2, 2008 - Memphis Business Journal

Bike Buddies Turn Commute Into Workout

T.J. Kelly was finding it difficult to squeeze in exercise, and looking at his rising commute costs. A new co-worker helped him turn his commute into a workout.

July 2, 2008 - Wall St. Journal

Dar es Salaam Invests in Public Transit

With crippling traffic congestion, the Tanzanian city of Dar es Salaam has pooled $158 million to improve its public transportation system -- adding new service, stations, and walkways.

July 2, 2008 - The East African

The Bronx Debuts BRT

Wired rides the Bronx's new Bus Rapid Transit, and determines that "rapid" is in the eye of the beholder.

July 1, 2008 - Wired

Eight Options on Table for Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct

State, county, and city officials revealed eight new options for dealing with Seattle's Alaskan Way Viaduct, a damaged double-decker inner city freeway.

June 30, 2008 - The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Amtrak Struggles To Meet Skyrocketing Demand

With unprecedented demand, Amtrak is hampered by years of neglect. The agency is unable to handle all the new customers resulting from high gas prices and plane tickets and is struggling to replace aged equipment and pay for increased fuel costs.

June 28, 2008 - The New York Times

Town Removes All Traffic Signals

Bohmte, Germany is following the lead of an EU program called "Shared Space", which recommends that cities remove traffic signals and find ways to encourage cars to share their space with pedestrians and bicyclists.

June 28, 2008 - ABC News

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.

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.