Transportation

Blurred night view of gridlocked traffic on freeway

Congestion Growing in Sunbelt Cities

Cities with rapidly growing populations and inadequate public transit systems are seeing more gridlock despite changes in commuting patterns and the rise of remote work.

March 15, 2023 - The Wall Street Journal

Electric bus in Austin, Texas

Revisions Looming, Austin’s Project Connect Reveals the Obstacles of Transit Planning in 2023

A once sprawling and singularly ambitious capital investment plan for the Capital Metro system will soon be reduced in size and scope. The episode is more evidence of an emerging era of transit planning austerity.

March 15, 2023 - TransitCenter

Metrorail

Car-Oriented Cities See Rise in Car-Free Developments

No longer tied to minimum parking requirements, housing developers are starting to shift to more walkable, transit-oriented projects.

March 15, 2023 - Bloomberg CityLab

Dallas Transit

Tensions Rise Between Dallas and Rapid Transit Agency

The city is accusing DART of mismanagement of tax revenue that the agency had pledged to return to the city for infrastructure investments.

March 15, 2023 - D Magazine

The inaugural ride of the new R211 subway cars in the New York Subway.

Fancy New Subway Cars Join the New York Subway System

New York has been planning on adding these new subway cars for years, finally achieving their goal in March 2023. More than a thousand of the new R211 trains will be running in New York within two years if all goes according to plan.

March 15, 2023 - Gothamist

BART Station

The Perilous Future of Bay Area Transit

Bay Area Rapid Transit, a hugely successful system pre-pandemic, is now struggling to close a massive projected budget gap, with no certain solutions on the table.

March 14, 2023 - San Francisco Chronicle

Yellow on black "Expect Delays" traffic sign

A Serious Critique of Congestion Costs and Induced Vehicle Travel Impacts

Some highway advocates continue to claim that roadway expansions are justified to reduce traffic congestion. That's not what the research shows. It's time to stop obsessing over congestion and instead strive for efficient accessibility.

March 14, 2023 - Todd Litman

"Fort Worth Central Station" sign on platform at train station

Amtrak To Study New York-to-Dallas Service

A proposal to extend the Crescent line would bring rail service through Mississippi and Louisiana to the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

March 14, 2023 - Mass Transit

Dusk view of blurred car lights passing on freeway with Houston skyline in background

How Houston’s Highways Impact Neighborhoods

A chapter in a new book highlights how highway construction forced changes and caused displacement in communities that included public housing developments.

March 13, 2023 - Next City

Electric bus in Austin, Texas

Austin Debates Parking Reforms Near TOD Projects

City officials are deciding how to change parking requirements for transit-oriented developments that are meant to discourage private car ownership.

March 13, 2023 - Austin Monitor

Empty Road

Driving Still Below Pre-Pandemic Levels in the U.S., Study Says

Congestion is increasing much faster than vehicle miles traveled, suggesting that the “new normal” of hybrid work and an influx of suburban residents is taking a toll on the nation's transportation system.

March 13, 2023 - State Smart Transportation Initiative

MARTA Station

MARTA Scales Back Expansion Plans

Atlanta’s transit agency is slowing its plans to extend its bus and rail lines, prompting criticism from city officials.

March 13, 2023 - Saporta Report

Highway Widening

Maryland Toll Road Project Loses Key Operator Amid Lawsuits, Shifting Political Landscape

The loss of toll operator Transurban could be a death knell for the controversial I-495/I-270 Managed Lanes Project in Maryland.

March 12, 2023 - The Washington Post

Two Chicago transit operators standing in front of a bus and smiling at the camera

Transit Workforce Dashboard Promotes Employment in Public Transit

A new online tool aims to help transit agencies recruit and retain workers.

March 10, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

Woman in car stuck in traffic, leaning on her elbow in frustration

Friday Funny: Tired of Walkability? Try the ‘15-Hour City’

Worried that a 15-minute city will restrict your freedoms? Welcome to the alternative.

March 10, 2023 - McSweeney's

Row of cars in parking lot

How Oversized SUVs Are Killing Us and the Environment

A video from Not Just Bikes describes the impacts of increasingly large vehicles on road safety, public health, and the environment.

March 9, 2023 - Jalopnik

Chicago Transit Authority

With Travel Behavior Still in Flux, Transit Ridership Projections are Harder to Make

Transit agencies use complex models to predict future ridership, but these have not yet caught up with the still-changing post-pandemic travel needs of transit users.

March 9, 2023 - Governing

"No right turn on red 7am to 7pm" sign on black post

Banning Right Turns on Red Can Improve Road Safety

Taking a second look at the widespread, but dangerous, practice.

March 9, 2023 - Pew Stateline

Rendering of proposed MARTA bus rapid transit station in Roswell, Georgia

MARTA Reveals Renderings for Bus Rapid Transit Stops

The agency released a set of plans showing proposed station infrastructure as it works to expand BRT to a larger area around Atlanta.

March 9, 2023 - Urbanize Atlanta

Street-level view of sharrow symbol on asphalt with parked car in background

Calls to Stop Relying on Sharrows Grow Louder

The painted symbols can not only fail to protect bike riders, but can actually make riding conditions less safe.

March 8, 2023 - Momentum Magazine

Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools

This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.

Planning for Universal Design

Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.

Senior Manager Operations, Urban Planning

New York City School Construction Authority

Building Inspector

Village of Glen Ellyn

Manager of Model Development

Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO

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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.