California

Transportation Projects Stall During Government Shutdown
A big capital project in Monterey County, on California's Central Coast, is on hold during the federal shutdown. It's probably not the only one.

Bus-Only Lanes in San Francisco Show Impressive Results
Bus lanes along a primary transit corridor have sped up travel times and point to the potential for major citywide improvements.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo Proposes Plastic Bag Ban After Killing New York City's Bag Law
The Democratic governor proposed a ban on single-use plastic bags in his state-of-the-state address on Jan. 15. Nearly two years earlier, he signed a bill that prevented New York City from charging for bags as the District of Columbia and Boston do.

New Colorado Governor's First Executive Order: Get More EVs on the Road
Colorado will join California and nine other states in requiring that a percentage of new light-duty vehicle sales are zero-emissions, thanks to the first executive order signed by Democratic Gov. Jared Polis on Jan. 17.

ADU Construction Still Difficult in California
Accessory dwelling units should be easier to build in California, but the process is still slow and complicated in many cities, say housing advocates.

Transit Agency Chief to Propose Congestion Pricing for Los Angeles
Los Angeles Metro CEO Phil Washington will recommend to his board next Thursday that they pursue a congestion pricing program to reduce traffic congestion, improve transit, and subsidize transit fares in Los Angeles in time for the 2028 Olympics.
Bill Would Make California's Urban State HIghways Safer for Non-Motorists
Sen. Scott Wiener introduced legislation to make state highways that run through villages, town, and cities, often acting as main streets, accommodate the safety needs of walkers, cyclists, and transit users when undergoing capital improvements.

Study: Crime Concerns Cause Transit's Gender Gap
A new study of transit use in Los Angeles finds safety concerns are keeping women off of public transit.

San Francisco Bay Area Transit Fare Discount to Start This Fall
Low-income transit users desperately need a break on fares. A discount is on its way, but won’t be available until later in the year, and transit advocates say it’s not enough.

San Francisco Ferry Launches New Commuter Line
The San Francisco Bay ferry system is growing as commuters flee congested roads and overcrowded BART cars.

Corruption Investigations Sullies L.A.'s Downtown Development Success Story
Bombshell revelations about an FBI investigation into corruption and conspiracy in Los Angeles City Hall made the news recently. At the center of the story is development financing from Chinese companies.

California's Largest Utility Files Chapter 11 Bankruptcy
PG&E announced that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, facing $30 billion in liability after two years of catastrophic wildfires in the state of California.

Is Pay by Distance Unfair to the Poor?
Sam Raby argues that BART’s pay by distance fair structure exacerbates transit inequities.

BART Considers Range of Options for Retired Vehicles
Hundreds of cars in the system will be going offline in coming years, and the agency is looking at a variety of ideas for what to do with them.

CA Gov.: Cities Must Meet Housing Goals or State Will Withhold Gas Tax Funds
Newly inaugurated California Gov. Gavin Newsom made waves on Thursday in his budget address, threatening cities and counties with the possibility of losing a portion of their gas tax subventions if they fail to meet their state housing requirements.
On Demand Shuttle Operator to Cease Operations in Nine Cities
San Francisco-based shuttle operator Chariot, acquired by Ford Motor Company in 2016, will end its operations by March in the San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles, Seattle, Austin, New York, Columbus, Detroit, Denver, and London.

Mileage Fee or Annual Fee for Electric Vehicles?
What's the best way to ensure that electric vehicle drivers pay to maintain the roads they drive on, considering they don't pay fuel taxes? A new report from the UC Davis Institute of Transportation Studies was sent to the California legislature.

California Needs a Marshall Plan for Housing, According to New Governor
Governor Gavin Newsom talks tough on housing in California.

Autonomous Driving Technology Might Have Saved Lives
It could have been a multiple-vehicle fatal car crash—a driver fell asleep at the wheel driving 70 mph—but the outcome was two DUI charges.

Massachusetts Tops California in Emission Reductions
California and Massachusetts use the same name for climate change legislation, Global Warming Solutions Act, and set the same target date for reductions, 2020. Both achieved their targets 2016, but the Bay State had a tougher goal to meet.
Pagination
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.
City of Fort Worth
planning NEXT
Mpact (founded as Rail~Volution)
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
City of Portland
City of Laramie