District of Columbia
Home Composting Goes to Washington
Washington, D.C. approved a set of incentives for home composting at the end of March.
Express Lanes Toll Revenue Benefits Bus Riders, Carpoolers, and Bike Riders
The new 66 Express Lanes Inside the Beltway made headlines when one-way tolls topped $40. Max Smith of WTOP News reports how revenues are used in Northern Virginia. Bus transit and shuttles to park-and-ride lots are two of the biggest beneficiaries.
Hit-and-Run Traffic Fatalities Reach Record High
Over 2,000 people died from hit-and-run collisions on American roads in 2016, the highest since 2009, claiming a disproportionate amount of pedestrian and cyclist lives. One solution: more protected bike lanes.
Effective Mobility Taxes Need Better Data
The District of Columbia is attempting to build a data-based model for the mix of public and "shared" transportation modes on its streets, but is still finding holes in the data necessary to build new policies.
A Subway Breakdown Causes Tolls to Skyrocket on 66 Express Lanes
An illustration of the intricate relationship between public transit and highways occurred on April 5 when two lines of the D.C. Metro broke down during the peak morning commute, sending many would-be riders to drive I-66 to D.C. instead.
Responses to the Suburbanization of Poverty in Short Supply
Low-income residents have scattered to the periphery, where social services are less accessible.
BART Has Had Enough of Dockless Bikes
With piles of them strewn around stations, the transit agency is "cracking down" on bikeshare companies.
Trump's 2020 Budget Includes a New 'Planning and Vision Implementation' Agency
The centerpiece of the Trump Administration's draft budget outline for 2020 is the creation of a new Cabinet-level department tasked with solving the nation's planning and infrastructure challenges.
D.C. Mayor Proposes Tax Increase on Ride-Hailing to Fund Transit
Mayor Bowser's 2019 budget also continues investments designed to create affordable housing and distribute homeless shelters throughout the city.
Lessons from a Six-Hour Hearing on Planning and Zoning
A recent debate in Washington, D.C. echoed common concerns about the planning process in cities around the country.
How a Change in the Definition of 'Cellars' Could Downzone Much of Washington, D.C.
The D.C. Zoning Commission will revisit a proposed text amendment to the District Zoning Code in April.
D.C. Metro Could Get a Big Funding Boost from Virginia and Maryland
In some respects, D.C. Metro has been the poster child for dysfunctional transit systems in recent years, but the states of Virginia and Maryland are close to ensuring a new source of funding that could help stabilize the transit agency.
What Old Building Isn't Historic?
David Alpert argues for a more rigorous definition for what is not historic. Without one, developers and property owners have no way to know what buildings can't or won't be given the designation.
The Best Cities for Transit
Redfin's most recent ranking of public transit access features some serious moves, both up and down the list.
Roundtable Discussion: Retrofitting Suburbia for Walkability
One of the biggest obstacles to retrofitting suburbia with more walkable environments is passionate local opposition to change.
Report Details the Long-Term Financial Benefits of Green Design
This report estimates that U.S. cities could save half a trillion dollars by investing in "smart surface technologies." The study takes into account obvious factors like energy use and less intuitive ones like tourism revenues.
Dockless Bikeshare and Racist Dog Whistles: 'Why are you assuming that bike is stolen?'
Urbanist and advocate Kristen Jeffers decries the thinly veiled racism underlying complaints about D.C.'s dockless bikeshare program.
Do Rideshare and Goods Delivery Need Their Own Curb Space?
On some busy blocks, Uber and Lyft drivers have nowhere safe to park. Neither do parcel delivery personnel. Shared use mobility zones could address the problem.
Is Washington D.C. Preserving Buildings or Hoarding Them?
A piecemeal, reactive approach to historic preservation in the capital may burden the future with too many buildings of "middling merit."
Express Bus Service Eliminated in Suburban Baltimore
The failure of suburb-to-suburb bus service run by the Maryland Transit Administration (MTA) offers lessons in regional transit planning.
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.
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
JM Goldson LLC
Custer County Colorado
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Jefferson Parish Government
Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Claremont
