Infrastructure
A Call for Long-Term Federal Transportation Funding
When Congress recently failed yet again to pass a long-term surface transportation bill, Representative Earl Blumenauer decided it was time for a reality check.
Another Study Shows That Narrow Is Safer Than Wide for Traffic Lanes
Better Cities & Towns gives its imprimatur to the "narrower is better" approach to lane width for traffic safety thanks to a study by Toronto transportation planner, Dewan Masud Karim, presented at the Canadian ITE annual conference.
On the Ballot: $700 Million in Bond Funding for Roads in Houston's Harris County
The legacy of sprawl in and around Houston has forced local officials to seek $700 million in bond funding (part of an $848 million bond package) to pay for road improvement projects.
Portland's Tilikum Crossing—Open to All but Cars—Attracts a Throng on Preview Day
The first bridge in the country to allow all forms of traffic except for cars opened for a public preview over the weekend. Tens of thousands of Portlanders showed up to enjoy the bridge.
California's Largest Dam Removal Underway in Monterey County
Even in an epic drought, the long-awaited commencement of the $83 million San Clemente Dam removal project is welcomed as the obsolete dam posed a safety threat to downstream communities and provided very little water due to tremendous silt build-up.
25 Years of the Americans With Disabilities Act
Twenty-five years have passed since the United States approved a civil rights law with broad and positive affect on the build environment as we've come to know it.
First Senate Bill Introduced to Raise Gas Tax
Carper, a Democrat, hopes to take advantage of historically low gas prices to hike the federal fuel taxes four cents a year for four years to end reliance on General Funds to fund transportation spending. Increased credits would offset the tax hike.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo: Contemporary New York's Version of Robert Moses?
In a comprehensive look at the New York governor's attraction to big infrastructure projects, the analogy to Robert Moses is made by the Regional Plan Association, while the right-leaning Manhattan Institute faults Cuomo for ignoring MTA.
Bay Area's First Express Lanes Break Ground
The new 23 miles of I-680 express lanes between San Ramon and Walnut Creek in Contra Costa County will begin construction this month, the first of over 500 miles to be built and operated by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
A Visionary Plan for an Urban Village in Minneapolis-Saint Paul
The Prospect North Partnership intends to build a fully integrated, resource-efficient neighborhood in a prime yet underdeveloped location.
All Aboard Florida Receives Crucial State Backing for $1.75 Billion Loan
The Florida Development Finance Commission voted 3-0 at a contentious meeting to approve the 125 mph, Orlando-Miami privately funded train's request for tax-exempt status. It does not put the state at risk in terms of repaying the loan though.
Katrina 'Ten Years After': and the Band Plays On
The 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina is upon us. Many of us city planners invested whatever skills we thought we had, plus a heavy dose of passionate naivete, to recovery planning in the wake of the 2005 storm.
What Does it Take to Keep the Paint Fresh on Bike Lanes?
The bike lane on a well-traveled street through Philadelphia has faded beyond recognition. Appeals to restripe the lane have focused on a forthcoming visit from the pope.
Op-Ed: Rideshare Beats Streetcars for Short Trips
Especially for parties with more than one passenger, summoning a car can make more sense, according to a recent op-ed. Transit still wins out for longer trips, but streetcars might just not be worth it downtown.
Strategies for Maximizing Transit Ridership
Jarrett Walker outlines the conditions under which transit serves the greatest number of travelers. Maximizing ridership, he argues, requires thinking like a business and catering to demand.
Connecticut Shoreline Rail Vulnerable to Floods
Long stretches of Connecticut's "lifeblood" shoreline rail line lie in the path of rising seas and future floods. While moving the tracks further inland is prohibitively expensive, a resilience plan is still needed.
Google Celebrates the Birth of the Traffic Light
If you opened Google to do a search on Wednesday, you'd see an image (the "doodle") of a traffic light and six Model-T era cars spelling out the company's name. It was honoring the 101-year anniversary of the birth of the electric traffic light.
How Technology Will Improve Inspection and Maintenance of Streets
A researcher in Pittsburgh could render obsolete the arduous task of manually inspecting streets for cracks and potholes.
Common Issues Facing Cities—Aggregated from 100 'State of the City' Speeches
Around the country, issues related to the field of planning dominate the public discussion of the "state of the city."
Swords Into Ploughshares: Guns Transformed Into Rebar for Bridges and Freeways
Guns taken off the streets by California police agencies have become a new source of materials for steel reinforcement on bridges and freeways around the Southwest.
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.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service
