Transportation

Proposed Ballot Measure Would Require L.A. To Enforce Own Mobility Plan
The city's 2015 mobility plan was hailed as one of the nation's most ambitious, but progress toward its goals has been less than impressive.

The Conservative Case for Urbanism
Although walkable urbanism is often seen as a leftist priority, one writer argues that reducing car dependence actually closely aligns with conservative values.

Boise Looks to Upzoning To Ease Housing Pressures
The rapidly growing city is evaluating ways to increase housing production, reduce car dependency, and make Boise more walkable.

IndyGo Begins Construction on Second BRT Line
The Purple Line is slated to begin service in 2024.

San Francisco Weighs the Future of its Bike Share System
The city is weighing three potential ownership models after the contract with Lyft ends in 2027.

Companies Eyeing EV Charging as Next Big Opportunity
More electric vehicles on the road will mean more demand for charging stations where drivers can power up away from home.

The Missing Sanctions on Russia
President Biden took aim at Russia in his State of the Union address for the war it has started in Ukraine, vowing that they will "pay a price" which so far has yet to extend to their oil and gas exports.

Seattle Latest to Cut Transit Service for Lack of Drivers
Sound Transit service designers were hoping that March would be the month to restore service to the transit system in and around Seattle. A shortage of bus drivers is sending the system in the opposite direction.

Traffic Deaths Reach Three-Decade High in Portland
In spite of the city's commitment to Vision Zero goals, more people died on Portland's streets than anytime in the last thirty years, with unhoused people most vulnerable to traffic violence.

Federal Highway Administration Moving Toward Complete Streets
The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report to Congress this week that takes initial steps toward making complete streets the default model for funding and designing federally controlled roads.

When Will We Believe in Induced Demand?
The well-documented concept has yet to catch on in state departments of transportation, but acknowledging it could dramatically transform U.S. transportation policy.

Safety or Freight: What's the Top Priority for U.S. 131 Redesign Project in Grand Rapids?
Urban designers are playing the advocate in a Michigan Department of Transportation study that is considering ways to reconfigure U.S. Highway 131 where it curves through Downtown Grand Rapids.

What Is VMT?
A measure of the demand for vehicle travel on public roadways, VMT provides a metric for evaluating the potential impact of road projects and developments and could become an increasingly useful tool for assessing road usage taxes.

The Relationship Between Walkability and Public Health
New research indicates that improving public health requires targeted investments in more than just pedestrian facilities.

Research Triangle Region Cuts Back Highway Widening Plans
The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization accomplished a major shift in transportation planning priorities.

As Projected Beltline Costs Rise, Atlanta Considers Other Options
MARTA's light rail project could cost more than twice original estimates, prompting the agency to weigh different routes and the potential for bus rapid transit as an alternative to rail.

Charlotte Transit Agency Calls for New Sales Tax To Improve Service
The agency's CEO says the system needs more funding to make service improvements and make the shift to an electrified fleet.

Environmental Review Complete for Key Northern California Section of High-Speed Rail Project
The San Jose to Merced Project Section Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement could be approved by April 21.

CDC Relaxes Guidance to Allow Most Americans to Ditch Masking
In a major reversal, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised the metrics and thresholds that determine when masking is recommended. Only 5% of counties met the old metric on Feb. 25; now 70% of Americans need not don a mask indoors.

Resilience Matters: Opportunities for Action to Strengthen Communities
In this hopeful and frustrating year, contributors to the Island Press Urban Resilience Project celebrate our collective progress and challenges in a new free book of short and sweet articles, op-eds, and interviews. Essential reading for planners!
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.
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