Transportation

Brightline and Virgin Trains Splitting After 17-Month Partnership
Among the collateral damage of a quick divorce between Brightline and Virgin Trains USA is the name for the planned high-speed connection from Las Vegas to Southern California.

Opinion: Upzone Now to Improve Commutes in the Post-Lockdown Future
Building more housing where people work is a simple way to come out of the pandemic with a stronger sense of community and shorter commutes, according to this article.

Ride-Hailing Companies Have Yet to Recover
While public transit tends to make the most headlines for coronavirus-damaged ridership numbers, ride-hailing companies like Uber and Lyft aren't exactly raking in new customers.

Planners Call for Deep Police Reforms
A letter signed by over 600 planners calls on the American Planning Association to advocate for fundamental police reforms, in other words, to defund the police.

Seeking '20-Minute Neighborhood' Status in Texas
The neighborhood of Montrose in Houston has undertaken a self-funded study to assess the facts on the ground about walkability in the neighborhood.

Good Luck Buying a Small, Affordable Car in the United States
Honda recently ended the Fit, a small, affordable subcompact car favored by urban dwellers (like the managing editor of Planetizen). The U.S. car market is now completely dislocated from the reality of the rest of the world.

A 10-Minute Walk to a Park for Your Health and Well-Being
The “10-Minute Walk Campaign” is a nationwide movement to ensure that everyone has safe access to a quality park or green space within a 10-minute walk. In the midst of a pandemic, it is especially important now to have a park close to home.

Design Alternatives Revealed for Portland's Burnside Bridge Replacement
Multnomah County is planning to spend $825 million to replace the Burnside Bridge, which engineers say is unlikely to withstand the force of a large eathquake.

New, Fully Stocked Bus Rapid Transit Coming to the East Bay Area
Elevated stations, level boardings, dedicated lanes, camera enforcement of lanes—AC Transit's Tempo bus rapid transit line has it all.

Walkability Plan, Including Parking Reform, Adopted in Houston
The city of Houston is embarking on an ambitious plan to reshape how new development in the city prioritizes walkability, and deprioritizes the automobile.

Rescuing Shared Bikes (and E-Scooters) During a Pandemic
An interview with Kurt Kaminer, founder of the Bike Share Museum in Miami.

Bus Lanes, Desired by Advocates for Chicago's Lake Shore Drive Project, Back on the Table
After releasing a list of project alternatives that didn't include new bus lanes in the existing roadway, the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) has changed its mind.

Cost of Electric Vehicles Will Soon Rival Gasoline Counterparts
As soon as a few years from now, electric sedans will cost the same as an equivalent gas vehicle. A team at Carnegie Mellon University is researching how long it will take for other types of electric vehicles to catch up.

'Rail Excursions' From L.A. to Las Vegas, $500 a Trip, Planned for Spring
The race to connect Southern California to Las Vegas by private passenger rail continues.

Detroit Highways: Tear Them Down
Urban planning decisions about highway placement in Detroit damaged Black communities. Nithin Vejendla shares an opinion about how to address this legacy and move toward justice.

Report: Vehicle Miles Traveled Almost Fully Returned to Pre-Pandemic Levels
Reports last week that the U.S. economy is about 30 percent smaller than before the pandemic aren't reflected in driving trends.

Edmonton Eliminates Off-Street Parking Requirements Citywide
The parking reform movement continues its march across the continent.

New Development Code in the Works for Piqua, Ohio
A southwest Ohio city is updating its development code in response to a desire in the community to better protect the city's existing communities.

NACTO Recommends Default Safety Setting for Speed Limits
A step toward an overhaul of the way speed is managed on city streets around the country.

Connecting Traffic, Air Quality, and Coronavirus Spread
Early in the pandemic, bike sales soared and vehicle miles traveled plummeted. As people have been driving more, more people have also been infected with the novel coronavirus.
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