Transportation
Replacing The Current Gas Tax With A Different Gas Tax
AASHTO is pitching a replacement of the current fed excise fuel taxes with sales taxes - initially revenue neutral, but would increase with inflation, unlike stagnant excise taxes last increased in 1993. In 6 years, might raise an extra $43 billion.
The "Circus Tent" of Beijing
Dense cities, argues Daniel Garst, are shaped like a pyramid, with the most density in the middle and sloping sides. Beijing, on the other hand, has developed more like a circus tent, with density at the sides but single-story homes in the middle.
County Sues State Over Railyard
The State of Virginia wants to put up 2/3rds of the cost of a new private railyard in Montgomery County. County officials say it doesn't fit the character of the rural area, and have sued to stop it from being built.
Talking Open Streets and Ciclovias
Next American City talks with urban designer and bicycle planner Mike Lydon about cycling, ciclovias, and open streets.
The Looming Era of VMT
The gas tax is becoming an increasingly outdated and unsustainable idea. This piece from Miller McCune looks at the prospect of replacing it with a tax based on vehicle miles traveled.
London's Bike Sharing Program Expects to Make Profit
London's 10-week old bike sharing program appears to be on its way to turning a profit, a rarity in the public transit world.
If You Build It, They Won't Walk
Trails and walking paths are commonly built in suburban areas. But their mere presence doesn't automatically mean they'll be used, according to a new study.
A NYT Discussion On HSR - Will It Happen? How? Why Not?
The New York Times editors are wondering if high speed rail is a practical consideration for the U.S considering recent political developments where it has become popular to reject federal rail funds, so they asked six experts to present their views.
A Woonerf in Harvard Square
English architect Ben Hamilton-Baillie sees possibility in a section of Harvard Square that has all the qualities of a "woonerf"; mainly, that cars, bikes and pedestrians all share the street equally.
The Future of Federal Transportation Planning in America
In this podcast, Next American City talks with Robert Puentes of the Brookings Institution about the future of transportation in America.
Urban Gondola Set to Open in Rio
Rio de Janeiro is building a 3.4 km urban gondola in the Complexo do Alemao favelas. The system is on track to be operational by the end of the year.
Crowdsourcing Bike Parking
Bicycle advocates in London is calling on citizens to tell the city, via the web, where more bike parking is needed for the city's fledgling bike sharing program.
Ped, Bike, & Bus: Transforming NYC Streets
This 6-minute video looks at how New York City streets have changed after a mere three years of planning. Pedestrian plazas, bike lanes, and bus rapid transit are the major projects highlighted, and the improvements to economy, health, and happiness
Fractured Planning Tales
The fractured state of planning at various levels of government in the U.S. is limiting the potential of good ideas, according to this critique from Next American City.
Why the Schweeb?
The human-powered monorail concept Shweeb recently gained a huge boost from a $1 million investment from Google, but urban thinkers question the relevance of the unusual transportation system.
Rapid-Transit Buses Make Manhattan Debut
The new system is designed to reduce travel time along a heavily congested north-south route on the city's East Side. However, unfamiliar ticketing protocols led to passenger confusion on the first day of operation.
Increased Ridership Often Means Increased Safety for Cyclists
While bicycle ridership has been boosted by improvements to infrastructure, what is keeping cyclists safest may simply be more of their own kind on the road.
Sky Trams to Reopen in New York
Aerial trams connecting New York City to Roosevelt Island are going to be back in operation next month. But will enough people want to ride these "sky bubbles" over the East River?
No ARC without TOD
New Jersey wants billions in federal money for its ARC project, but NJ Transit's commuter rail service is too often just a subsidy to the rich and an excuse not to develop North Jersey, says Stephen Smith.
Gov. Christie Reverses ARC Decision: Rail Tunnel Back On Track
Under pressure from DOT Secretary Ray LaHood, N.J. Gov. Chris Christie has authorized the Hudson River rail tunnel project known as ARC: Access to the Region's Core, to resume work. Key to the decision would have been the loss of $3 billion to N.J.
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
