Transportation
Seattle Tunnel Plan's Price Tag Causes Concern
Plans to replace Seattle's aging inner-city freeway with a $4.2 billion tunnel and expanded bus service have many lawmakers concerned about being able to raise enough money to make it happen.
Glimpsing into New Orleans' First Master Plan
The master plan will replace an outdated, complex zoning law and address urban housing, wetlands preservation, and transit, among other things. New Orleans is finally "poised for sustained growth," according to the plan's lead consultant.
SF a Model for Casual Carpooling
"Casual carpooling," an informal system involving commuting with complete strangers, has taken off in the Bay Area. Passengers and drivers cite money, time, and the environment for its success.
Urban Planner Creates Bicycle-Pedestrian Fantasy Model for Santa Monica
The Latino Urban Forum's James Rojas has made a name for himself by designing interactive planning models for some of the LA area's most famous neighborhoods. Recently, he took a crack at creating a more sustainable Santa Monica.
Where Will the Money Go?
Now that the $838 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act passed the Senate, where will the money go? Stimulus Watch has a breakdown of every project by state, and by type. Here are links to the transit, roads, energy, and housing projects.
Paris Bike System Plagued By Theft and Vandalism
Theft and vandalism have crippled the citywide bike rental system in Paris, leaving operator JCDecaux uncertain of the increasingly expensive program's future.
All Aboard New Jersey's Gambling Express!
New Jersey launched a new express train service, ACES, to carry visitors to the bustling Atlantic City casinos from NY Penn Station. The trip will take 2 hrs, 45 minutes. Though there won’t be gambling aboard, each train has two bars.
Dangerous Driving at RR Crossings On the Rise
In Wales, the rail authority has recorded a major upswing in near misses at rail crossings. The article is accompanied by a video of dangerous near misses.
The Battle Over Snow Parking
Residents of Boston's South Side are marking public parking spots with cones, coolers, and chairs, in an effort to save them for later after personally cleaning out the snow. The Mayor ok'ed the practice, but some shovelers are abusing the system.
Randal O'Toole asks, Dude, Where's My Driverless Car?
For decades, people have been talking about how driverless cars would make highway traffic a thing of the past. Randal O'Toole asks, where are they?
Transit Agencies Cutting Back
While demand has increased, the weakening economy is drying up operating revenues for municipal public transit services, and the billions of dollars promised in the federal stimulus package - intended for capital projects - won't help either.
The BRT vs. Light Rail Debate Rages On
A recent study by the World Resources Institute for Maryland's upcoming Purple Line project sided with BRT. WorldChanging asks researchers Greg Fuhs and Dario Hidalgo how they came to side with buses.
Kunstler Receives Seaside Prize
Attendees packed the room for the presentation of the Seaside Prize to James Howard Kunstler and to hear new urbanist luminaries discuss the current state of the economy.
Why San Francisco's Bike Sharing Plan Won't Work
This piece from Streetsblog San Francisco looks at the city's recently announced plans for a bike sharing program and why the 50-bike pilot is likely to fail.
Drive Like an Ant, Eliminate Traffic
The patterns of leafcutter ants are not unlike vehicular traffic patterns, yet they never get stuck in traffic or get in accidents. This article shows what we can learn from them, and why we probably never will.
Bus Funding Plans Draw Criticism
The chairman of the Twin Cities' Metropolitan Council announced Monday plans to use federal stimulus money to fund the bus system rather than "shovel-ready" projects for which they were intended.
Subsidize Green Neighborhoods, Not Green Cars
DC writer Alec Dubro questions the pursuit of the green car, concluding we should cease its financial support. Though people may prefer the car culture, it would make more sense to pursue a ‘post car future’, citing Portland’s compact neighborhoods.
Study Finds Quality of Life Undamaged by Wal-Mart
The arrival of a town's new Wal-Mart is notorious for being detrimental to the community. But when it comes to social capital, obesity, leisure time, and social and political values, Wal-Mart might not be so bad after all, according to one study.
Twin Cities Transit Ridership Up, Funding Down
Ridership is up on transit in the Twin Cities. Fewer cars are being sold, and tax revenues are down. With little funding expected to fill the gap, transit fare increases may be on the horizon.
EPA's Emissions Waiver Not Enough
This editorial lauds the new president for acting hastily on granting the waiver to allow CA and 13 states to require higher mileage vehicles, but warns it must not be an end in itself. A higher gas tax, it notes, will do more to reduce emissions.
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
