The city’s transit agency made changes to its schedules to make wait times more predictable and streamline services on the most popular routes, but riders are still experiencing headways longer than before the pandemic.

Half a year into the Chicago Transit Authority’s redesigned service plan, rider complaints persist, writes Sarah Freishtat in the Chicago Tribune. “It’s not as convenient and streamlined as it used to be, especially for rush hour,” says one commuter. “The CTA is still running far fewer trains than scheduled on its two busiest lines, and the agency, like other transit systems around the country, continues to face bus and train operator shortages.”
Riders also express concerns about crime. “The Tribune found in December that the rate of violent crime on CTA trains began to drop in 2022 for the first time since the pandemic emptied public transit of many riders, but it was more than twice as high as the years before the pandemic.”
The agency changed listed wait times on its schedule and upgraded its trackers to limit ‘ghost buses’ in an effort to make headways more predictable and reliable. “CTA spokesman Brian Steele said the schedule changes don’t amount to running less service than before they were put in place, and they better match the actual service running.” But an ongoing operator shortage is making it difficult for the CTA to run more trains, and headways on some lines remain much longer than before the pandemic.

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‘Complete Streets’ Webpage Deleted in Federal Purge
Basic resources and information on building bike lanes and sidewalks, formerly housed on the government’s Complete Streets website, are now gone.

The VW Bus is Back — Now as an Electric Minivan
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Healing Through Parks: Altadena’s Path to Recovery After the Eaton Fire
In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena is uniting to restore Loma Alta Park, creating a renewed space for recreation, community gathering, and resilience.

San Diego to Rescind Multi-Unit ADU Rule
The city wants to close a loophole that allowed developers to build apartment buildings on single-family lots as ADUs.

Electric Vehicles for All? Study Finds Disparities in Access and Incentives
A new UCLA study finds that while California has made progress in electric vehicle adoption, disadvantaged communities remain underserved in EV incentives, ownership, and charging access, requiring targeted policy changes to advance equity.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
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City of Albany
UCLA Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Chaddick Institute at DePaul University
City of Piedmont, CA
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research