With ridership still at less than half of pre-pandemic levels, the region's transit agencies face billions of dollars in budget shortfalls after federal assistance runs out.

Without the crush of pre-pandemic commuters, write Elise Young and Raeedah Wahid, New York City's public transit providers, who "rely heavily on fare revenue for day-to-day expenses," will have to make massive cuts in staff and service after federal pandemic relief dollars run out. With less than half of its typical ridership, New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority faces a shortfall of billions of dollars.
"The non-profit Regional Plan Association, which researches New York City-area economic and environmental issues, predicts an eventual ridership recovery. But some commuters will trade the 9-to-5 workday for more flexible hours, driving up off-peak travel -- and potentially creating chaos, according to Tom Wright, the association’s president." Off-peak travel, says Wright, "actually puts more pressure on the transit agencies."
According to Redfin, "[r]eal estate in popular New York City suburban commuter hubs continued to soar during the pandemic, but the hotter single-family home market is in areas with little to no mass transit." Workers who are making their return to the city "are finding increased crime rates and vacancies among office towers’ street-level businesses that once teemed with commuters," evidence of the trickle-down effects of reduced workforces in central business districts, whose corporate offices created the need for a wide variety of ancillary services. If, as Richard Florida predicts, central business districts will transform into multi-purpose hubs and "15-minute neighborhoods" less dependent on daily commuters, transit agencies may once again need to readjust their service to cater to new needs and schedules.
FULL STORY: NYC Needs the Commuting Crowds That Have Yet to Fully Return

Americans May Be Stuck — But Why?
Americans are moving a lot less than they once did, and that is a problem. While Yoni Applebaum, in his highly-publicized article Stuck, gets the reasons badly wrong, it's still important to ask: why are we moving so much less than before?

Using Old Oil and Gas Wells for Green Energy Storage
Penn State researchers have found that repurposing abandoned oil and gas wells for geothermal-assisted compressed-air energy storage can boost efficiency, reduce environmental risks, and support clean energy and job transitions.

Placekeeping: Setting a New Precedent for City Planners
How a preservation-based approach to redevelopment and urban design can prevent displacement and honor legacy communities.

Study: Maui’s Plan to Convert Vacation Rentals to Long-Term Housing Could Cause Nearly $1 Billion Economic Loss
The plan would reduce visitor accommodation by 25,% resulting in 1,900 jobs lost.

Idaho Data: Unexpected Vehicle Repairs Exacerbate Housing Instability, Eviction Risk
Over 21 percent of clients struggle with transportation barriers.

A Year-Long Investigation On Permanent Supportive Housing
The New York Times reveals what’s working and what’s not in the cornerstone of Housing First.
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