The Neighborhood Centers non-profit operates a bus named for the Who song "Magic Bus" to fill the fundamental needs of low income residents of Houston: access to jobs, healthcare, markets, and home.
Monica Rhor writes of the Magic Bus system in Houston, which endeavors to live up to the slogan inscribed on its side: "For all who labor for a better life."
The Magic Bus system is operated by the non-profit Neighborhood Centers, running "20-minute loops around Gulfton, a working-class neighborhood of apartment complexes and strip malls in southwest Houston."
Rhor provides insight into the experience of the Magic Bus, and its lofty goals, as well as discussion of the transportation needs of low income residents of Houston and how transportation planners are exploring new ways to connect transit with jobs.
FULL STORY: Magic Bus gives a lift to poor Houstonians working toward better lives
Houston Metro Plan Centers Safety, Accessibility
A new plan from the city’s transit agency focuses on improving the rider experience and boosting safety, but remains uncommitted to previous plans to build new BRT lines.
Houston Metro Abandons Bike Share in Favor of On-Demand Microtransit
The agency failed to include funding for bike share in its 2025 budget proposal.
Houston Transit Agencies Offer ‘Free Fare Fridays’ for Ozone Action Month
Harris County is one of several Texas counties that failed EPA standards for clean air in recent years.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
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.
Why Should We Subsidize Public Transportation?
Many public transit agencies face financial stress due to rising costs, declining fare revenue, and declining subsidies. Transit advocates must provide a strong business case for increasing public transit funding.
Paris Bike Boom Leads to Steep Drop in Air Pollution
The French city’s air quality has improved dramatically in the past 20 years, coinciding with a growth in cycling.
Why Housing Costs More to Build in California Than in Texas
Hard costs like labor and materials combined with ‘soft’ costs such as permitting make building in the San Francisco Bay Area almost three times as costly as in Texas cities.
San Diego County Sees a Rise in Urban Coyotes
San Diego County experiences a rise in urban coyotes, as sightings become prevalent throughout its urban neighbourhoods and surrounding areas.
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.
Smith Gee Studio
Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization
City of Santa Clarita
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service