Regular bus riders know how integral an accurate real-time bus arrival system can be to the experience of bus transit. D.C. Metro just made a switch in technology, and Greater Greater Washington evaluated the results (so far).

Tracy Hadden Loh reports on the results of an audit by Greater Greater Washington staff members of the new bus arrival estimation system at work for the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA).
WMATA implemented the new bus estimation system, BusETA, earlier this month, replacing the NextBus system it had operated for seven years previously. Hadden Loh sums up the audit thusly: " Overall, the system performed well enough, but buses sometimes came earlier than predicted, and "ghost buses" are still real."
The audit revealed some of the tendencies of the new system, including several instances of buses arriving before the predicted arrival time. As Hadden Loh explains, "this is a major problem, because when you miss a bus by only one or two minutes, you have to wait the entire headway of the bus line for the next one, which is the worst-case delay scenario."
The audit's final verdict, however, is that BusETA's use of the open source OneBusAway project, also used by Atlanta and New York "should promote innovation and help interested parties understand how and why various prediction apps are working."
FULL STORY: Metro's new bus prediction system is pretty accurate, but leave yourself some extra time

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.

North Texas Transit Leaders Tout Benefits of TOD for Growing Region
At a summit focused on transit-oriented development, policymakers discussed how North Texas’ expanded light rail system can serve as a tool for economic growth.

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.

A Bronx Community Fights to Have its Voice Heard
After organizing and giving input for decades, the community around the Kingsbridge Armory might actually see it redeveloped — and they want to continue to have a say in how it goes.

Houston Mayor Promises Dedicated Austin Street Bike Lane After Public Backlash
Although the one-way bike lane won’t be protected by physical barriers, the proposal is an improvement over the mayor’s initial plan to only include sharrows on the Austin Street project.

How Atlanta Built 7,000 Housing Units in 3 Years
The city’s comprehensive, neighborhood-focused housing strategy focuses on identifying properties and land that can be repurposed for housing and encouraging development in underserved neighborhoods.
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.
Borough of Carlisle
Caltrans
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
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