Bay Area
Can Bay Area Transit Be Saved?
With rapidly increasing gaps between costs and funding, the transit systems serving the San Francisco bay area are on an unsustainable path. Egon Terplan offers six solutions to ensure they serve bay area residents long into the future.
Tea Party Activists Disrupt Planning Meeting
A police sergeant displayed his mediation skills at a regional planning meeting by temporarily replacing the facilitator after 20 tea party activists disrupted the meeting.
Supreme Court Rebuffs Natl. Assoc. of Home Builders
The U.S. Supreme Court turned down a request by the National Association of Home Builders to hear their lawsuit against the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District's use of the 'indirect source rule', better known as a 'smog fee'.
Bad Day To Give Away Gasoline
A promotion by Shell Oil and Lucky supermarkets conflicted with a regional alert to reduce driving due to an ozone alert. Motorists lined up in the morning for free gasoline at a San Francisco Shell station during a 'Spare The Air' Day on Sept. 28.
The Alienation of Apple's Alien HQ
Philip Langdon criticizes the 'corporate isolationism,' of Apple's new donut shaped headquarters in Cupertino, California.
BMW Unveils Design Alternatives for BART
A follow-up to last month's story, BMW Group DesignworksUSA released three interior concepts - each one more posh and modern than the last - for BART's "Fleet of the Future." No spy shots needed.
Regional Planning Begins To Meet CA's Stricter Emissions Standards
Two Bay Area planning agencies have jointly released what they call their "Initial Vision Scenario", a first step in implementing the Sustainable Community Strategy required by state law (SB 375, 2008) to reduce climate emissions from transportation.
Bay Area MPO Cleared Of Racial Bias Charges
A federal appeals court upheld a federal district court ruling that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, the Bay Area's transportation planning and funding agency, does not discriminate against minorities in the way it funds buses and trains
Electric Taxis Coming to Bay Area
A new company is bringing battery switch stations to the San Francisco-San Jose corridor, laying the groundwork for an electric vehicle taxi fleet.
Bay Area Gets First HOT Lane
The Bay Area has long resisted freeway toll lanes of any sort - but that is about to change Sept. 20 when 14 miles of the southbound lane of I-680 from Sunol (East Bay) to Milpitas (South Bay) open as an Express or High Occupancy Toll lane.
Bridge's Congestion Pricing May Extend to Entire City
Peak period pricing on the Bay Bridge, enacted by the regional Bay Area Toll Authority on July 1, is the first application of congestion pricing for driving in the Bay Area. Officials in San Francisco feel the outcome is favorable for their project.
Congestion Pricing, Carpool Charging And Driver Behavior
KALW's transportation reporter takes a ride across the Bay Bridge during the peak period to experience the new travel patterns brought on by the Bay Area's first experience with congestion pricing - she interviews a UC specialist in human behavior.
Successful Debut Of Congestion Pricing On Bay Bridge
July 1 marked the $2 premium, commuter toll on the Bay Bridge, as well as new first-time charges for car pools on all Bay Bridges, and increased tolls ($5) on seven state-owned bridges. Congestion on Bay Bridge reduced by half during morning peak.
Can BART Afford It's Expansions?
The Bay Area's 104-mile heavy rail system, BART, is planning major expansions. But many transit supporters, rather than cheering the new service and ridership the extensions would produce, are sounding alarms.
Calthorpe Clashes With Environmentalists
Famed architect Peter Calthorpe has designed several large developments planned for the San Francisco Bay Area, but some local environmentalist groups aren't satisfied that they are green enough.
Will Congestion Pricing Cause Slow-Downs?
The Bay Area's first experience in peak-hour road tolling starts July 1. At 10 am, the Bay Bridge toll decreases to $4 from the $6 commute toll that starts at 5 am - will motorists intentionally slow to save $2 as they approach the tolls at 10 AM?
FRA Grants Electrification Waiver For Commuter Rail Line - A First
The Federal Railroad Administration does not allow for the mixing of train types for safety reasons, which proved a key obstacle for Caltrain's plan for electrification. As a pilot project,they are allowing the line to utilize electric multiple units
Regional Taxes For Transportation?
The NYT looks at a provision in a state assembly bill to restore transit funding to beleaguered CA transit agencies by allowing voters in regions to approve gas fees. Not only was the provision dropped by the Senate - the governor vetoed the bill.
In Land Of Hi-Tech, Why Do Newspapers Flourish?
Palo Alto is where Silicon Valley started, yet locals eagerly pick up the Daily Post, the Daily News, as well as read PaloAlto-Online. The New York Times investigates why print media flourishes here while regional and national papers struggle.
Congestion Pricing Coming To S.F. Bay Bridge
First proposed in 1993, a higher peak toll may finally be applied to the Bay Bridge: $6 would be charged 5-10am and 3-7pm, while $4 charged off-peak. Weekends will see a $5 toll, the same as the other state-owned regional bridges if approved 1/27.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
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
