Light Rail
Op-Ed: Streetcars Should Actually Serve Locals
While they're currently in vogue, streetcars are only worthwhile if they can be a viable option for local residents. Unfortunately, this is rarely how the systems are designed.
Detroit's M-1 Rail Line Credited for Delivering Investment—A Year Before Opening
The 3.3-mile M-1 Rail line in Detroit has been described as a boondoggle of unparalleled proportions. Boosters of the project, however, have gathering evidence of investment in neighborhoods along the route.
Affordable Housing Follows Good Transit
More raw housing stock is only the first step. Without comprehensive transit, the value of density can't extend beyond the city center.
People Still Want Buses, But Buses Aren't Delivering
Urban light rail has enjoyed a renaissance since the Great Recession, but during the same period cities have quietly reduced bus service. Daniel Hertz argues that while rail is commendable, buses remain a vital transit component.
Light Rail Doesn't Always Mean Fewer Buses
Cities that have recently adopted light rail sometimes actually add bus riders.
Chattanooga Mayor: No Chance for High-Speed Rail to Atlanta
A proposed plan to connect Chattanooga and Atlanta via high-speed rail, 17 years in the making, appears to be dead in the water. Chattanooga will now turn its attentions to a possible light rail system.
Opening Today: Two New Light Rail Lines in Houston
Today's a big day in Houston: two new light rail lines will now supplement the success of the city's Red Line. Meet the Green and Purple Lines, serving the East End and Southeast Houston.
Gentrification Concerns Ride Light Rail in Seattle
As Seattle considers a $900 million levy proposed by Mayor Ed Murray, locals are already wondering if new transit investments are precursor of unwanted gentrification.
Cancellation an Option as Costs Jump for Minneapolis' Light Rail Extension
An already controversial project got bad news earlier this week, as substantial increases in the expected cost of the Southwest LRT extension added more fuel to the fire for opponents of the project.
Op-Ed: Minneapolis Pedestrian Bridge to Nowhere
Okay, technically it leads to the new Vikings stadium, but Nick Magrino doubts its benefits justify $6 million of public spending. A proportion of the Metropolitan Council is inclined to agree.
Suburbs Try to Figure Out Transit
Of the many reasons why the suburban lifestyle is falling out of favor with young Americans, reliance on automobiles is near the top of the list. Some suburbs are now figuring out that, to attract Millennials, they must also invest in better transit.
New York Will Phase Out C Train 'Brightliners' By 2017
Once the subway's pride, R-32 'Brightliner' trains that operate on the C line will soon disappear from service. Mid-century promo videos notwithstanding, the line's rolling stock was in dire need of an update.
Community Support Lacking for Sound Transit's TOD Plans on Mercer Island
Development connected to a proposed light rail line through Mercer Island—connecting Seattle to the West and Bellevue to the East—has met staunch local opposition.
Seattle-Portland Rivalry Escalates Over Transit
Amid the constant battle between Seattle and Portland, Seattle-based writer Eric Scigliano responds to an Oregonian article praising Seattle's transit system. Praise is all right, writes Scigliano, but the Oregonian missed a few lowlights.
Powerful Political Forces Aligning Against Southwest Light Rail in Minneapolis
One of the most heavily-contested transit projects in the United States, the Southwest light rail line in the metropolitan Twin Cities area, is encountering increased levels of political opposition.
North Carolina Planners: Where to Build Light Rail (and Should it Be Built)?
This week residents in the North Carolina Triangle (Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill) will provide input on key segments of a future regional light rail system. The project has been analyzed for 15 years, yet the question of whether to build it remains.
Leinberger Op-Ed Supports Streetcars as Economic Development Tool
"Opposing streetcars and light rail today would be like opposing the building of freeways, the Beltway and Metrorail in the 20th century," writes Chris Leinberger in an op-ed for the Washington Post.
Using Data to Plan for Equity
Denver’s Equity Atlas is a pioneering effort between private, public, and non-profit interests to visualize a variety of statistics for the Denver metro area.
San Francisco's Shopping Spree for New Muni Cars
After winning the contract to build All Aboard Florida's locomotives and passenger cars, Siemens Sacramento manufacturing plant landed a $648 million contract much closer to home: Replacement of the San Francisco Muni Metro Breda light rail cars.
City Council Hearing Prompts Opposition to Minneapolis' Light Rail Plans
The Southwest Corridor light-rail project appeared before the Minneapolis City Council last week, which prompted James Linbeck to write a scathing op-ed in opposition to the project.
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.
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
