Mass Transit
Next Steps for the City of Freeways
It is difficult to imagine a time when Los Angeles' freeways symbolized access, efficiency, and modernity. Now that the city's love affair with freeways is nearly spent, what future do we envision for them?
Strategies for Maximizing Transit Ridership
Jarrett Walker outlines the conditions under which transit serves the greatest number of travelers. Maximizing ridership, he argues, requires thinking like a business and catering to demand.
Op-Ed: Airport Express Train Unnecessary in Chicago
Plans to construct a prestigious express line to O'Hare airport may be overkill. The existing Blue Line, which could benefit from some investment, already connects downtown Chicago and the airport.
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.
Poor Suburbs Struggle with Job Sprawl
Although unemployment has declined, according to this report commutes are getting longer. "Job sprawl" often plagues minority and poor areas where housing is more affordable.
Los Angeles May Upgrade Orange Line BRT to Rail
The San Fernando Valley's Orange Line bus rapid transit enjoys solid ridership. For an area of the city especially under-served by trains, investing in light rail might be a viable option.
'Jobs Sprawl' Plagues Cleveland Commutes
Research from Brookings puts Cleveland in last place for improving access to jobs from 2000 through 2012. And jobs sprawl is up throughout the rest of the country as well.
Do Psychological Barriers Doom L.A.'s Transit Transition?
Creating a culture of transit in Los Angeles will require more than just expanding the area's train and bus infrastructure. New riders will have to overcome the psychological barriers that prevent many people from ditching their cars.
The Recipe for a Happy Commute
The recipe for a happy commute isn't just about length. Whether in a car or on mass transit, predictability and productivity are among the key attributes.
Top Ten Epic Fails in Mass Transit
Photo essay reviews some of history's most notable failed mass transit projects.
Can Biking Build a Bridge to Transit in Birmingham?
Urban areas across the country have identified bikes as a fat-burning, congesting-decreasing, transit-supporting alternative to automobiles. And Birmingham – despite a need for all these benefits – has lagged tremendously behind.
Governor Keeps BART Trains Rolling
BART commuters were undoubtedly delighted to board trains on Monday morning thanks to Gov. Jerry Brown's last minute action to return BART employees to work for one week while a panel investigates why negotiations have stalled.
BART Unions Give Notice: Strike on Monday
Same drill, round two. After almost a month of apparently fruitless negotiations, the unions gave a 72-hour notice of going on strike. Unless an agreement is reached, 200,000 Bay Area rail riders will need to find alternatives for the Monday commute
BART Strike Provides Lessons for Creating a Resilient Bay Area
As news reports indicate, the recent BART strike made a mess out of the Bay Area's morning and evening commutes. For planning think tank SPUR, it has helped to illustrate significant gaps in the region's transportation infrastructure.
A Transportation Wish List for L.A.'s New Mayor
While outgoing Mayor Villaraigosa has made great strides in building L.A.'s public transit and bicycle culture, there's still room for improvement, argues Harris Silver. He suggests 6 ways to further reduce Angelenos reliance on the automobile.
Salt Lake City Bucks Stereotypes to Lead Country in Transit Spending
It's remote, it's small, and it's situated in a decidedly red state. So why in the world does Salt Lake City lead the U.S. in per-capita transit spending? Angie Schmitt explains the city's unlikely story.
Senator Frank Lautenberg, Friend to Transit, Dies at 89
New Jersey Senator Frank Lautenberg, the last World War Two veteran to serve in the body, passed away on Monday. Kate Hinds looks at the record of 'the driving force between some of the country's most transformative transportation policies.'
Toronto's $50 Billion 'Big Move' Gets a Financing Plan
This week, the Toronto region's transportation agency floated a strategy for how to fund the wildly ambitious 25-year transportation plan know as the Big Move. A combination of new taxes and fees are expected to yield $2 billion per year.
L.A. Surprising History of Transit Innovation
In recent years, Los Angeles has embraced mass transit as a solution to the city's legendary traffic woes. This embrace has historical precedent, however, says Sam Lubell, who examines six of L.A.'s unbuilt proposals for transit systems.
The Big Move: Will Toronto Seize its Future by Funding an Ambitious Transit Plan?
As the city's controversial mayor snickers at proposals for new funding sources for transit, Toronto is missing out on another opportunity to build a big-city mass transit system, says Marcus Gee. How much will it cost the city in the long run?
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.
Caltrans
Smith Gee Studio
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
