Mass Transit
Are We Resuscitating a Dinosaur?
A panel of experts weighs in. Is rebuilding rail transit the way of the future, or just reviving a system that should stay extinct?
Sydney Pins New Growth to Mass Transit Plans
Officials in Sydney, Australia, are creating a blueprint for the city that envisions a broad mass transit system, increased density in the inner city and the suburbs and a much higher skyline.
BRT Fails in Delhi
The Bus Rapid Transit System has failed to meet the demands of New Delhi's riders and pedestrians. A better strategy, according to one report, is to improve its mass transit instead.
Rapid Buses To Serve Suburbs?
A local leader in the suburban Maryland/Washington DC area proposes aggressive use of "rapid buses" in dedicated lanes to accommodate growth, like other jurisdictions in the U.S.
$1/Gallon Gas Consumption Tax Proposal
In this Mercury News Op-Ed, San Jose State University Professor Larry Gerston proposes this bold tax for mass transit and alternative energy programs. It yields $175 billion annually and creates green jobs, enabling us to determine our destiny.
In Total, $75 Billion Approved for Mass Transit
Last week, a majority of transportation initiatives were approved by voters. This is good news for transit advocates, but risks still loom.
Riding in Peace
'Quiet' cars on trains -- where cell phones and loud headphones are banned -- are widely popular. So why aren't more transit agencies making designated quiet cars?
Couple Exploits Broken Transit Ticket Machine for $800k
In the wake of a recent scandal with MIT students hacking the subway comes a story of a Long Island couple who stumbled into a glitch in a ticket machine and exploited it for $800,000 in free tickets.
High Gas Prices Breathe New Life into DC's TOD
The cost of commuting is beginning to trump federal policies favoring exurban development, and transit ridership is at a fifty year high.
Three Cheers for the Automobile
Former Congressman Ernest Istook discusses why the automobile is the ultimate manifestation of freedom, mobility, and personal choice, and argues for a re-allocation of public spending away from mass transit and other alternatives.
The Long, Long, Long Commute
The Houston Chronicle looks at the holes in Houston's transit grid, which force some riders into ridiculously long commutes.
New Yorkers Commute IKEA Style
Lacking good public transit connections, residents of Red Hook, New York are taking advantage of the free bus and water taxi service recently launched by the Swedish retail giant to bring customers to its new store in the neighborhood.
Americans Want Expanded Public Transit to Make Driving Easier
The Onion reports on a study showing that a vast majority of Americans want further investments in public transit so everyone else can get off the road and make their drive faster.
Employers Going Beyond Requirements for Commute Alternatives
Employers in the Seattle area are outpacing City Hall in providing incentives to employees not to drive to work in single occupancy cars. A state law even requires companies with 100 or more commuters to provide alternative commuting plans.
Will Free Rides Make Firm Believers In Transit?
Transit agencies around the U.S. offered free rides on a single day, and large crowds follow. But observers aren't sure they'll stick around when they have to pay again.
Low Cost Bus Carriers Competing For Travelers
Boltbus, a joint venture between Peter Pan and Greyhound, is betting high gas prices and clogged airline terminals, will make way for yet another low-cost carrier between Boston and New York City.
New York City to Debut Bus Rapid Transit
Mayor Michael Bloomberg has announced the launch of New York City's first Bus Rapid Transit project, called "Select Bus Service," which will connect Northern Manhattan with the Bronx. Program expansion hinges on the adoption of congestion pricing.
The Party Train
Metrolink is Southern California's regional rail system linking several counties. The 15-year old system with 7 lines, 54 stations, and 388 route miles serves over 40,000 passengers in the Southland. Metrolink says its mission is "to provide the people of Southern California safe, reliable and environmentally friendly commute option." Sure, but can it also serve as an interesting venue to host a 4-year old's birthday party? One birthday boy in particular loves trains and is a fan of a popular TV series featuring trains. His mother told me that their family trips were often planned around using rail transit to get to destinations in Central and Southern California. So what better way to celebrate his birthday than to invite his friends -- accompanied by parents of course -- for a trip on a commuter train? Children that age are probably more used to birthday parties where they are entertained by clowns or magicians. Would these children, growing up in Southern California's car-centric culture be entertained at a party where the view through a train window was the main attraction?
What Gotham Tells Us about Mass Transit
I recently got taken to the proverbial wood shed on Planetizen Interchange for arguing that mass transit is unsustainable. So, I decided that it might be useful to look at the mass transit system that seems to be the most successful in nation: New York City. New York has the density and economic activity to sustain transit—perhaps a best-case scenario in the U.S.
Mass Transit Unsustainability
The solution to so-called "automobile dependence" within the contemporary planning community is almost alway more mass transit: more trains and buses. But is this realistic, particualarly given current strategies and approaches to providing mass transit? Most investments in mass transit are patently unsustainable, requiring huge investments in capital and dramatic reductions in mobility (measured by travel time) to achieve ridership goals. Proof of mass transit's unsustainability is obvious to anyone willing to look at it objectively:
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
