Transit
In Search of Clear Transit Platform Signs
Observation of a handful of transit platform sign styles from around the world on their clarity and usefulness.
Post-Car? Helsinki's Plans for a Tech-Enabled Mobility Network
Helsinki, capital of Finland's, is working to create a "mobility on demand" system that integrates shared and public transit in a single payment network. The idea is that with such a system in place, residents would no longer need cars.
The Secrets of Transit Line Success
Payton Chung summarizes a new report from the Transportation Research Board that reveals the indicators of successful transit projects.
A Transit Boom in Minneapolis' Southwest Suburbs (Summer-Long Bike-Share Included)
SouthWest Transit, amidst a period of increased ridership, has added new express routes, new buses, and even a new bike-share program. Motivating the agency, in part at least, for are the changes due if and when light rail arrives to the suburbs.
Dispersing Transit Commutes with Financial Incentives and Data
Urban Engines uses real-time transit data, and raffles, to encourage transit riders to commute during non-peak hours.
How to Set Up a Real-Time Traffic Display in the Office (or at Home)
A post on the iStrategyLabs website describes some of the software and hardware requirements for building signs that display the arrival and departure of transit in your area.
Making Metro Cool
Michael Lejeune is the creative director for the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, and as such he's tasked with making transit cool in a city that long worshipped the automobile.
Will Tampa Bay Solve its Transit Equation?
Robert Trigaux wonders if the Tampa Bay metro area will be wake up to the country’s changing demands of transportation and end “the parochial arm wrestling over what kind (if any) of mass transit lies in its future.”
How Well Does Light Rail Attract New Transit Riders?
The answer to the question in the headline is “not very.” Thirty years into the initial experiment, however, light rail has not been the game changer it was hoped to be.
Crowd-Sourced Infographic Rates Ten Transit Systems
An interactive map featuring a combination of ESRI's Story Maps, Yelp, and TripAdvisor posts shows ten popular subway systems as rated by transit riders.
Kansas City Streetcar Expansion Moves Forward; Wealthy Enclave Opts Out
A pair of articles by the Kansas City Star details a surprising development in the preparation for an expansion of the city’s streetcar: the affluent neighborhood of Brookside along the southwest corridor of the proposed extension opted out.
Rejecting the Popular Transit Ridership Narrative
A recent study claimed that transit ridership had reached the highest levels seen in 57 years. Wendell Cox, however, argues that the narrative about a “fundamental shift” in the transportation paradigm is a misrepresentation of the truth.
Increases in Transit Ridership Overthrowing Assumptions About Why We Ride
A recent report by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) shows transit ridership increasing to historic levels. The surprise is that the increase occurs as gas prices have fallen.
Does Downtown San Diego Measure Up as a 'Vibrant Downtown'?
Piggybacking on John Karras's article, "12 Strategies That Will Transform Your City’s Downtown" (posted in Planetizen as "12 Strategies for Revitalizing Downtowns" on 2/26/1014), Bill Adams takes a look at how downtown San Diego measures up.
Note to 'Best Workplace' List-Makers: The Commute Matters
Baltimore Magazine’s annual “Best Places to Work” list factors in in salaries, benefits, and workplace perks—but not commuting. In the Washington, DC metro area, that’s no small thing.
How Would the Movie Speed Look in Today's Los Angeles?
Twenty years after the movie Speed, which took place on the Big Blue Bus, Metro rail system, and other transit facilities, Keanu Reeves and crew might not recognize L.A.'s current transit system. L.A. County planner Clement Lau surveys the changes.
Charlotte’s Growth Raises Transit and Housing Questions
A pair of recent articles examine the political and financing situation around transit (e.g., streetcar and light rail) and housing (i.e., a rental development boom) in Charlotte, which has paced the nation in growth over the past decade.
Study: Portland Citizens Want Transportation Safety Investments
A recent telephone poll of Portland citizens asked what types of transportation investments they prioritize for the city. The top two responses both include “safe.”
San Diego Satellite Town Asks: Smart Growth or Trojan Horse?
San Diego County's "most walkable city" is being challenged to identify the real smart growth: what it has or what is being proposed. At issue: a plan amendment for a high density project near transit. But is the project real?
An Unflattering Look at Transit Accessibility
A newly released series of animated GIFs provides a powerful visualization of how paltry even the most robust transit systems in the world look to those with special needs.
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
