Transit

Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne offers three pieces of advice to recently re-elected L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for improving his city -- and his urban planning credibility.

March 10, 2009 - Los Angeles Times

American Public Transportation Association President William Millar visits Living on Earth to discuss how the stimulus will benefit public transit in the U.S. -- and why it's "the best of times and the worst of times."

March 2, 2009 - Living on Earth

A new design competition is seeking solutions to L.A.'s transportation problems. But the real solution may not have anything to do with transportation at all.

March 2, 2009 - Nate Berg

This commentary from re:place magazine offers tips and insights into how one can ride transit like a pro.

March 1, 2009 - re:place

In much of the United States, day-to-day transit service is under assault as never before; state and local treasuries have been depleted by the recession, and the federal stimulus package is unlikely to be helpful because federal dollars are more likely to flow into capital programs (English translation: shiny new railcars) than into preserving existing service (1). Thus, Americans will have the worst of both worlds: billions thrown at transportation while existing bus routes get whittled away.

February 25, 2009 - Michael Lewyn

Funding in the federal stimulus package for high speed rail has been cheered by transit advocates across the country. This opinion piece argues that in addition, funds should be taken away from the auto industry.

February 25, 2009 - The Boston Globe

A new report warns that an aging Canadian population will drive up infrastructure costs in public transit, water management, and roads and sidewalks.

February 17, 2009 - Canada.com

The new budget for the State of California cuts $536 million from transit operations. Says Joshua Shaw, executive director of the California Transit Association, 'We will see fare increases. We will see service cuts. We will see layoffs.'

February 14, 2009 - Streetsblog

Downtowns can be designed to both reduce driving and boost the economy. But they're still going to need parking, according to urban designers George Crandall and Don Arambula.

February 13, 2009 - Smart City

While demand has increased, the weakening economy is drying up operating revenues for municipal public transit services, and the billions of dollars promised in the federal stimulus package - intended for capital projects - won't help either.

February 8, 2009 - New York Times

"Level of service" is a ranking used by transportation engineers to assess the performance of roads. Streetsblog argues that LOS distorts the development of mobility infrastructure by prioritizing cars over people.

January 27, 2009 - StreetsBlog-SF

While the U.S. waffles over its stimulus package, China is two months into a grand countrywide transportation facelift, building high-speed rail, expanding freight capacity and generally beefing up the country's mobility.

January 26, 2009 - The New York Times

This piece from Bloomberg architecture critic James Russell calls for a unified approach to building the nation's transportation infrastructure.

January 25, 2009 - Bloomberg

Jon Zemke ponders the many possibilities for building a world-class transportation network throughout metro Detroit.

January 23, 2009 - Metromode

In Oregon, transportation officials are set to vote on an ambitious list of transportation projects that they hope will garner funding when Congress allocates transportation money this year.

January 22, 2009 - The Oregonian

Officials are complaining about the first draft of the economic stimulus package, arguing that it does not dedicate enough money to transit projects and heavily favors road building.

January 18, 2009 - The Wall Street Journal

Officials in Pittsburgh are hoping that expanding transit-oriented development will spur growth in struggling and decaying neighborhoods -- and they have the voter-approved legislation to help.

January 13, 2009 - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Charles Komanoff reveals a revised new plan that aims to bring congestion pricing to New York City and use its revenue to reduce the price of transit.

January 12, 2009 - Grist

As New York City faces its worst financial crisis in 2 decades, a NYC D.O.T. study was released showing that from 2003-2007, the increase in jobs and people was accompanied by a slight decrease in traffic due primarily to increased transit usage.

December 15, 2008 - The New York Times

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.

December 14, 2008 - Washington Post