Transportation Engineering

Busting Common Planning Myths
Will removing parking minimums put a strain on existing parking supply? Are long-range traffic forecasts the best tool to guide decisions about our streets? Are one-way streets better than two-way streets?

Opinion: What American Transportation Engineering Gets Wrong
And how transportation decisions could more effectively prioritize safety.

Downtown Omaha Planning for its Post-One-Way-Streets Era
The Omaha City Council has decided to reverse the transportation model adopted in the city in the 1950s, for the benefit of traffic safety and local retail activity.

Atlanta Regional Planners Adopt ‘Safe System’ Approach to Transportation
A new Road Safety Strategy was recently adopted by the Atlanta Regional Commission with a promise to create “a comprehensive framework and action plan to support the long-term safety vision and goals” of the region.

Redesigning Streets for Livability: A Global View
An excerpt from the introduction of the recent book, “Streets For All: 50 Strategies for Shaping Resilient Cities,” edited by Vinayak Bharne and Shyam Khandekar.

Washington State Moving Ahead With Complete Streets
Move Ahead Washington, a law approved by the Washington State Legislature earlier this year, is expected to have a huge effect on transportation planning and engineering on state-controlled roads.

Cleveland Ready for Vision Zero
Cleveland is working to become the latest U.S. city to set a goal to eliminate traffic fatalities.

Cities Call Out States for Blocking Traffic Safety Progress
The National League of Cities went to Congress and called on states to stop focusing on vehicle throughput and start prioritizing traffic safety.

Planning for Congestion Relief
The third and final installment of Planetizen's examination of the role of the planning profession in both perpetuating and solving traffic congestion.

What Is LOS?
Level of Service (LOS) defines how well vehicle traffic flows along a street or road. LOS is one of the most influential metrics in planning, with critical relevance for both land use and transportation planning.

How Planning Fails to Solve Congestion
Solutions for congestion are never as simple and easy as armchair planners and engineers would like you to believe—especially those who suggest that congestion can be solved by forever building more roadway capacity.

Planning and the Complicated Causes and Effects of Congestion
What do planners know about congestion, and what can they do about it? Explanations and solutions are less obvious than they seem (part one of a three-part series).

The Most Complete Map of U.S. Pedestrian Risk Yet
New research published by the Journal of Transport and Land Use analyzes tens of thousands of pedestrian fatalities over 16 years in the United States.

U.S. Traffic Fatalities Increased Most for Black Americans During the Pandemic
Two new reports confirm the racial disparities of traffic violence in the United States, revealing more proof about who stayed home during the pandemic, and who was forced to navigate the risks of the pandemic in public.

The 5 Worst Streets in Seattle
Want to know which streets are most likely to produce a negative emotional response among Seattle transportation safety advocates? Read on.

Latest Traffic Safety Data Adds Grim Death Count to an Already Tragic Year
The public health epidemic created by dangerous roads, dangerous cars, and dangerous drivers was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to recent data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Strong Towns Takes Licensing Challenges to Court
For a second time, Charles Marohn is facing a challenge from the engineering profession over his work as the founder of the popular advocacy organization Strong Towns. This time, Marohn and Strong Towns are pushing back.

I-5 Widening Kicks Off in Downtown Seattle
Congestion relief is promised as the Washington Department of Transportation begins to rework the existing I-5 roadway in Downtown Seattle to mitigate a stretch of freeway with a reputation as the state's worst bottleneck.

Pedestrian Safety Still Not a Priority in the United States
Dangerous by Design 2021 quantifies the transportation sector's ongoing neglect of the health and safety of people performing that basic human action of taking a walk.

Resources for Safe, Convenient Pedestrian and Bike Infrastructure
Despite the stated goals of state and federal agencies to encourage active modes of transportation, there's still a long way to go to make sure that all cities and communities have safe, convenient sidewalks and bike lanes.
Pagination
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