Service Design

A busy street in Duluth, full of cars and buses.

New High-Frequency Bus Service Dubbed 'Go Lines' in Duluth

The city of Duluth's reimagined bus transit system will go into effect in Summer 2022 along green and blue "Go Lines."

November 4, 2021 - Duluth News Tribune

Kansas Transportation

'RideKC Next': High-Frequency Grid and On-Demand Service Coming in 2022

The transit system of the future is coming soon to Kansas City.

September 22, 2021 - RideKC

New York Bus

New York's Bus System Redesign—Delayed by the Pandemic—Moves Forward Again

A plan to redesign the bus system in New York City for faster, more frequent service is off the shelf and moving forward again after being paused at the beginning fo the pandemic.

September 21, 2021 - AMNY

DART Bus

Dallas Bus System Overhaul Rolling Out in January. Will it Succeed?

The Dallas City Council recently approved a long-awaited and much-delayed bus system redesign for DART. Riders should require fewer transfers and shorter wait times starting in January 2022.

September 16, 2021 - The Dallas Morning News

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Calculating Bus Stop Spacing for 43 U.S. Cities

New research documents the distance between bus stops in U.S. cities—a key question for service designers that determines a lot about the public transit user experience.

August 24, 2021 - Transport Findings

A busy street in Duluth, full of cars and buses.

Duluth Bus Transit Service Getting the High Frequency Treatment

Transit planners in Duluth, Minnesota have released the details of a new plan to concentrate bus transit service on high frequency corridors.

July 15, 2021 - Duluth News Tribune

Coronavirus and Transportation

Taking Stock and Looking Forward: What's Next for Public Transit?

A group of 12 leading transit experts debriefed on the consequences of the pandemic for public transit, and proposed a future that centers public transit as a tool for economic recovery and righting the past wrongs of the planning profession.

June 7, 2021 - Politico

Bus Stop Winter

Bus Stop Balancing, Explained

Pierce Transit, which serves Pierce County in Washington State, is undertaking a bus stop balancing project intended to speed up bus service. They're also doing the work of explaining why a reduction of bus stops is desirable, or even necessary.

March 18, 2021 - The Urbanist

720 Bus at Vermont and Wilshire

Simple, Easy Ways to Make the Bus an Economic Recovery Tool

A new report by the Bus Turnaround Coalition has a prescription to "build back better": fix the bus.

March 17, 2021 - AM New York

Multi-Modalism in New Orleans

New Orleans Weighs Regional Transit Plan

A new proposal would improve wait times for area buses and bring more households within walking distance to transit stops.

February 26, 2021 - NOLA.com

Everett, Washington

Transit Investments for Operations Would Make a World of Difference

Transit advocates are launching a new push for federal funding aid to increase service on existing transit routes.

February 4, 2021 - TransitCenter

Commuter Rail

Post-Pandemic Transit Planning: A New Era for Commuter Rail

Ridership on the nation's commuter rail services has plummeted more than other forms of transit during the pandemic. Serving a more affluent, professional ridership, commuter rail is looking more likely to face long-term cuts after the pandemic.

January 28, 2021 - The Philadelphia Inquirer

Norfolk, Virginia

Next Up for Bus System Redesign: Norfolk, Virginia

The Norfolk City Council will vote in February on a draft transit system redesign organized around the principle of a high frequency grid, similar to system redesigns in other cities in recent years.

January 6, 2021 - The Virginia Mercury

Salt Lake City, Utah

Service Redesign Proposed by Utah Transit Authority

The Utah Transit Authority is proposing a new approach to transit service design for the counties on the Wasatch Front, focusing changes on a "core route network" of frequent service.

November 20, 2020 - The Salt Lake Tribune

Kansas City Bus

Draft RideKC Bus System Redesign Announced

The RideKC bus system is being redesigned on a high frequency grid.

November 19, 2020 - RideKC

Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority

NextGen Bus Plan Approved in Los Angeles

Major changes are coming to the Metro bus system in the nation's second largest city. After three years of planning and public feedback, the Metro board has approved the NextGen bus plan.

November 5, 2020 - The Source

Traffic

Video Explainer: Why Public Transit Doesn't Work for Most Americans

Vox's popular video explainer production team explains the consequences of U.S. auto dependency, and how to make transit work in the world we live in.

October 25, 2020 - Vox

Downtown Nashville Bus

'Better Bus' Is Nashville's Latest Attempt at Transit Upgrades

The Better Bus plan is the latest effort at rethinking public transit in Nashville.

October 25, 2020 - WeGo Public Transit

Seattle light rail

Sound Transit Centers Transit-Dependent Communities in 2021 Service Changes

With the Northgate link light rail expansion project nearing completion and the effects of the pandemic lingering, Sound Transit will change its bus routes in 2021. The transit authority focuses on equity in plotting the route changes.

September 14, 2020 - The Urbanist

Metro Bus

Backlash for Bus Service Cuts Proposed by D.C. Metro

A debate about how to more efficiently operate the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority's bus service is underway.

March 18, 2020 - WAMU

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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.