Transportation Planning

North Carolina

North Carolina Drafts Clean Transportation Plan

Similar to other plans focused on reducing emissions from the transportation plan, North Carolina’s draft Clean Transportation Plan will rely on electric vehicles to reduce emissions from the state’s transportation sector.

March 7, 2023 - Government Technology

Congestion

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.

January 18, 2023 - Vinayak Bharne

Electric cars parked curbside and charging on a city street

Tech Trends for Cities and States

Smart cities technology is well behind schedule, but the technology industry hasn’t given up on new digital solutions, self-driving cars, curb management, and AI-powered systems.

January 4, 2023 - Smart Cities Dive

A view of Houston's freeways, with downtown in the background.

Rising Costs Threaten TxDOT’s $85 Billion Highway-Building Plans

Texas Transportation Commissioners must have a hangover—backing off its highway building ambitions just a few months after approving the $85 billion Unified Transportation Plan in August 2022.

January 3, 2023 - Houston Chronicle

View of intersection in Fairfax, Virginia with three-story building and cars in intersection

Shifting the Focus for Transportation Planning in Fairfax County

Fairfax County wants to move away from a heavy reliance on level of service in favor of more pedestrian- and transit-oriented planning.

December 22, 2022 - FFX Now

Vacant boarded-up storefronts along Powell Street in San Francisco, California.

Planning Year in Review 2022: Downtowns, Transportation, Climate Change

Part two of a review of the major themes, debates, and events of the year in planning that was 2022.

December 19, 2022 - James Brasuell

A toll payment facility in Florida.

Florida to Provide Toll Relief for Frequent Commuters

It will be cheaper to drive around Florida, starting January 1.

December 19, 2022 - Florida Department of Transportation

Biketown

Roadways for People: The Necessity of Collaboration

Breaking down planning silos to ensure transportation options in a car-oriented world.

December 8, 2022 - Lynn Peterson and Elizabeth Doerr

Rendering of Van Ness Avenue with Bus Rapid Transit

Some States Use More Highway Funding for Transit Than Others

A news study brings the receipts on state and regional transportation spending.

December 2, 2022 - TransitCenter

Self-Driving Car

Autonomous Vehicle Industry Hits a Bump in the Road

Slashed budgets, executives heading for the exits, and delayed dreams—the autonomous vehicle industry is taking longer to get on the road than industry supporters expected.

November 2, 2022 - Bloomberg

Market Street

San Francisco Returns $15 Million Federal Grant for Market Street Improvements

San Francisco was awarded a federal grant in 2018 that it was forced to return in 2022 because it couldn't start construction by 2025.

November 1, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

Washington, D.C.

D.C. Revamps its Vision Zero Plan to Eliminate Traffic Fatalities

Washington, D.C. was an early adopter of Vision Zero in the United States, but eventually it became emblematic of the country's lack of progress in reducing traffic collisions.

November 1, 2022 - DCist

I-94 Freeway in Minneapolis

Driving as a Risk Factor: A New Paradigm

New strategies are needed to achieve ambitious safety goals such as Vision Zero. This requires a paradigm shift, a change in the ways risks are measured and potential safety strategies evaluated.

October 20, 2022 - Todd Litman

Woman walking at marina in Pensacola, FL with boat in background

Pensacola Launches Active Transportation Plan

Pensacola, Florida, one of the least safe localities for pedestrians in a state full of them, is seeking public feedback for a new Active Transportation Plan.

October 18, 2022 - WUWF

Hyperloop

The Hyperloop’s Prospects Dim

The media is coming around to the idea that the hyperloop is not a near-term solution for the country’s transportation woes. It’s too little, too obvious, too late.

September 27, 2022 - James Brasuell

A map of Colorado freeways ad highways and towns, focusing on Interstate 25 in Northern Colorado.

Colorado OKs $350 for I-25 Expansion

Colorado’s new approach to transportation projects is on display with the funding of a new project to widen an interstate freeway, adding bike and pedestrian infrastructure along side new toll lanes.

September 21, 2022 - The Coloradoan

Copenhagen Bikes

The Inflation Reduction Act's 'Inadequate' Reliance on Electric Vehicles

Electric vehicles can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but not enough to prevent the worst of climate change and not as much as walkable cities with far fewer cars on the road.

September 20, 2022 - Urban Institute

Row of white electric cars at charging station

Rise Of Electric Vehicles Makes Good Planning More Crucial Than Ever

There may be plenty of reasons to hail the rise of electric vehicles, including California's policy to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. But what may be good for the air is not necessarily good for cities.

September 15, 2022 - California Planning & Development Report

Regional Transportation District

Colorado Planning for a Less Car-Dependent Transportation Future

Multiple funding plans are on the brink of reformulating the state of Colorado’s approach to transportation—away from cars and toward active transportation and high-capacity public transit.

September 14, 2022 - The Denver Post

A police officer directs traffic as fire trucks arrive on scene along a street with green painted bike lanes.

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.

September 5, 2022 - The Urbanist

Top Books

An annual review of books related to planning.

Top Websites

The best of the Internet—since 2002.

Top Apps

Planning apps for a brave new world.

Top Schools

The definitive ranking of graduate planning programs.

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.