Transportation Planning

The Washington St Bridge in Minneapolis is shown with downtown Minneapolis in the background.

Minnesota Republicans Kill Passenger Rail, Freeway Cap Projects

Republicans in the Minnesota State Senate blocked the planning of a proposed passenger rail route between Duluth and the Twin Cities in addition to a plan for a freeway cap in a historically Black neighborhood in St. Paul.

May 19, 2022 - MPR News

Portland Interchange

Can Portland Have its Climate Goals and Expand its Highways Too?

Portland wants it both ways, but so do most places. But if Portland can't quit the car habit, which cities can?

May 12, 2022 - The New York Times

Chicago Commute

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.

May 12, 2022 - James Brasuell

A very large yacht at berth in Washington, with wooded hills in the background.

Superyachts Calling the Shots for How Light Rail Gets Built in Seattle

Determinations made by the Coast Guard to accommodate superyachts will affect the price of light rail and other bridge projects in Seattle and environs.

May 4, 2022 - The Urbanist

Madison Bike

Wisconsin Republicans Block Congestion, Pollution Funds From Bike and Ped Projects

It was always a risk that states would use funding from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act to double down on the transportation systems that create congestion and air pollution.

May 1, 2022 - Wisconsin Examiner

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.

April 27, 2022 - James Brasuell

Commute

The Disparate Racial Impacts of Commute Times

Commute times vary significantly depending on race, according to a recent study. The consequences of the imbalance have very real social and economic effects for already marginalized racial groups.

April 22, 2022 - Streetsblog USA

Congestion versus mobility

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.

April 20, 2022 - James Brasuell

Congestion

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).

April 13, 2022 - James Brasuell

Bus Priority Zones

New York City Council Pushing for Major Investments in Bus and Bike Lanes

The $3.1 billion requested by the New York City Council to build 500 miles of new bus lanes and 500 miles of protected bus lanes isn't included in New York Mayor Eric Adams's proposed budget.

April 7, 2022 - AMNY

A long exposure of Interstate 395 through downtown Washington D.C. on a busy night.

Car Commutes and Congestion Are Back in D.C.

Low transit ridership and a more dispersed daytime workforce are creating new headaches for car commuters in the D.C. area—in a story likely to be repeated all over the country as work returns to the office.

March 23, 2022 - The Washington Post

Construction fo the California High-Speed Rail project is shown running parallel to Highway 99 in California's Central Valley.

California High-Speed Rail Status Check

The New York Times recently checked in with the California High-Speed Rail project and reported the current details, still in the process of a long evolution.

March 17, 2022 - The New York Times

Washington State Ferry

'Move Ahead Washington' Launches a New Era of Transportation Planning in Washington State

Democrats in the Washington State Legislature won approval for a massive 16-year transportation package dubbed Move Ahead Washington.

March 15, 2022 - The Urbanist

Main Street

Federal Highway Administration Moving Toward Complete Streets

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) released a report to Congress this week that takes initial steps toward making complete streets the default model for funding and designing federally controlled roads.

March 3, 2022 - Federal Highway Administration

Construction work to replace the bridge deck carrying eastbound I-196 over Grand River in downtown Grand Rapids.

Safety or Freight: What's the Top Priority for U.S. 131 Redesign Project in Grand Rapids?

Urban designers are playing the advocate in a Michigan Department of Transportation study that is considering ways to reconfigure U.S. Highway 131 where it curves through Downtown Grand Rapids.

March 2, 2022 - MiBiz

I-84 to I-5 Interstate Freeway in Portland Oregon with Long Exposure Vehicle Traffic Motion

What Is VMT?

A measure of the demand for vehicle travel on public roadways, VMT provides a metric for evaluating the potential impact of road projects and developments and could become an increasingly useful tool for assessing road usage taxes.

March 2, 2022 - Diana Ionescu

A freeway sign for an intersection showing Interstate 85 for Durham on the left and Interstate 40 for Raleigh on the right.

Research Triangle Region Cuts Back Highway Widening Plans

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro Metropolitan Planning Organization accomplished a major shift in transportation planning priorities.

March 2, 2022 - News & Observer

Conceptual rendering of the California High-Speed Rail project in Pacheco Pass.

Environmental Review Complete for Key Northern California Section of High-Speed Rail Project

The San Jose to Merced Project Section Final Environmental Impact Report/ Environmental Impact Statement could be approved by April 21.

March 1, 2022 - California High-Speed Rail Authority

Denver Regional Transit

Underwhelming FasTracks Plan Inspires Transit History Lesson in Denver

FasTracks, one of the most ambitious long-term transit plans in the U.S., has been underway for over 15 years. With the finish line in sight, some locals wonder how useful the new hub-and-spoke system (regional routes connecting to downtown) will be.

February 28, 2022 - Denverite

Interstate 84

Connecticut DOT Announces Five-Year, $6 Billion Capital Investment Plan

The Nutmeg State will spend 64 percent of its capital investments over the next five years on highway and bridge projects.

February 22, 2022 - TransportationToday

Top Books

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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.