Virginia

Evacuated Highway 401

How COVID-19 Impacted U.S. Traffic Trends

Vehicle miles traveled, collisions, and collision-related injuries have been impacted by shelter-in-place orders nationwide. The level of impact, however, largely varies by region.

June 7, 2020 - Transport Topics

Transit in a Pandemic

Plans to Restore Transit Service With Social Distancing, Other Risk Reduction Measures in Place

After months of nothing but news of service cuts, plummeting ridership, and cratered budgets, a few U.S. transit agencies are now making plans to restore service with new social distancing guidelines in place.

May 14, 2020 - The Washington Post

Virginia

Transit Shutdown Only Lasts 36 Hours in Petersburg, Virginia

Transit officials quickly rescinded a decision to halt public transit service in the city of Petersburg.

April 9, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Coronavirus

States Not Unified in Response to Coronavirus Pandemic

Public health experts were pleased that Trump extended his coronavirus guidelines, but they remain advisory, left to state and local governments to implement. Nine states have yet to issue stay-at-home orders, leaving the nation vulnerable to COVID.

April 6, 2020 - The Hill

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority

Blue Line Extension on the Table in Virginia

Virginia could kick off an extension of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) Blue Line by funding a study in this year's state budget.

February 24, 2020 - The Washington Post

Arlington Transit Bus

Virginia Proposal for No-Cost and Reduced-Fare Transit

The program would allow transit agencies throughout the state to eliminate or reduce fares.

February 18, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Road Rage

Report: Virginia's Drivers Ranked Rudest in the Nation

Auto insurance comparison outfit Insurify reviewed two million insurance applications and calculated the states with the rudest drivers based on one or more driving violations.

February 11, 2020 - Insurify Insights

Virginia Toll Lanes

As Tolls Increase, Vehicle Trips Decrease on Dynamically Priced Express Lanes

When tolls rise on the 66 Express Lanes, trips decrease. according to a new report by the Virginia Department of Transportation.

January 29, 2020 - Patch

Arlington, Virginia

More Space for Buses and Mixed Use Planned for Busy Northern Virginia Corridor

The Lee Highway is expected to face new strains, and new life, with the arrival of Amazon, so planners are planning a transformation, starting with a new bus lane.

January 27, 2020 - Arl Now

Virginia

Virginia Upzoning and Accessory Dwelling Unit Bills Killed Quickly in Committee

The Land Use subcommittee of the Virginia House of Delegates decided quickly to uphold local control of zoning.

January 26, 2020 - WAMU

Texas residential

Affordable Housing Challenges in Beltway Suburbs

More people are moving to suburban counties, but a lack of affordable housing in places such as Loudon County, Virginia, means the suburbs are not an option for a growing number of people.

January 22, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Charlottesville, Virginia

Regional Transit Could Boost Ridership in Charlottesville

Transit ridership has been waning in Charlottesville, Virginia, but a regional system could benefit the area’s operators and better meet the mobility needs of riders.

January 8, 2020 - Greater Greater Washington

Charlottesville

Mapping Housing Discrimination in Charlottesville

Like many American cities, the site of white supremacist unrest in 2017 has a long history of residential discrimination by race. This mapping project seeks to uncover the roots of today's disparities.

December 30, 2019 - Next City

New Jersey

East Coast Considers Plan to Hike Gas Prices to Mitigate Climate Change

Will a dozen East Coast states and D.C. agree to a regional plan that would likely hike gas prices through a "cap-and-invest" program to mitigate tailpipe emissions similar to what California has done for the last five years?

December 30, 2019 - The New York Times

Roanoke, Virginia

Statewide Density Increases Proposed in Virginia

The Commonwealth of Virginia will consider a bill that would legalize duplexes in single-family zones throughout the state.

December 23, 2019 - CityLab

Maryland Suburbs

Missing Middle Housing Studied in Suburban Virginia

Almost 90% of Arlington County land zones for residential use is reserved for single-family homes. Would adding missing middle housing in the form of duplexes and triplexes keep the price of housing in a more manageable range?

December 22, 2019 - WAMU

Amtrak

Virginia to Pay $3.7 Billion for 225 Miles of Rail Track

New passenger rail improvements for the Virginia Railway Express and Amtrak are on the way in 2020.

December 20, 2019 - WTOP

Car-centric Planning

Transit-Oriented Development Central to D.C. Region's Growth Plan

Transit-oriented development will play a key role in mitigating the congestion effects of growing population in the region around the nation's capital, and regional planners say the region is already achieving its goals.

December 2, 2019 - WTOP

Tide Light Rail

A New Transit Vision for Norfolk

Transit ridership in Norfolk, Virginia, has been lagging, and the city hopes that changes to the bus and rail systems will turn things around.

December 1, 2019 - Greater Greater Washington

Arlington County, Virginia

Community Benefits Package for Amazon's HQ2 Takes Shape

Details of the community benefits package promised as part of Amazon's HQ2 development deal with Arlington County, Virginia made news this week.

November 27, 2019 - WTOP

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.