Transit Planning

Close-up view of empty bus from behind seat. Seats have blue upholstery

Opinion: Free Fares Won’t Solve the Transit Crisis

“The biggest US transit agencies must be allowed to simply focus on delivering high-quality service. There is no Plan B.”

March 29, 2023 - Vox

Electric bus in Austin, Texas

Austin’s Project Connect Transit Plan Drastically Reduced

The details of drastic reductions to the proposed building program for Austin’s Project Connect long-range transit plan are now open for public comment.

March 23, 2023 - KUT

White SEPTA bus driving through snow in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

‘Bus Revolution’ Revised in Philadelphia

The bus system redesign underway in Philadelphia changed direction after riders and local politicians complained about an initial draft plan.

March 23, 2023 - WHYY

A bright red traffic lane reads “Bus Only.”

Texas Legislation Would Add More Roadblocks for Transit Funding in Austin

A former Austin city councilmember, now at the Texas State Legislature, is trying to make it harder for Austin Transit Partnership to borrow money to fund Project Connect, the Austin region’s big, ambitious transit investment plan.

March 20, 2023 - KUT

Electric bus in Austin, Texas

Revisions Looming, Austin’s Project Connect Reveals the Obstacles of Transit Planning in 2023

A once sprawling and singularly ambitious capital investment plan for the Capital Metro system will soon be reduced in size and scope. The episode is more evidence of an emerging era of transit planning austerity.

March 15, 2023 - TransitCenter

A New York MTA drives down the straight under elevated train tracks in the Bronx in New York City

Changes to Local Service in the Bronx Benefit Bus Speeds, Ridership

Another example of how improving bus service design can benefit transit riders and transit systems emerges in New York City. More such local system redesigns are on the way soon in the Big Apple.

March 3, 2023 - StreetsBlog NYC

Green Line, Los Angeles

Rail Transit Plans Would Connect L.A.’s South Bay to the Regional Rail System

Two new transit extensions promise several new routes for South Bay residents to access the Los Angeles region’s transit system.

February 8, 2023 - The Source

A map of the planned route of the Omaha Streetcar, as of January 2023.

Warren Buffett, Streetcar Skeptic

Warren Buffett, bus service supporter?

January 31, 2023 - James Brasuell

A woman wears a mask during the Covid-19 pandemic in a large crowd at a transit station in New York City.

Where Ridership-Only Service Design Comes Up Short

Jarrett Walker and Mathew Yglesias discuss one of the great quandaries of 21st century transit planning—how to increase cost effectiveness and ridership while also ensuring equity and service for underserved communities.

January 16, 2023 - Human Transit

Man walking away past glass elevator in brightly lit New York City subway station corridor

New York Post-Pandemic First: Big Transit Service Changes

More service on the weekends, less on Monday and Friday, reflects the patterns of post-pandemic transit ridership.

December 22, 2022 - Gothamist

A light rail trail leaves a station with a field of grass under the blue sky in the background.

Denver’s C and F Light Rail Routes Closed Permanently

The Regional Transportation District in Denver suspended two light rail lines at the onset of Covid-19 in March 2020. The routes have now been permanently discontinued.

December 18, 2022 - The Denver Post

CTA Red Line

Update: Chicago Red Line Extension TIF Approved

The long-anticipated project that will bring the Chicago Transit Authority rail system into transit deserts on the Southside of Chicago is making substantial progress.

December 14, 2022 - WBEZ

Kansas City Bus

Free Transit, But at What Cost?

Opinion: The movement toward fare-free transit might have more to do with optics and politics than planning.

December 14, 2022 - James Brasuell

Baltimore Rail

Baltimore’s Red Line Rail Project Back on the Table Thanks to New Governor

One of the most infamously anti-transit decisions of the past decade—Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s decision to cancel the Baltimore Red Line system expansion—could be reversed by the incoming governor.

December 12, 2022 - Bloomberg CityLab

Light Rail Project Proposed Route

$1.9 Billion in State Budget Surplus Requested for L.A. Transit Projects

L.A. transit officials hope the state budget surplus can be used to fund regional transit project, including one highly anticipated light rail project that broke ground on Friday, December 2.

December 4, 2022 - Los Angeles Daily News

Central Subway Construction

Long Delayed, $1.95 Billion Central Subway Opens in San Francisco

San Francisco’s first north-south subway opened last weekend, extending service on Muni’s T light rail line.

November 22, 2022 - San Francisco Chronicle

MBTA Bus

MBTA Announces Improved Bus Frequencies, Redesigned Route Map in Boston

A large system redesign is nearing implementation in and around Boston, but the new system map will require more drivers than the MBTA currently employs.

November 21, 2022 - The Boston Globe

Transit Planning

Sooner Rather Than Later: Support Builds for Eastside-Only Light Rail in Seattle

The Eastside Link light rail route, now known as Line 2, is delayed. A Sound Transit board officials is suggesting that some of the route can open soon, while the rest of the route is prepped to open later.

November 10, 2022 - The Seattle Times

Passengers line up to board a bus at a bus rapid transit station in Indianapolis.

IndyGo Revisits the Bus System Redesign it Paused for the Pandemic

The IndyGo board of directors scrapped a bus system redesign planned for launch in June 2020 as part of its Covid-19 emergency response. The transit agency is now seeking public feedback on a new map with similar changes.

November 7, 2022 - Indystar

Protest Crowd

Breaking the Bias on Public Transport

How gender-sensitive data collection can make public transit safer for women.

October 20, 2022 - Louise Ribet

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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.