LA Metro Wins Award for Sustainable Communities Planning Policy
May 21, 2013
More News & Resources:
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority's Countywide Sustainability Planning Policy was adopted by the Metro Board in Fall 2012, and is based on work by Metro staff and a consultant team led by ARUP, and including Center for Transit-Oriented Development partners Reconnecting America and the Center for Neighborhood Technology, as well as Fehr and Peers and Barrio Planners. We at Reconnecting America want to congratulate Metro on getting recognition for this huge step forward in sustainability planning. Separate Metro policies address sustainability in operations and construction.
Are We There Yet? Voters Champion Transit
May 21, 2013
More News & Resources:
Editor's Note: Many voters across the country have willingly taxed themselves in order to fund major expansions of transit systems in recent years. This week's excerpt from Are We There Yet? explores this trend and the examples of Denver and Los Angeles. Unfortunately, as the report explains, in many places the dollars for construction have not been matched by funding for operations, a problem proving particularly hard on systems serving low-income, transit-dependent populations.
Visit the Are We There Yet? home Voters have proved to be enthusiastic supporters of transit ... and have stepped up to tax themselves in order to make up for the shortfall in state and federal funding. Twenty-three sales tax measures for transit were passed in 16 states in the 2008 election. These sales tax measures are sometimes criticized as regressive because they impose a greater burden on lower-income families. Many states mitigate this by…
Visit the Are We There Yet? home Voters have proved to be enthusiastic supporters of transit ... and have stepped up to tax themselves in order to make up for the shortfall in state and federal funding. Twenty-three sales tax measures for transit were passed in 16 states in the 2008 election. These sales tax measures are sometimes criticized as regressive because they impose a greater burden on lower-income families. Many states mitigate this by…
Urbanism & Design: Connecting Bikes & Business, Miami Ballpark A Bad Deal, Nashville Subdivision Offers Walkability, Pedestrian Tunnels
May 13, 2013
More News & Resources:
URBANISM & DESIGN
Charlottesville Explores Connections Between Bikes, Business
Charlottesville Tomorrow
Bikes and walking - we all know they are possible alternatives to driving cars.
Transport: Shanghai Monorail, Megabus 25M Rides, Making City Bike-Friendly, BRT In China, Bottineau LRT OK'd
May 10, 2013
More News & Resources:
TRANSPORT
Shanghai Thinking Monorail
China Daily
Shanghai is likely to introduce the country's first suspended monorail train by 2015 to improve the city's worsening traffic congestion and pollution levels.
Urbanism & Design: Boston South Bay Plans, America's Falling Population Density, Pleasant Hill BART TOD, Revitalizing Wichita
May 7, 2013
More News & Resources:
URBANISM & DESIGN
Resident's Plan Calls for Mixed Use in Boston South Bay
Boston Globe
Nearby residents and other neighbors of the South Bay Shopping Center have developed a master plan to help guide future development in the area.
Modern Streetcar Vehicle Guideline
April 30, 2013
More News & Resources:
"Modern Streetcar Vehicle Guideline," designed to support specification and procurement of modern streetcar vehicles by identifying and describing important technical and operating principles relating to their application, has been added to the Resource Center's best practices database.
Modern Streetcar Vehicle Guideline
April 29, 2013
More News & Resources:
Summary
Modern light rail and streetcar vehicles are fundamentally very similar, the differences having largely to do with how they are applied. The primary difference between the two modes is the degree of integration into the urban environment and the scale of the associated infrastructure. This difference in application makes some common light rail vehicle design features unnecessary for streetcar application but may also require the use of other features that may or may not be incorporated into a typical light rail vehicle.
The Guideline includes an introduction and four chapters: Vehicle Configuration, Vehicle/Platform Interface, Vehicle/Track Interface and Power Supply. Recognizing that streetcar systems vary considerably in form and function, the document identifies and explains the underlying principles and interdependencies associated with each topic, and examines the trade-offs involved in various different design approaches. Throughout, emphasis is placed on the need to…
Transport: DC War On Cars, Albuquerque's Fake Subway Map, Philly Bike Share, Smartphones & Car Culture, Long Beach Cyclovia
April 18, 2013
More News & Resources:
TRANSPORT
There is No War on Cars in DC
Washington City Paper
If the District of Columbia is in the midst of a war on cars, then last month was its Gettysburg.
Read On
Read On
Transport: Madison BRT, Australian HSR $120B, DC Streetcar Joint Development, Designing Boston Transit Map
April 12, 2013
More News & Resources:
TRANSPORT
Madison BRT Plan Greeted Favorably by Officials
Capital Times
Enthusiasm is high for a new model of speedy bus service for Madison - but so is the potential price tag.
Transport: Transit Wiki, Richmond VA Transit Network Plans, Driving Down & Highway Spending Up, Speeding Seattle Transit Studies
April 11, 2013
More News & Resources:
TRANSPORT
Transit Wiki for Information Sharing
Human Transit
I've recently learned of a new resource for sharing knowledge and best practices related to transit planning: transitwiki.org.
Resources by Topic
Affordability bicycles bus Bus Rapid Transit Case Studies Climate Change Commuter Rail CTOD Demographics Development & Redevelopment Economic Development And TOD Employment & Transit EPA Federal Policy FTA health Health & Environment Heavy Rail High-Speed & Intercity Rail Highways & Automobiles housing Joint Development Light Rail Livability & Sustainability Livability In Smaller Cities Location Efficiency marketing Parking Pedestrians & Walkability Performance Regional Planning Ridership Smart Growth & Sprawl Station Area Typologies Streetcar TOD TOD And Equity TOD Finance TOD RFP/RFQ Transit Transit Corridors Transit Design Transit Funding Transit Supportive Density Travel Behavior urban Urban Form Value Capture VMT Zoning & CodingFind us on . . .
© 2013 All Rights Reserved. Reconnecting America
