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In Atlanta, Transit Service Lags Behind a Booming Population
Since 2000, the Atlanta region has grown by more than 1.5 million people, or over 25 percent, but transit service is not keeping up. Both rail and bus ridership on MARTA, the major regional transit provider, have fallen dramatically in recent years.
February 23, 2017
Why Is Portland’s Transit Chief Advocating for More Highways?
After suffering an embarrassing defeat a year ago, the Oregon highway lobby is rattling the can for more money again. They have a list of highways they want to widen, and they say Portland's economy depends on it. In addition to the usual suspects, the highway cheerleaders include Neil McFarlane, general manager of TriMet, the regional transit agency.
February 23, 2017
Why Seattle Should Boot Cars Off Its Busiest Street for Buses
Seattle is booming, and in downtown, transit has been absorbing most of the city's growth in travel. With the streets full during rush hour, the only way to increase capacity is to reallocate street space from cars to more compact modes like buses and bikes.
February 22, 2017
Want to See Where Transit and Biking Need a Boost? D.C. Has a Map for That
Most places in the U.S. still use 20th century metrics to measure the performance of transportation systems. The emphasis is still on moving cars, not improving transit service or reducing traffic injuries. One of the exceptions is DC, where the DOT is letting people assess streets according to a different set of priorities.
February 16, 2017
What American Commuter Rail Can Learn From Paris, Part 2
In Europe it's common for regional rail systems to get ridership comparable to that of the subway in the central city. But in America, this is unheard of. One reason for the discrepancy is land use: American commuter rail stations are typically surrounded by parking, while in the Paris region you see a different pattern with ample development next to suburban train stations.
February 15, 2017
Q&A With Dongho Chang, a Traffic Engineer Who Stresses Safety Over Speed
Dongho Chang belongs to a new generation of transportation engineers who see their job as more than moving cars. His work with Seattle DOT has established the city as a national leader on designing multi-modal streets. We recently spoke to Chang about his work in Seattle and how the profession is changing.
February 14, 2017
To Get More People on Bikes, Louisville Needs to Raise Its Game
Louisville is making an effort to build out its bike network, adding a number of buffered bike lanes and beginning a network of low-stress "Neighborways" along residential streets. It's a start, but peer cities like Indianapolis and Pittsburgh are doing more to make cycling an appealing way to get around. Here's what Louisville needs to do to catch up.
February 14, 2017
What American Commuter Rail Can Learn From Paris
In the U.S., regional rail is mostly good for one type of trip: the commute. But in Paris, regional rail is oriented toward all types of trips, and people ride throughout the day, not just at rush hour. One key to success is running frequent, predictable service all day long.
February 13, 2017
Get a Glimpse of Barcelona’s “Superblocks” in Action
Barcelona is making headway on its "superblocks," clusters of nine city blocks where car traffic is restricted and public space is expanded. This BBC video shows how a superblock functions: Most of the street space is reserved for walking and biking, while motor vehicles are limited to narrow, indirect rights-of-way.
February 13, 2017
Downtown Seattle Added 45,000 Jobs and Hardly Any Car Commuters
Transforming from a car city to a transit city is no easy task. Just ask Denver and Los Angeles, which have spent billions to build rail systems but struggled to reduce solo car commuting rates. But Seattle shows it can be done: The share of downtown commuters who drive alone dropped from 35 percent in 2010 to 30 percent last year.
February 10, 2017
