Planetizen

A Love Letter to the Articulated Bus An ode to the bendy boys, by far the wackiest of the specialized vehicles you might find at a transit authority.

A Love Letter to the Articulated Bus

Commentary: In the Age of Mass Deportation, Mobility is a Civil Rights Issue - h/t Streetsblog USA How transportation networks support — or impede — immigration enforcement systems.

Commentary: In the Age of Mass Deportation, Mobility is a Civil Rights Issue - h/t Streetsblog USA

Invasive Beetle has Killed Over 200,000 Southern California Oak Trees, Raising Wildfire Risk - h/t ABC7 Eyewitness News The rapid spread of the Goldspotted Oak Borer is killing hundreds of thousands of oak trees, undermining habitat and increasing wildfire danger across Southern California.

Invasive Beetle has Killed Over 200,000 Southern California Oak Trees, Raising Wildfire Risk - h/t ABC7 Eyewitness News

LA Metro Greenlights South Bay Light Rail Extension - h/t Secret Los Angeles When complete, the K Line extension will offer a 19-minute ride from Torrance to LAX.

LA Metro Greenlights South Bay Light Rail Extension - h/t Secret Los Angeles

Report: Texas Needs ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of New Homes to Meet Demand - h/t Houston Chronicle For the second consecutive year, home construction in the state failed to keep up with rising demand.

Report: Texas Needs ‘Hundreds of Thousands’ of New Homes to Meet Demand - h/t Houston Chronicle

Midtown Atlanta Bike Lane 16 Years in the Making Now Open - h/t 11 Alive The protected lane spans a roughly one-mile segment of Juniper Street.

Midtown Atlanta Bike Lane 16 Years in the Making Now Open - h/t 11 Alive

90% of NYC Intersections Lack Audible Crossing Signals for Blind Pedestrians - h/t Bloomberg CityLab People with vision impairments rely on a complex network of tactile and audible signals to navigate cities.

90% of NYC Intersections Lack Audible Crossing Signals for Blind Pedestrians - h/t Bloomberg CityLab

Eight Sci-Fi Books That Teach Urbanists the Dos and Don’ts of the Future Science fiction has long painted a picture of the city of the future. What if they’re our roadmap out of dystopia?

Eight Sci-Fi Books That Teach Urbanists the Dos and Don’ts of the Future

Seattle Density Increase Stymied by Underground Power Line Requirement - h/t The Seattle Times A new policy that requires buildings with four or more units to bury their electrical lines is making housing development more costly and causing months-long delays.

Seattle Density Increase Stymied by Underground Power Line Requirement - h/t The Seattle Times

California High-Speed Rail Slashes $1.7B From 2026 Budget - h/t Progressive Railroading The CHSRA plans to complete the Central Valley segment of the line and begin revenue service as soon as possible.

California High-Speed Rail Slashes $1.7B From 2026 Budget - h/t Progressive Railroading

New Phoenix and Oakland Homelessness Plans Prioritize Prevention, Permanent Housing - h/t Smart Cities Dive Phoenix’s unsheltered homeless population grew by 28 percent last year.

New Phoenix and Oakland Homelessness Plans Prioritize Prevention, Permanent Housing - h/t Smart Cities Dive

Kansas City Will Start Charging Bus Fares in June — With no Plan in Place for Low-income Riders - h/t KCUR Service providers say they haven’t been told how their clients can access free or reduced fares after the agency starts charging again this summer.

Kansas City Will Start Charging Bus Fares in June — With no Plan in Place for Low-income Riders - h/t KCUR

Huntsville, Alabama Launches $30M Complete Streets Project - h/t WAFF A redesign of Holmes Avenue will bring new sidewalks, bike lanes, lighting, and street furniture to the corridor.

Huntsville, Alabama Launches $30M Complete Streets Project - h/t WAFF

New Jersey Governor Kills ‘Boondoggle’ Highway Expansion - h/t City Observatory Gov. Sherrill ‘right-sized’ the Newark Bay Bridge reconstruction project, nixing a second proposed bridge and road expansion.

New Jersey Governor Kills ‘Boondoggle’ Highway Expansion - h/t City Observatory

‘Builder’s Remedy’ Housing Project on Yosemite Border Draws Opposition From Locals, Environmentalists - h/t San Francisco Chronicle Local residents are raising questions about a proposed 110-unit development in an isolated region adjacent to the national park.

‘Builder’s Remedy’ Housing Project on Yosemite Border Draws Opposition From Locals, Environmentalists - h/t San Francisco Chronicle

Caltrain Outlaws Cargo Bikes, Child Seats as Demand Overwhelms Bike Cars - h/t Streetsblog San Francisco Around 20 percent of Caltrain passengers use a bike to get to or from stations.

Caltrain Outlaws Cargo Bikes, Child Seats as Demand Overwhelms Bike Cars - h/t Streetsblog San Francisco

Report: Land Under US Highways Could Earn Over $5 Billion in Property Taxes Yearly - h/t Bloomberg CityLab An analysis of 142 U.S. cities reveals the economic potential of land used for highways.

Report: Land Under US Highways Could Earn Over $5 Billion in Property Taxes Yearly - h/t Bloomberg CityLab

Report: Hundreds of Vacant NYC Public Housing Units ‘Taken Over’ by Squatters - h/t City Limits The city’s housing authority says it often takes months to renovate apartments for new tenants, leading to hundreds of empty units that pose safety risks to neighbors.

Report: Hundreds of Vacant NYC Public Housing Units ‘Taken Over’ by Squatters - h/t City Limits

Report: US Transit Returns $5 for Every $1 Invested - h/t Mass Transit An analysis from APTA shows the rippling positive impacts of transit funding.

Report: US Transit Returns $5 for Every $1 Invested - h/t Mass Transit

US Traffic Deaths Fell by 12% in One Year. How Did it Happen? - h/t Streetsblog USA Biden-era investment in safe streets, shifts in travel patterns brought on by the pandemic, and increased traffic enforcement are all possible reasons why traffic deaths dropped significantly between 2024 and 2025.

US Traffic Deaths Fell by 12% in One Year. How Did it Happen? - h/t Streetsblog USA

Austin Approves Over $10 Million for Homelessness Programs - h/t Community Impact Newspaper The funding package supports emergency shelters totaling close to 500 beds.

Austin Approves Over $10 Million for Homelessness Programs - h/t Community Impact Newspaper

Judge Rules to Keep NYC Congestion Pricing, Ending Trump's Legal Challenge - h/t Curbed The decision likely deals a fatal blow to efforts to end the program, but the Trump administration says it will explore other avenues for reversing the congestion pricing scheme.

Judge Rules to Keep NYC Congestion Pricing, Ending Trump's Legal Challenge - h/t Curbed

February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month Transit agencies like BART and TriMet face lingering budget shortfalls, forcing major service cuts and layoffs, while federal plans to ban fare-free transit throw a wrench in NYC Mayor Mamdani’s proposal to make the city’s buses ‘fast and free.’

February Must-Reads: Top 10 Articles From Last Month

Missing the Games? For 20 Years, Town Planning Was an Olympic Sport. - h/t Atlas Obscura In the first half of the 20th century, the Olympic games actually had a medal competition for town planning.

Missing the Games? For 20 Years, Town Planning Was an Olympic Sport. - h/t Atlas Obscura

FTA Offers $100 Million in Transit Grants to World Cup Host Cities - h/t USA Today Championship soccer games will be held in 11 U.S. cities this summer as part of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

FTA Offers $100 Million in Transit Grants to World Cup Host Cities - h/t USA Today

Nevada’s Highway Safety Plan Targets 35% Drop in Traffic Deaths by 2035 - h/t Fox 5 Vegas The 2026-2030 plan aims to reduce deaths and serious injuries with a long-term goal of eliminating traffic deaths by 2050.

Nevada’s Highway Safety Plan Targets 35% Drop in Traffic Deaths by 2035 - h/t Fox 5 Vegas

Denver Cut Unsheltered Homelessness Almost in Half Even as Unhoused Population Grows - h/t Governing While the total number of Denver residents without permanent housing is growing, the city has leveraged its resources to quickly create over 1,000 new emergency shelter beds.

Denver Cut Unsheltered Homelessness Almost in Half Even as Unhoused Population Grows - h/t Governing

Mamdani Administration Promises 20-30 New Public Bathrooms by End of Summer - h/t Smart Cities Dive Of the city’s 1,000 public restrooms, just 30 percent are located outside of parks.

Mamdani Administration Promises 20-30 New Public Bathrooms by End of Summer - h/t Smart Cities Dive

Sunbelt Cities Rank Lowest in Nation for Street Safety - h/t Streetsblog USA Cities with low road safety rankings are overwhelmingly newer and located in the South and Southwest.

Sunbelt Cities Rank Lowest in Nation for Street Safety - h/t Streetsblog USA

BART Announces Major Service Cuts, Fare Increases in Face of $376M Deficit - h/t Mass Transit If a November ballot measure fails to bring new funding, BART’s ‘alternative service plan’ would reduce frequencies to 30 minutes, raise fares by 30%, and close up to 15 stations.

BART Announces Major Service Cuts, Fare Increases in Face of $376M Deficit - h/t Mass Transit