Seattle area voters will vote this November on a $53 billion transit expansion package. But along with new light rail lines stretching across the region, Seattle will also be getting a publicly owned parking empire. In total, the plan calls for $661 million in spending on parking at transit stations. At an astounding $80,000 per stall, that will fund 8,300 parking spots. Zach […]

The lousy state of American bus stops is a serious problem. Transit riders say bad waiting environments are one of their top concerns, according to a recent survey and report by TransitCenter [PDF]. That’s why Streetsblog is highlighting some of the sorriest bus stops in the nation this month. Poor walking conditions and uncomfortable bus stops are not just the transit agency’s responsibility. Local governments and […]

Commuting accounts for only about 15 percent of trips in the United States. But when planners make transportation infrastructure decisions, they often base them on commuting patterns, not other types of trips. One side effect of this convention is that it undervalues trips by women, writes U.K. blogger Katja Leyendecker, and contributes to a built environment that is poorly suited to women’s needs. She […]

If aliens came to Earth, who would they assume is in control — people or cars? Cars, of course. That’s the premise of this 50-year-old animation dug up by Alex Ihnen at NextSTL. It’s worth noting, says Ihnen, that the piece was made by Canadians: It tells the story of aliens viewing earth and concluding that the automobile is […]

When driverless cars hit the market (which may not be as soon as advertised), nobody denies that they will change transportation planning. But let’s put one claim to rest: Driverless cars will not make transit obsolete, especially not high-capacity transit serving dense urban areas. Bryan Mistele, CEO of traffic data firm Inrix, recently placed a piece […]

Ohio’s transit agencies are in a world of hurt. Both Cincinnati’s SORTA and Cleveland’s GCRTA are facing budget crises. Even Columbus’s COTA — which has been in an expansion mode — is now facing a shortfall. Agencies statewide are up against a vicious cycle of sprawl, says Ken Prendergast at All Aboard Ohio. State policies transfer infrastructure funds from […]