Non-drivers are future: Anna Zivarts argues that non-drivers are the future.

Public bathrooms: San Francisco’s Tenderloin makes a compelling case for public bathroom programs.

High housing costs: A very large share of Vancouver residents have considered moving away due to housing costs.

Affordable purchase: Josh Cohen reports on how some low-income buyers can afford a home in pricey Seattle.

Command center: A “command center” for homelessness in Downtown Seattle has been set up with various partners.

Deal: Seattle-area concrete workers have finally reached a contract deal with companies ($).

Novel ADA lawsuit: Bike Portland reports on how a class action lawsuit says City of Portland violates ADA law by not keeping sidewalks clear.

Capping rent: British Columbia is capping rent increases at 2% next year amid soaring inflation.

Cost of parking: A premium San Francisco parking spot is on sale for $90,000.

Remove highways: The NYT shared an opinion piece showcasing the case for highway removal ($).

Actually good: California’s legislature is extending the life of the state’s last nuclear plant.

Frog Ferry: Portland’s Frog Ferry may be in serious trouble.

Drinking in parks: A Vancouver political party wants to expand a program allowing liquor in parks.

Bank on bikes: A Next City op-ed argues that bikes, not self-driving cars, are the technological gateway to urban progress.

Farewell: A progressive Edmonds city councilmember is moving away and ending her time on the council ($).

Housing reform policy: Planetizen highlights some big housing reform policies.

Student/family housing: Simon Fraser University is opening up rental housing for students and their families.

The post What We’re Reading: Cali Rules, Deal, and Frog Ferry first appeared on The Urbanist.

Ground-floor retail: What is the future of ground-floor retail?

Pre-approved plans: South Bend is supporting pre-approved house plans.

Opposition to landmarks: Denver is making it easier for people to oppose landmark designations.

Philly transit: Philadelphia has charted a transit revolution.

2035: A new cross-Hudson transit tunnel is already delayed until 2035 ($).

Crosswalk design: St. Louis doesn’t care about federal guidance on crosswalk painting schemes.

Worst in America: San José BART may be the worst transit project in America, but apparently the second phase of expansion is ready to go.

No hope: Texas is planning construction $85 billion in highways.

Post-car era: European cities continue to look toward phasing out cars in big ways.

FX Line: Take a ride on Portland’s new BRT-ish FX bus line.

Strike: Seattle public school teachers are striking after the district failed to negotiate.

Be like Virginia: Virginia’s well-funded intercity passenger rail program is seeing excellent ridership and demand.

Oops: At the start of Labor Day Weekend, Lake Washington Boulevard was still open for cars instead of people.

Hotel-apartment conversion: A hotel near Seattle’s convention center could be transformed to apartments.

DMV BRT: In the DMV, Montgomery County is looking to improve transit service with BRT.

Decongestion pricing: Vancouver’s civic election could determine the outcome of decongestion pricing.

Reducing emissions: A federal rule could require state and local governments to start restricting greenhouse gas emissions.

Parks spending: Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has a new parks spending plan.

NYC bus cuts: New York City’s cash-strapped MTA has cut bus service.

Quirkiness: Capitol Hill could get a quirky apartment development with 49 homes.

I-5 encampments: The King County Regional Homelessness Authority continues to remove encampments from I-5 in Seattle.

The Hub: San Francisco paused a substantial rezone for an equity analysis that never happened ($).

Using BikeLink: How can you use Sound Transit’s new BikeLink secured bike parking program?

Construction methods: Boston wants to eliminate fossil fuels from new construction.

Level crossings: Portland is seeking grant funding to study how to reduce railroad crossing delays.

MBTA is a cluster: Boston’s transit agency is under fire after one transit bombshell after another.

HSR expanding: California’s high-speed rail authority has approved further construction toward Bakersfield and Merced.

The post What We’re Reading: Boston’s Bike Mayor, Strike, and NYC Bus Cuts first appeared on The Urbanist.

Foot traffic: Portland is seeing a rebound in foot traffic.

Boosting service: Spokane Transit Authority has boosted service.

Idahome: Idaho’s growth is changing demographics quickly.

Ferry rides: BC Ferries traffic is booming.

Regulate GHG: The federal government can now force state and local governments to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Car-lite: Getting Americans out of cars could fix climate and inflation.

Rent control: Two Los Angeles area cities have enacted rent control laws. A Connecticut legislator is pushing for statewide rent control.

Pedestrianized superblocks: Superilles for Los Angeles?

Controlled: More controlled intersections come to Capitol Hill.

Green Lake: What’s the latest for the Green Lake Outer Loop project?

BRT creep: BRT creep hits Atlanta.

Parking mandates: Cincinnati drops parking mandates for part of the city.

TOD Communities: Transit-oriented communities law has been finalized for the Boston area.

Eastlake: Councilmember Alex Pedersen discusses the Eastlake Avenue bike lanes in a letter.

Downtown: How does Downtown Seattle stack up with other cities ($)?

Drive ridership: NACTO has recommendations to drive transit ridership growth.

Appeals: California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) appeals are holding up a lot of housing in California.

Tree regs: Seattle can move forward with additional tree protection regulations.

Overnight trains: What if LA and San Fran had an overnight train?

Limiting speed: New York City is testing speed-limiting technology on city vehicles.

Bike boom: Citi Bike ridership is booming in New York City.

What about e-bikes?: Portland’s EV charging legislation could leave e-bikes out.

RAISE: What complete streets projects will federal RAISE grants fund?

Occupied: A Seattle program to fill vacant commercial spaces gets an expansion.

Accessible density bonus: Density bonuses in New York City could deliver more accessible subway stations.

No new roads: Denver is set to drop highway expansions.

Office conversion: An office tower in San Antonio is becoming housing.

Route rules: Portland’s mayor has banned encampments on safe routes to school.

The post What We’re Reading: Regulate Cars, TOD Communities, and Overnight Trains first appeared on The Urbanist.

Improvement grants: Portland’s Trimet is getting a lot of state funding for improvement, how should it spend it?

Car bill: With a climate bill loss, advocates turn to other solutions for e-bike incentives.

Serve rural areas: Virginia shows how to serve rural areas with intercity transit.

VZ in Vegas: Las Vegas wants to pursue Vision Zero.

Ending exclusionary zoning: Gainesville is set to eliminate exclusionary zoning.

Tightening restrictions: Los Angeles is tightening restrictions on homeless encampments ($).

Revenue searching: As fare revenue dwindles, the NYC MTA is seeking new funding sources.

Reconnecting communities: What should you know about the “reconnecting communities” pilot program?

Back to normal: Seattle has ended hazard pay.

Racial bias: Philly wants to end racial bias in home appraisals.

Car-free pioneer: Which European city pioneered the car-free city trend?

Trends in charges: How many charges is the Seattle City Attorney filing?

People’s Park: People’s Park at UC Berkeley is a battleground over housing and the unhoused.

Death cult: Republicans want to keep roads dangerous, opposing anti-drunk driving laws.

Covering Tacoma: Tacoma has an uphill battle to increase tree canopy.

Docklands boom: Cork City greenlights a massive docklands redevelopment plan.

Hotter, drier: California’s governor outlines a plan for a hotter, drier future in the state ($).

Fare-capping: Why is fare-capping a good policy?

ADUs sought: Why is Denver struggling to build ADUs?

Orange Line suspension: Boston has closed down the Orange Line temporarily.

Meh: Miami is doubling down on a people mover expansion.

Fare-free ATL: Transit is Atlanta might go fare-free.

Urban inflation: Could inflation push people out of rural areas and into urban ones?

Decongesting NYC roads: New decongestion pricing details for New York City have come out, including potential pricing.

HSR left out: Cutting high-speed rail out of national climate legislation was a mistake.

Secure bikes: NYC bike advocates want more secure bike parking.

ATL public space: In Downtown Atlanta, parking is replaced by public space.

Defund WSDOT: Washington is tearing apart a Spokane neighborhood for cars and the impacts are heavy.

E-bikes: What is an “e-bike” anyway and where does it belong on the road?

Transit operators: Listen to the transit operators.

Risky move?: Is approval voting a risky move for Seattle?

Better bike lanes: Seattle is getting better bike lanes.

Driverless no more: Driverless shuttles at UBC have been scuttled.

Gowanus: The long-embattled Gowanus rezone in Brooklyn is moving forward again.

The post What We’re Reading: SCL Rate Hikes, Car-Free Pioneer, and Urban Inflation first appeared on The Urbanist.

New WMATA leader: Washington, D.C.’s transit agency has a new leader taking up the mantle to get it back in order ($).

Loos for people: Public access to restrooms is an important way to support walking and transit infrastructure.

Charging ahead: Decongestion pricing is still moving forward for New York City but got another delay.

Japanese expertise: British Columbia is cooperating with a Japanese company that could help deliver transportation investments.

America can’t build: Why can’t America build transportation very well?

Housing shortage worsening: America’s housing shortage is likely to get much worse before it gets better.

Vancity wants higher: Vancouver councilmembers want staff to evaluate a proposal for taller highrise buildings.

Pernicious order: A North Texas HOA has banned use of Section 8 vouchers, which disproportionately affects Black families.

St. Francis Wood: A well-to-do single-family neighborhood in San Francisco has won historic listing, but it has spurred a backlash.

Rent increases coming: Big rent increases are on the horizon for some affordable housing residents in the Seattle area.

A/C: A new Oregon law makes it easier for renters to install air conditioning units.

15-minute LA: Could Los Angeles become a 15-minute city?

Penn Station: New York City’s Penn Station redevelopment is moving forward and it’s going to be a huge investment ($).

Minneapolis 2040: Despite a damaging lawsuit, Minneapolis is being allowed to temporarily continue implementing its Minneapolis 2040 planning reforms.

Value in clean air: Clean air programs increase property values.

Public realm plans: What will downtown San Francisco’s comeback look like ($)?

Bike lane enforcement: New York City could use camera enforcement to keep bike lanes safe and clear from cars.

Landlords suing again: Washington landlords are suing again over pandemic-era protections ($).

Overcoming hurdles: How can the political hurdles that block bike lanes be overcome?

Climate action, planned: Portland has a 43-step climate action plan.

A safer SR 99: The state is allowing for lower speeds on SR 99 in South Everett ($).

The post What We’re Reading: Rendering Better Streets, Vancity Wants Higher, and Minneapolis 2040 first appeared on The Urbanist.

Good or bad: San Francisco vetoes a big housing measure that might have actually stifled housing construction ($).

Skagit electric ferry: An electric ferry for Skagit County is nearing construction.

Housing tax strategies: British Columbia will soon expand the speculation and vacant home taxes. In Metro Vancouver, the speculation tax turned 20,000 condos into rentals.

76ers’ urban arena: The 76ers are planning a new arena in the heart of Philadelphia and footing the cost of it.

Mass timber: Toronto could get a 31-story mass timber tower making it the tallest in North America.

NASCAR taking over Chicago: Chicago will be welcoming NASCAR for the next several years under a new deal.

NYC pedestrian plaza: In Manhattan, a street in Chinatown is being turned into a colorful pedestrian plaza.

Adaptive bikes: San Francisco has launched an adaptive bicycle program.

SROs: America should bring back the single room occupancy hotel as a partial housing solution.

American transit: In Boston, an Orange Line train caught on fire last week. In DC, a massive service disruption is coming to Metrorail.

Micro: What’s the future of microhousing in Seattle?

Low fares: Massachusetts could mandate low-income transit fare options.

Walk for groceries: In Vermont, a green organization is trying to get people to walk to grocery stories.

Hostile law: A new Missouri law criminalizes sleeping outside on public land.

New restaurant: Pike Motorworks has had a vacant retail space for years on E Pine Street, but is finally set to get filled.

Climate action: The EPA was dealt a huge blow on climate, but there are other ways the agency can take action.

Safety strategy: Vancouver may address commercial vehicles to protect people biking.

MIO regs: Approved legislation will make it easier for Seattle Central College to build new student housing on Capitol Hill.

Decriming walking: There is a renewed push to decriminalize “jaywalking.”

There’s not enough: The US is short about 3.8 million homes according to a report.

Slashing mandates: Oregon has slashed parking mandates across the state for new development.

Wilding: How is Chicago wilding rivers after industrialization?

PCC: A long-await PCC grocery store project in Madison Valley is finally moving forward.

Greener vehicles: USPS is planning to buy more electric vehicles than originally promised.

The problems: What are some big reasons driving the national bus operator shortage?

Rent crisis: California could see big rent increases soon ($).

For reform: The Los Angeles Times editorial board came out in support of California legislation to eliminate parking minimums ($).

Not meeting goals: San Diego isn’t meeting its housing goals.

Climate policy: The Seattle City Council adopted legislation directing that the comprehensive plan update address climate change and climate resiliency.

Revolutionary: How could a transit app for the blind revolutionize how everyone rides?

Policy failure: Basically no one is happy with the I-5 Columbia River bridge replacement and expansion project. Will the bridge be too tall for people biking and rolling?

The post What We’re Reading: Vancity, SROs, and Madison Valley PCC first appeared on The Urbanist.

: A person biking was killed last night near West Seattle with the driver murderer fleeing the scene.

Different planets: What’s the connection between transit policymakers and transit riders?

Build the housing: People attribute homelessness to a lot of causes, but it’s mostly just about housing costs ($).

Paring back parking mandates: San José’s city council has voted to eliminate minimum car parking mandates in most areas of the city.

Decongestion pricing Colombia: What’s Bogotá’s model for decongestion pricing and could it be a fit for US cities?

Florida BRT: Tampa’s SunRunner bus rapid transit system is set to launch in October.

Backtracking on housing: Boise has backtracked on doing citywide rezones for housing affordability despite meteoric price increases.

It stings: The Onion stings with a piece hitting the US for its terrible passenger rail systems.

Rentflation: Rents are likely to remain high and continue increasing for the foreseeable future ($).

Urbanist for Toronto: Urbanist Gil Penalosa is running for mayor in Toronto’s upcoming election.

Income discrimination: Charlotte may start fining landlords for voucher discrimination.

Resort town policies: Aspen shakes up housing policies with more restrictions on short-term rentals, home construction fees, and new paths for affordable housing.

Wheeler’s wrong: Portland’s mayor claims that induced demand doesn’t matter if cars don’t pollute.

Aridification’s hard to fight: California is reducing water usage but not enough to deal with aridification.

Failing upward: The Columbia River I-5 bridge replacement and expansion projects has gotten okays from Portland and its regional planning body.

Tit for tat: To skirt rent control in St. Paul, landlords have resorted to new utility charges.

Seattle car prowls: Car prowl reports have largely been falling in Seattle, but not in Capitol Hill.

War on cars: Matt Baume outlines how cars kill people and the environment.

Staffing up police: Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has a new police hiring and retention plan.

Movies in the park: Movies at Cal Anderson Park have returned.

Mobility planning: Charlotte has a new mobility plan to reduce car use.

The post What We’re Reading: Safetyville, It Stings, and Failing Upward first appeared on The Urbanist.

Delayed: Dublin’s first metro line may be delayed now until 2034.

Public order problems: Many American cities face public order problems on transit.

€9 ticket: How is Germany’s €9 ticket for public transit going?

Tunnel vision: Austin is planning a new set of rail transit expansions and is showing off tunnel designs.

Drunk driving penalties: Some pending state bills could ratchet up penalties for drunk driving.

Bad street design: A report indicates bad street designs are escalating the traffic safety crisis.

BI ferry terminal changes: Changes are afoot at the Bainbridge Island ferry terminal affecting people who walk, roll, and bike.

Same standards: What if we held transit and traffic to the same safety standards?

Office park redevelopment: How might the lonely suburban office park gain new life ($)?

SB9: There was a lot of opposition to California’s SB9 housing bill, but it’s not resulting in tons of proposed projects ($).

Relief extension: King County is considering extension of its rent relief program.

Office to housing: Pittsburgh is considering legislation that would seek to fund conversion of offices to housing in the city.

Nothing to learn here: In a bizarre move, the US wants to advise other countries on transportation.

Taxing heavier cars: Is it time to start taxing heavier cars more in cities?

Decongesting Manhattan: Decongestion pricing in Manhattan may be coming in 2023.

No right on red: Portland is adding another bike box and banning right turn on red at an intersection.

Responding to demand: As development slows to a crawl, San Francisco is considering changes to its inclusionary zoning program ($).

Cayton Corner Park: The Cayton Corner Park is moving forward in Capitol Hill.

SBUX floundering: As Starbucks battles unionization efforts and economic shifts, the company is closing some stores.

Evictions still happened: In California, 36,000 households faced eviction last year ($).

Freeways live on: A bill to halt freeway expansions in California has died in committee.

Be like France: Why did French and American traffic deaths go in dramatically different directions?

ADUs in Montana: Whitefish, Montana has loosened accessory dwelling unit regulations.

Climate fee: Portland has added a climate fee to parking rates.

Feds want action: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration wants to reduce speeding and regulate autonomous vehicles.

BRT: Atlanta is a step closer to building bus rapid transit (BRT). Meanwhile, Oklahoma City has begun work on its first BRT line.

A safe street: What’s the first sign of a safe street?

Tackling commercial vacancies: Commercial vacancies have jumped in the Bay Area, but can pop-up storefront uses help reactivate empty storefronts ($)?

A dying breed: Capitol Hill’s last laundromat has closed.

Gateway Tunnel greenlight: New York and New Jersey have agreed on the Gateway Tunnel project.

Reopening the commons: The Ballard Commons park may reopen this summer.

CAHSRA funding: California has allocated another $4.2 billion for high-speed rail.

Freeing housing: Oregon may finally be freeing affordable housing developments from minimum car parking mandates.

Lower speeds: San Jose has started lowering speed limits.

The post What We’re Reading: A Housing Czar, Office To Housing, and Climate Fee first appeared on The Urbanist.

Montlake Playfield revamp: Under a unique agreement, Seattle Prep is replacing the turf at Montlake Playfield.

Fiscal cliff: Governing sheds light on how many American transit agencies are facing a fiscal cliff.

Fires and crashes: Fires temporarily close Glo’s in Capitol Hill and end the Wayne Apartments in Belltown. Meanwhile, Capitol Hill’s Coastal Kitchen is planning repairs from a car crash into the restaurant.

Cruising: Cruise ships have returned to Seattle, but it’s not back to normal.

Affordable housing funding: A Central District project wins Amazon affordable housing funding.

Totems coming down: The totem poles at Victor Steinbrueck Park are coming down.

Tax proceeds: Seattle doubled its hotel tax, so what is it funding?

Risk to pedestrians: A German court has decided fining SUV drivers more than smaller car drivers is fair because they are a higher danger.

VZ for railroads: Advocates say the US needs a Vision Zero approach for railroads.

SF rezone: San Francisco ended single-family-only zoning, but what is the real implications of this ($)?

Gas tax holiday: President Joe Biden has proposed an ill-fated national gas tax holiday ($).

SBUX workers: Downtown Seattle Starbucks workers are being shuffled around after a weekend strike.

Parks district reauthorization: Seattle’s city council has begun discussions on how to go about the city parks district funding reauthorization.

Political resignations: In Sammamish, anti-development politicians are fleeing from office.

Bronx buses: New York City has launched a bus network redesign for the Bronx.

Jumpstart: Seattle has taken further action around affordable housing following a court win for the Jumpstart Seattle tax.

Prideful bus stop: On 15th Avenue E in Capitol Hill, a new bus bulb has been installed with Pride colors.

Not green: Strong Towns showcases how “free parking” isn’t green.

Rent increases: New York City has approved rent hikes for rent-restricted units ($).

Adding security: Denver’s transit agency is beefing up security to increase riders’ sense of safety and reduce anti-social behavior.

Destructive court: The nation’s partisan high court gutted the EPA’s authority to regulate carbon emissions under the Clean Air Act this week.

Texas HSR: The bullet train project from Dallas to Houston has won court approval to use eminent domain.

Drying up: The Great Salt Lake is drying and that’s a big problem ($).

Price cuts: Price cuts are spreading across the country for housing as higher interest rates kick in.

The post What We’re Reading: Fast Electric Ferries, Risk To Pedestrians, and Prideful Bus Stop first appeared on The Urbanist.

Diversion: States are diverting road safety money away from safety programs.

Chi tree canopy: Boosters in Chicago want the city to increase tree planting and tree canopy.

Federal housing funding: The Biden administration wants to increase funding for supportive housing programs.

Disproportionate impact: Black people who bike are dying at alarmingly higher rates than White people who bike.

Olympic priorities: Los Angeles is seeking funding for transit projects ($) ahead of hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Walk: Where is decriminalization of “jaywalking” happening?

Rough start: New York’s hotel-to-housing conversion program isn’t working yet.

Advisory lanes: Pittsburgh is pursuing a type of very Dutch bike lanes.

Restored: A Burlington-to-New York City train is returning to service after decades of suspension.

Fare-free extension: Tucson is extending fare-free transit to the end of year.

2055: The MTA wants the New York City Subway to be 95% accessible by 2055 ($).

NOVA: Arlington, Virginia is struggling to achieve affordable housing goals.

Ending an alternative: A promising alternative to policing could be coming to an end in Seattle.

Gentrification: Governing looks at why many poorer neighborhoods fear development.

One year in: The King County Regional Homelessness Authority director talks to Publicola on first year successes.

25,000: How did Houston move 25,000 people from the streets and into housing ($)?

Red carpet: Richmond’s bus rapid transit gets red bus lanes.

Not a silver bullet: Free transit isn’t a silver bullet to getting people to ride.

Etiquette, please: The Stranger‘s anonymous series rightly hits on the need for light rail riders to use transit etiquette.

Jumpstart remains: Seattle’s Jumpstart payroll tax remains constitutional in latest judicial decision.

Housing NYC: How might New York City tackle its housing crisis ($)?

Gateway Tunnel: The New York region’s Gateway Tunnel for rail is absolutely needed.

Too much office: Downtown San Francisco is struggling more than some numbers might suggest ($).

The post What We’re Reading: Broadway Plan, Advisory Lanes, and 25,000 first appeared on The Urbanist.