Planning Pool

Getting the price of parking right can be more important than you think, and in Part 2 of this two-part series, we see how San Francisco has been trying to perfect their parking price, and how it can make the city more liveable.

Most people see a low price as an opportunity. But economists see prices as a way of relaying important information about the product. Find out why we may be sending the wrong information with parking rates, and why getting it right could change everything.

Yesterday, the Portland City Council postponed a vote on the city’s aggressive 2030 Bike Plan until next week, when, as Mayor Sam Adams suggested, it will likely pass.  Still, there is some question about the extreme expense of the plan (its total cost exceeds that of the recent light rail expansion), and whether a majority of Portlanders will truly appreciate its benefits.  Zach Dundas at True/Slant offered his thoughts on the plan yesterday.

Here’s a little snippet of yesterday’s happenings from the Oregonian.

City Council Postpones Vote on 2030 Bike Plan

Kudos to the council and Mayor Adams for taking a proactive stance on the city’s transportation future.  Some even suggest that Portland’s policies might make it a leader in Bike-Oriented Development, much the way the … Continue Reading

“Olympic Line” Streetcar Demonstration in Vancouver, Canada from Planning Pool on Vimeo.

January 21 2010 at 9:30am -that’s today! – marks the start of a two-month demonstration of modern streetcar service in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics. This three-minute slideshow shows a sneak preview of the streetcars themselves, on loan from Brussels, Belgium. It also observes the City of Vancouver’s interest in finding funding and galvanizing political will to reinstate permanent streetcar service in the city.

The demonstration streetcars will be free to ride, so if you find yourself in Vancouver during the Olympics, it will be worth venturing out into the crowds to check them out. The Olympic Line will run from 6:30 AM to 12:30AM every day, with … Continue Reading

On a day when millions of people around the world were making New Years resolutions about shrinking their waistlines, Vancouver quietly saw a policy enter into action that may end up seriously shrinking the city’s carbon footprint. Effective January 1st, gasoline taxes will rise in Greater Vancouver by three cents, and the parking sales tax will rise by 300%. While the taxes come amid fiscal turmoil at the region’s transportation agency Translink, they are good policies that will help build a better city. If only Vancouverites knew how lucky they truly are. . .

Wired Magazine just had an article about the relatively new light rail line in Charlotte, NC. The single-line, 9 mile-long track runs along a light industrial corridor from fast-growing suburban areas to Uptown (that’s just what we call downtown in Charlotte). Despite how small Charlotte’s light rail system is with only 15 stops, Lynx experienced an 800 percent increase in ridership last year.

To explain the significance of Charlotte transit’s success, Charlotte public transit saw the biggest ridership increase in the country, climbing 46 percent between 2006 and 2008. Charlotte is sprawl central. The Charlotte region is classified as an EPA … Continue Reading

October 19, 2009.  In a room full of Vancouver’s planning and transportation elite, Gordon Price (director of SFU’s City Program) introduced an event from SFU’s public lecture series, evoking New York City’s gritty and dangerous history, comparing it to a “fallen empire.”  He feels that the success in recent years give it reason to be called “a resilient city” – acting as proof that cities can rebound – and aptly referencing the Gaining Ground conference this week.  Our guest this evening, Janette Sadik-Khan is the commissioner for New York City’s Department of Transportation (DOT). She is largely responsible for this transformation, rigorously analyzing ways to make streets more people oriented in one of the world’s largest most congested city.  “It’s a war out there,” she said a few times.

[caption id=”attachment_1459″ align=”aligncenter” width=”574″ caption=”Creative Commons photo of NYC's 9th Ave … Continue Reading

Thanks to Christian Cable for this delightfully artery-hardening Creative Commons photo.

If you are not yet familiar with the website ThisIsWhyYoureFat.com, it might just be time to check it out. They serve up a never-ending photostream of revoltingly fatty foods, including a donut bun hamburger and deep fried bologna. While for some the site might be secretly mouthwatering (ahem. . .) the urban planning equivalent -unmitigated auto dependence- has few upsides.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News published a great analysis of the transportation options serving the Dallas Cowboys’ new stadium in Arlington, Texas (pop. 371,000). Before this stadium, perhaps Arlington’s biggest claim to fame was it’s steadfast refusal to provide any kind of transit service. The city … Continue Reading

Having long envied its streetcar system from afar, I was delighted this summer to make my first visit to Portland and ride its famous streetcars. Vancouver BC, where I make my home, is often compared to Portland but its once-extensive streetcar system was scrapped in favour of trolley busses in the 1950s.

A handsome new streetcar in Portland, Oregon. Photo by author.

One thing I had not expected to see when riding Portland’s famed streetcars was the presence of advertisements in non-traditional places. Tourist information booklets displayed inside each streetcar present maps of the route and promote businesses located near the tracks.

As a transit planning nerd, I actually felt warmly towards the businesses that spent advertising money in support of … Continue Reading

The U.S. Congress just put another US$2 billion into the popular Cash for Clunkers program.

The Cars Allowance Rebate System (CARS), which has been dubbed “Cash for Clunkers,” has been so popular in the US that the $1 billion allocated for the program ran out in just a week, three months ahead of schedule. The $2 billion extension will let car owners trade in old fuel-inefficient cars for $3,500 to $4,500 until September 1.

This week, the Transportation Department released data showing that more than 184,000 cars had been traded in, with the Toyota Corolla as the best-selling new car under the clunker program.

Cash for Clunkers requires car dealerships to shred the old, gas-guzzling auto … Continue Reading