There are an estimated 600,000,000 passenger cars in the world, and that number is increasing every day. So, too, is Earth’s supply of parking spaces. In some cities, parking lots cover more than one-third of the metropolitan footprint. It’s official:…
75 Years Ago This Week: 10,000 Turn Out As Shirley Temple Inaugurates New PCC Streetcar Service In Los Angeles
The third week of March, 1937 had been designated “National Transportation Week” and Los Angeles was ready to roll out its new streetcars. 10,000 cheering spectators celebrated the arrival of two Presidents’ Conference Committee (PCC) streetcars at City Hall. It…
Los Angeles And The Rise Of The “Super-Commuter”: The Dramatic Increase In Our Long-Distance Workforce
One of the many attributes of libraries and archives is that they provide access to information which might not otherwise be discovered or accessed by those who benefit from it. Even though a standard Google search can return thousands or millions…
How Los Angeles Began Its Experiment With Steam-Powered Buses…Plus, Its Rare Documentary Film
Today marks the anniversary of an important experiment in the history of local transportation and alternative fuels. On this date in 1972, the Southern California Rapid Transit District took delivery of a prototype steam turbine-powered bus for a year-long demonstration…
Putting TRB In The Palm Of Your Hand: The Transportation Research Board’s Annual Meeting Online Portal & Research E-Newsletter
The Transportation Research Board of the National Academies (TRB) has rolled out their Annual Meeting Online Portal. In one search, this portal allows users to quickly find all available papers, visual aids, and recordings by session, presentation, author, subject area,…
Sustainable Transportation Planning: Tools For Creating Vibrant, Healthy, And Resilient Communities
The Great American Dream of cruising down the parkway, zipping from here to there at any time has given way to a true nightmare that is destroying the environment, costing billions and deeply impacting our personal well-being. Jeffrey Tumlin’s new…
Megapolitan America: A New Vision for Understanding America’s Metropolitan Geography
In our popular imagination, America is the land of wide-open spaces. But in reality, much of it is more densely populated than Europe. Two-thirds of the U.S. population lives on less than 20% of the privately owned land. With an…
How Much, How Far, How Many: New Online Tool Puts California & Other State Facts And Figures At Your Fingertips
Have you ever needed to quickly put your finger on statewide transportation statistics? What percentage of Californians use public transit when commuting to work? How many transit fatalities were there in California in 2009? What percentage of California drivers use of safety belts? …
40 Years Ago This Week: Groundbreaking For El Monte Busway — California’s First Multi-Modal System & The World’s First Bus Rapid Transit Station
January 21st marks the anniversary of groundbreaking for the 11-mile long El Monte Busway and planning for what was billed as the “world’s first bus rapid transit station.” U.S. Transportation Secretary John A. Volpe officiated at ceremonies marking commencement of construction…
100 Years Ago Today: The California State Highway Commission, Caltrans Predecessor, Is Launched
The year starts off with a look back one full century to the birth of highway planning in the state. On January 2, 1912, the seven division engineers of the California State Highway Commission met for the first time. The Commission…
Regional Planning For A Sustainable America: How Creative Programs Are Promoting Prosperity And Saving The Environment
Carleton K. Montgomery’s Regional Planning for a Sustainable America is the first book to represent the great variety of today’s effective regional planning programs, analyzing dozens of regional initiatives across North America. The American landscape is being transformed by poorly…