Planning Resources

Online Transportation Planning Resources

• Great Streets Learn about the world’s greatest streets.
• Project for Public Spaces Image Database A searchable collection of thousands of categorized images of great public spaces.
• Pedestrian and Bicycle Information Center Image Database A searchable collection of over 2,500 categorized images.
• Transportation Demand Management Online Encyclopedia An extremely comprehensive source of information about innovative management solutions to transportation problems.
• Roads Gone Wild Traffic engineer Hans Monderman takes out street signs, crosswalks, and even sidewalks – to make streets safer.
• ContextSensitiveSolutions.org PPS developed this online CSS resource center for the Federal Highway Administration. It contains case studies, academic papers & reports, and information on how each state in the country is implementing CSS.
• Complete Streets Complete streets are designed and operated to enable safe access for all users. Pedestrians, bicyclists, motorists and bus riders of all ages and abilities are able to safely move along and across a complete street.
• Traffic: Why It’s Getting Worse, What Government Can Do Although traffic congestion is inevitable, there are ways to slow the rate at which it intensifies. Several tactics could do that effectively, but nothing can eliminate peak-hour traffic congestion from large metropolitan regions here and around the world.
• Traffic Calming in West Palm Beach: An article and PowerPoint show In the 1990s, West Palm Beach adopted one of the most comprehensive traffic calming measures in the country. It led to unprecedented economic development downtown. Click here for the PowerPoint.
• Streets for People A guide to winning safer and quieter streets, written by Transportation Alternatives.
• Street Reclaiming Through Activity David Engwicht’s tools and tips to help communities reclaim their streets from the automobile.
• Land Use Impacts on Transport: How Land Use Factors Affect Travel Behavior This paper examines how various land use factors such as density, regional accessibility, mix and roadway connectivity affect travel behavior, including per capita vehicle travel, mode split and nonmotorized travel.
• Evaluating Criticism of Smart Growth This analysis indicates that many claims by critics of Smart Growth reflect an incomplete understanding of Smart Growth, and inaccurate analysis.
• Relationship Between Urban Sprawl and Physical Activity, Obesity and Morbidity This report shows that people living in counties marked by sprawling development are likely to walk less and weigh more than people who live in less sprawling counties.
• Rail Transit in America: A Comprehensive Evaluation of Benefits This study finds that cities with large, well established rail systems have significantly higher per capita transit ridership, lower average per capita vehicle ownership and annual mileage, less traffic congestion, lower traffic death rates, lower consumer expenditures on transportation, and higher transit service cost recovery than otherwise comparable cities with less or no rail transit service.
• Evaluating Rail Transit Criticism This report evaluates criticism of rail transit systems and responds to the critics.
• Transit-Oriented Development and Joint Development in the United States: A Literature Review Provides definitions of transit-oriented development (TOD) and transit joint development (TJD), describes the institutional issues related to TOD and TJD, and provides examples of the impacts and benefits of TOD and TJD.
• Mean Streets 2004: How far have we come? This report reflects on the trends in pedestrian safety over the past decade.

Transportation Organization Links

• Surface Transportation Policy Project A diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment.
• Smart Growth America A new national organization formed to link transportation networks and the communities they serve.
• Victoria Transport Policy Institute An independent research organization dedicated to developing innovative and practical solutions to transportation problems. Their website provides a variety of resources to help improve transportation planning and policy analysis.
• Walkable Communities Organized for the express purposes of helping whole communities, whether they are large cities or small towns, or parts of communities, i.e. neighborhoods, business districts, parks, school districts, subdivisions, specific roadway corridors, etc., become more walkable and pedestrian friendly.
• Active Living by Design Innovative approaches to increase physical activity through community design, public policies and communications strategies.
• Center for Bicycling and Walking An organization that aims to create bicycle-friendly and walkable communities.
• Scenic America A national non-profit dedicated solely to protecting our nation’s natural beauty and distinctive community character.
• Urban Land Institute A nonprofit organization that facilitates the open exchange of ideas, information and experience among local, national and international industry leaders and policy makers dedicated to creating better places.
• Congress for the New Urbanism A non-profit organization that works with architects, developers, planners, and others involved in the creation of cities and towns, teaching them how to implement the principles of the New Urbanism. These principles include coherent regional planning, walkable neighborhoods, and attractive, accommodating civic spaces.
• Center for Transportation Excellence A clearinghouse for information in support of quality transportation choices. CFTE is committed to two main objectives: (1) responding to transit’s critics and (2) equipping local leaders with the information they need to be successful with their public transportation initiatives and ballot measures.
• Sierra Club The Sierra Club’s Challenge to Sprawl Campaign works to fight poorly planned runaway development and promotes smart growth communities that increase transportation choices, reduce air and water pollution, and protect our natural places.
• America Walks A national coalition of local advocacy groups dedicated to promoting walkable communities. Our members are autonomous grassroots organizations from across the country, each working to improve conditions for walking in their area.