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SEPTA quietly decriminalizes jumping turnstiles, lowers fines

Maura Ewing

April 03, 2019 |

WHYY |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania’s Transit Authority, SEPTA, has decriminalized fare evasion, with those who are caught facing a $25 fine. This is down from the prior $300 tickets that were issued in the past. The move toward decriminalization is part of a larger shift in the region for the criminal justice system to be less punitive and more rehabilitative, focusing more on addressing root causes of behavior.

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With $6 Rides, L.A. Rideshare Program Helps Under-Served

Doug Zanger

March 25, 2019 |

Adweek |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Los Angeles, California

FlexLA, a local rideshare program in Los Angeles, offers discounted and even free rides for folks looking for affordable alternatives to Lyft and Uber. While the battle to stand out among transportation behemoths proves difficult, this rideshare program looks to cultural roots of LA for advertising and marketing ideas to spread the word.

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Copenhagen Wants to Show How Cities Can Fight Climate Change

Somini Sengupta

March 25, 2019 |

The New York Times |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Denmark, Copenhagen

Copenhagen is doing its best to become net carbon neutral by 2025. With strong leadership from Mayor Frank Jenson, the city has installed wind turbines, a trash incinerator that also helps heat the city, and stronger bike lanes. Without national support, however, the city is fighting an uphill battle to protect itself from climate change.

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These five cities are taking bold steps to rein in sprawl

Robert Kunzig

March 14, 2019 |

National Geographic |

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1500-3000 Words

Response Location: Germany, Hamburg

The sustainable city of the future involves public transit and a revitalized downtown - at least, that’s the common thread between what five cities are working towards across the globe. Los Angeles, Atlanta, Shanghai, Hamburg, and La Paz have all taken efforts to invest in building cities where families can work and live without commuting in a car, and where walking is encouraged. Some have made more progress than others, but government investment in sustainable design bodes well for the future.

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Rebuilding Cities, With Culture at the Core

Tanvi Misra

March 12, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

City planners and governments often overlook culture when trying to rebuild cities blighted by war, disasters, or other types of urban distress. But not Medellín, Colombia. After the drug trade made Medellín a violent place, the local government turned to the concept of "citizen culture" to restore the city. By building libraries and parks, enabling art, and creating transportation access in the comunas in the hills above the city, the government invested in people-centric policies that also made economic sense.

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Could Designing a Better Bus Lane Be Done With a Simple Can of Paint?

Laura Bliss

March 09, 2019 |

Pacific Standard |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Everett, Massachusetts

The implementation of "tactical transit lanes," or bus-only lanes, has allowed for decreased commute times for both buses and drivers in cities across the country. Many cities, like Everett, Massachusetts, choose to conduct a rough pilot of the TTLs, relying on community feedback and commute statistics to guide more permanent plans.

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To Build a Better Bus Lane, Just Paint It

Laura Bliss

March 01, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Rather than go through extensive urban planning processes to improve bus commute times, cities across the United States are simply relying on paint and human behavior to create dedicated bus lanes. Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and others have piloted these bus lanes by setting up cones or painting a bus-only corridor in traffic-heavy areas of the city, cutting down interactions between buses and other vehicles in order to make commuting more efficient.

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Interested In Biking More, But Scared By Busy Streets? There's A New Kind Of Map For You

Ryan Warner

February 22, 2019 |

Colorado Public Radio |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: United States, Denver, Colorado

With community support from a network of neighborhood volunteers and financial support from a local business, the Bike Streets Project makes biking more accessible for those “interested, but concerned” about road safety. The Bike Streets Project maps bicycle routes in Denver with less congestion, specifically avoiding areas of high congestion or dangerous roads marked by “sharrows.”

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An Italian City Will Pay Residents to Bike to Work

Feargus O'Sullivan

January 28, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

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Under 800 Words

Response Location: Italy, Bari

A city in Southern Italy is starting a program that pays commuters to cycle to work on the heels of similar successful programs in France and the Netherlands. While more cycling can mean improved public health and lower traffic congestion, cities have to be ready with adequate cycling lanes.

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StationSoccer

Jill Harkins

January 22, 2019 |

The Philadelphia Citizen |

Text |

1500-3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Atlanta, Georgia

When Sanjay Patel realized there was unused land and parking lots near many of Atlanta's MARTA stations, he had an idea - working with city partners, Patel built soccer fields in and adjacent to several stations, offsetting the growing price and travel demands of youth soccer and bucking the trend of declining public transportation ridership. Is a similar approach possible in Philadelphia, a city without the same vacant lots?

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