One more reason not to drive into midtown Manhattan: Soon it will cost an extra $15 as New York City launches its long-debated congestion pricing system.
Textured surfaces on city pavements can help make public space more accessible to disabled persons.
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Decades of activism have resulted in legislation and infrastructure to make cities more accessible, but the lived experiences of disabled residents shows there’s still a long way to go.
People walk past the University of Toronto campus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto in June 2020.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The COVID-19 pandemic affected college towns profoundly and highlighted the complex relationship between universities and their host communities.
Many countries adopt legislation to prevent discrimination against people with disabilities. Yet, many still face challenges finding work.
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Communities and employers miss out when they don’t embrace disabled employees. Companies must be supportive and proactive about including and accommodating people with disabilities.
Smartphone apps can make public transit more accessible.
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Transportation apps can make public transit more accessible for riders with disabilities. But many apps remain inaccessible due to the cost of adding features and the lack of regulations.
Visitors at Sliding Rock, a popular cascade in North Carolina’s Pisgah National Forest.
Cecilio Ricardo, USFS/Flickr
Crowding is increasingly affecting all kinds of public lands. Adjoining communities need to find ways to manage it, or risk harm to the attractions that make them a destination.
Rural public transit has important economic and social benefits. So why does Canada fail so badly on providing it to rural residents?
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High-quality bus service is the fastest route to rapid, comprehensive public transit in the United States. This country was once a leader in bus transit, and with adequate funding, it could be again.
EV chargers in Corte Madera, Calif.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
If the EV transition focuses exclusively on drivers in privately owned cars, it won’t meet many Americans’ mobility needs, particularly in underserved communities.
When land is publicly owned, it can be used to build the kind of housing the market is unwilling, or unable, to build.
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In a housing crisis, publicly owned land should never be sold to private developers and should instead be used to build the kind of housing the market is unwilling and unable to build.
An electric bus charging on the side of a street in Montréal. Funding public transit is a good way to reduce greenhouse emissions while ensuring economic equality in moving to clean transportation.
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Public buses, subways and trains are relatively safe, fast and cheap. But competition from rideshares and concerns over COVID-19 will soon see some local agencies short of funds.
Future transportation design should address inequality and not exacerbate it.
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Moving around cities will change in the future as new technologies like self-driving cars gain wider adoption. Science fiction can give us a glimpse into these futures.
Ontario Progressive Conservative Party Leader Doug Ford, Ontario New Democratic Party Leader Andrea Horwath, Ontario Liberal Party Leader Steven Del Duca and Green Party of Ontario Leader Mike Schreiner debate during the Ontario party leaders’ debate in May 2022.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Frank Gunn
Some excellent ideas were proposed during the Ontario election on everything from transit to housing. Here’s why the rest of Canada would be wise to consider them.
Self-driving cars could lead to increased traffic and pollution if they spur more travel by car.
Witthaya Prasongsin via Getty Images
Studies show that when people can ride in a car without having to operate it, they increase their car use. That could increase traffic and pollution, unless government puts a price on car travel.
Interstate 980 cuts off West Oakland, Calif., at top, from other Oakland neighborhoods.
Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images
Two urban policy experts explain why taking down highways that have isolated low-income and minority neighborhoods for decades is an important part of the pending infrastructure bill.
People are shoulder to shoulder inside a city bus while commuting at rush hour during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
Increasing even part-time remote work disrupts public transit revenue. Agencies need to adapt fare structures and business models to meet the changing work market.
It’s back: Rush-hour traffic in Los Angeles on June 15, 2021.
Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images
The pandemic offered a tantalizing look at city life with fewer cars in the picture. But with traffic rebounding, there’s limited time to lock in policies that make streets more people-friendly.
Greyhound has permanently shut down its intercity bus service in Canada.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld
Many communities in Canada currently lack intercity and regional transportation. A national public transportation system would improve connectedness between cities and access to essential services.
Professor, Canada Research Chair in Determinants of Child Development, Owerko Centre at the Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary