Angie Schmitt

There are just too many dreadful bus stops to count in America. Readers love to send us their nominations for the Sorriest Bus Stop bracket -- people ask me all year round if we're going to put on this tournament again. It's easy to see why. There are just too many dreadful bus stops to count in America.

In the last 50 years, nearly every state agency that used to call itself the "highway department" has changed its name to the "department of transportation" to reflect a purported change in mission. But in practice, many state DOTs still operate strictly as highway departments.

Driving to school can be a major source of traffic congestion. But while Safe Routes to School programs aim to make walking and biking to school a safer, easier option for students, getting teachers and school staff to leave their cars at home is still new terrain.

You can't end discrimination in traffic stops if you don't know how bad the problem is, but only a handful of states collect comprehensive racial data on traffic enforcement. Now you can add one more to the list.

The fact that any momentum for Trump's infrastructure plan has completely dissipated is good news for cities and the climate. All signs were pointing to a sprawl-inducing disaster.

Why are conversations about urban planning issues - especially online - so dominated by men?

It makes perfect sense to provide bulk transit passes, which often lead to higher ridership. But these fare structures pose a problem for people who aren't in a position to scrape together the cash for a pass and pay for a whole month of transit rides one fare at a time. They may end up paying more than wealthier riders for the same amount of service, even though they can least afford it. Now Portland's transit agencies -- Trimet, C-Tran, and the city's streetcars -- are showing the way to a fairer system.

If your local police force has a reputation for harassing people who look like you, and your neighborhood gets a new bike lane, would that infrastructure be enough to make you feel comfortable riding?

Proposed: Smaller cities should choose one, or maybe two, corridors for frequent transit service and dense, walkable development.

All these men bear a portion of the blame for what happened to Heather Heyer in Charlottesville -- their bills fed an undercurrent of rage against people exercising their right to assemble.