Katy B. Olson
Katy is a writer, reporter and editor who, in addition to writing for RoadTrafficSigns, has worked with the United Nations Development Programme, Hamptons magazine, Hearst Corporation, The Daily Mail, People Magazine, and a variety of other publications and nonprofits. After graduating with honors from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 2011, and distinctions on her thesis and in the consumer journalism seminar, she moved to Milan, Italy. In Italy, she worked as a writer and consultant for an international magazine, editing and translating text and reporting on such events as the Salone Internazionale del Mobile, the annual design fair.
A born and raised New Yorker, she has lived in three of five boroughs, relying quite a bit on public transport until getting her driver's license at the admittedly belated age of 21.
Katy B. Olson's Latest Posts
Road use fee linked to creepy vehicle tracking program
Some drivers are already being watched carefully: Car-share companies such as Zipcar track their cars’ moves, and EZPass users willingly hand over their tollway locations every time they hit a toll. But a new development may mean that the government wants the authority be able to track vehicles — and bill them accordingly, reports the National […]
Berlin attempts (and fails) to ban Uber
The Berlin Senate is trying to kick Uber out, reports the BBC. The city’s department of civil and regulatory affairs announced a ban on the car-sharing app in a statement last Wednesday, citing safety concerns for passengers traveling in unlicensed cars driven by drivers without licenses, as well as protection for the taxi business. “The […]
App to revolutionize Finland’s transportation
Helsinki is hoping that an app that links and collects payment for all of the city’s available transport methods will reduce the need for car ownership, reports ThinkProgress. The app would connect users with a comprehensive guide to all transportation options in the city: subways, buses, taxis and ferries, as well as car and bike sharing services. The […]
Can playlists quell road rage?
A European car rental company has developed a playlist to combat the stresses drivers face while on the go — especially those that lead to road rage, reports FastCo. Founded on research about how music can contribute to drivers’ relaxation or focus, Sounds for Driving is a compilation of seven new songs designed for drivers […]
Survey finds drivers open to self-driving vehicles
A new poll suggests that drivers are very interested in self-driving vehicles, reports USA Today. More than three of four American licensed drivers questioned are “very likely” to consider or to purchase a driverless car, notes the poll, conducted by Insurance.com, a car insurance website. Of the 2,000 drivers surveyed, 86 percent said that driverless […]
Is L.A. on the verge of walkability?
Known for its car-centric culture, Los Angeles is primed for a reinvention as a walkable city, according to a new report from SmartGrowth America and George Washington University. The report, Foot Traffic Ahead: Ranking Walkable Urbanism in America’s Largest Metros, analyzed the number of walkable urban neighborhoods throughout 30 major metro areas. It also measured […]
Towns wave white flag in fight for pedestrian safety
The road to pedestrian hell is paved with good intentions — and lined with brightly colored flags. Bridgeport, Conn., is the latest American city to institute a pedestrian flag system at one of its downtown intersections. The concept is easy to grasp: Pedestrians grab a flag from a post and wave it as they cross […]
Bikes’ image problem in low-income communities
Most urbanites are familiar with the stereotypical bike commuter: white, wealthy, yuppie. Yet, as the Atlantic’s CityLab blog reports, there are significant reasons underlying the unfortunate (yet often true) stereotype — and three lessons for working towards making cycling a viable, reliable option for diverse, low-income communities. First, the positive news: U.S. Census Bureau data […]
Teen drivers trading down in vehicle safety
New research says that many teenagers are operating cars that lack significant safety technology or good crash protection, reports the New York Times. The research, released last week by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, also notes that while teenagers are already at a higher crash risk regardless of what car they drive, the risks […]
Despite highway bankruptcy, Texas GOP does 180 on toll roads
If Congress doesn’t act rapidly, states will receive a 28% cut in infrastructure funding, reports The Hill. The Department of Transportation’s Highway Trust Fund will be bankrupt by August 2014, pending a congressional intervention. As Transportation Secretary Anthony Fox blogged, “For all states… this means we’ll have to stop reimbursing them as they send in […]
