Trends
Congestion charge to counter pollution in Shanghai possible
In an attempt to reduce traffic volume and control soaring levels of air pollution, Shanghai officials may soon impose a congestion charge at peak hours. If this type of road pricing is levied, Shanghai would be the first city in China to implement such a move. Similar initiatives in London and Singapore have been successful (though […]
Oklahoma bucks national trend of falling drunk driving deaths
Although U.S. alcohol-related deaths fell by around 20 percent over the last twenty years, Oklahoma experienced a 10 percent rise in drunk driving deaths during the same period. Considering the state has about the same vehicles, intensive public education campaigns, and tough drunk driving laws as the rest of the nation, it’s unclear why drunk […]
Think tank calls on congress to allow interstate tolls
As anyone who has had the pleasure of driving on an American highway knows far too well, our country’s roads are in dire need of repair. Lack of funding and incredibly outdated infrastructure make for an often deadly combination, jeopardizing drivers’ and passengers’ safety on the road. While Washington recognizes the dangers – in fact, […]
Red light cameras result in a drop in right-angle crashes in New Jersey
Recently released data now reveals that right-angle crashes are continuing to decline at New Jersey intersections where American Traffic Solutions’ red light safety cameras are installed, according to the Rutgers Plan4Safety crash database. Plus, there is more good news: Of those vehicles receiving a violation, almost nine out of ten have not received a second […]
New York traffic speeds up – despite bike lanes
In New York City’s most traffic-burdened hub, the past is picking up, according to a recent Department of Transportation study and GPS-obtained taxi data, which states that average taxi speeds in Manhattan’s central business district have jumped from 8.9 mph in 2011 to 9.3 mph in 2012. There’s also been a nearly 7% increase in […]
DOT campaign reminds: Everyone is a pedestrian
It can be an intimidating time to be a pedestrian – new federal statistics for 2011 have revealed that fatalities are on the rise, with estimates pegging a “pedestrian killed every two hours and injured every eight minutes in traffic crashes.” Plus, seventy-five percent of pedestrian deaths were in urban areas, and 70 percent of the […]
Top 5 new developments in transportation
It’s an exciting time for transportation – never before has getting from point A to point B been as fraught with questions about ease of use, customer experience, environmental implications and innovative progress as it is today. From dynamic parking pricing in San Francisco and taxi apps to world-changing bus rapid transport in Colombia, trends […]
Power tripping: How green are electric cars?
Electric cars have been touted as the green wave of the future ever since George Jetson first shot across the animated small screen in his aerocar. But just how environmentally friendly — and, dare we ask, just how cost-effective — are they? At least one researcher is asking exactly those questions. Ozzie Zehner, author […]
Federal gas tax means infrastructure funds running on empty
With the recent talk about who’s responsible for covering the costs of restoring and maintaining America’s crumbling infrastructure, many mistakenly believe that the gas tax, collected via the U.S. Highway Trust Fund, goes a long way towards maintenance and improvement costs for our nation’s highways. Yet upon closer inspection, the numbers point out some potentially […]
In CA, bike lanes are on drivers’ wishlists
Surveys in San Francisco and Los Angeles suggest that both drivers and cyclists want separate space for bicycles. This separate space in the form of bike lanes not only protects cyclists from automobile traffic, but also makes drivers feel safe around bicycles. This insight could prove useful for city planners who are often blamed for […]