What is happening? Chicago, NY, NJ and Washington State all have adopted regulations to provide protections from being blocked by a ride share company. Humm, does this sound a lot like the social media is censoring us issue? The regulations establish standards before a driver can be deactivated based on customer complaints. Market Watch | […]
Author Archives: Tessa Zavala
COVID Effect. Cost of Traffic Congestion.
What is happening? traffic congestion has returned, not to pre-COVID levels, but it has returned. The average person spends 51 hours per year in traffic congestion. That’s up by 15+ hours from 2021. Traffic congestions costs $869 in lost time. Chicago drivers lost 155 hours; Houston 74, Austin 53 and Dallas 56; and Los Angeles […]
Extreme Heat Action Plan Targets Vehicle Heat
What is happening? Miami is the 1st city in the U.S. to adopt a Extreme Heat Action Plan. This will include reducing waste heat from vehicles & utilizing concrete that offers cooling through permeability or reflectivity. Miami defines extreme heat as 2+ days over 90 degrees. Why is this important? It’s past time to try new […]
Bus Reliability + Autonomous Vehicles. A symbiotic relationship.
What is happening? To improve bus reliability, local governments are relying on data from autonomous vehicles. This seems oddly disparate, right? Not so…Computer aided bus dispatch coupled with data from autonomous vehicles has been shown improve bus reliability. Why is this important? “North Carolina’s Concord Kannapolis Area Transit (Rider), such technology has decreased call volumes […]
Improve Traffic Safety By Lowering Blood Alcohol Levels
What is happening? Legislators are considering lowering the blood alcohol level from 0.08 to 0.05. This is the same thing that Utah did in 2019. Utah saw a drop in fatal crashes after lowering the limit. Seattle Times | On transportation, WA Legislature looks to tackle safety, equity, inflation
Paving Roads with Plastics
What is happening? Road construction can involve asphalt mixed with recycled plastics. Transportation officials want to see this recycled plastic road option pavement last longer, save money and reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfills. The lingering question is whether the plastic laced roadways will leach chemicals into water. Why is this […]
Lyft Incentivizes EV Drivers
What is happening? Lyft is offering cash incentives for its EV drivers. The incentives stem from California regulations that require ride share companies to reduce emissions. Lyft has also partnered with EV Charging & home charging installation companies to reduce the cost of charging for its drivers. Why is this important? EV incentives take many […]
Trains Displacing Planes for Environmental Reasons
What is happening? France is prohibiting flights of less than 2.5 hours within its borders, if there is an available train route. The goal is to control emissions. @Good
Helicopter Sized Drones are Here
What is happening? A group of international organizations are working together to create a new corridor for helicopter sized drones to carry cargo and people from Syracuse, NY to Montreal, Canada. They’re calling it a “advanced air mobility” corridor. The helicopter sized drones will be battery powered. It will be an opportunity for small regional […]
$2.3 Billion Federal Funds for Rail Initiatives
What is happening? This Wednesday applications began to access $2.3 billion in funding for passenger service. Applications are open for Amtrak, states, Washington, D.C., federally recognized Indian tribes and local governments. Grants can also be used for projects that improve the safety, reliability, and performance of intercity passenger rail services and for planning activities, such […]