Tuesday’s Headlines

  • HAs traffic deaths approach 40,000 for the third straight year, a YouGov poll found that a majority of Americans think driving while texting is bad. A lesser number also think walking while texting is a problem, but research shows that pedestrians are rarely distracted when they’re hit by drivers. (Smart Cities Dive)
  • The urban planner behind Houston’s widely praised reworking of its bus routes has written a book about how to design transit systems, and it includes critiques of 47 metro areas. (Mobility Lab) Philadelphia’s transit system has “great bones,” according to author Christoff Spieler, but it could be so much more if the state didn’t starve it. (Inquirer)
  • Cyclists are generally required to ride with the flow of car traffic, but Arlington County, Va., is trying out contraflow bike lanes that allow them to avoid busy roads and shave a half-mile off travel times by eliminating a detour. (Local DVM)
  • The University of Washington is testing sensors at the intersection of a Seattle bike trail and highway that could warn drivers and cyclists through a Bluetooth app that a car or bike is coming. (Seattle Times)
  • St. Petersburg invested $1 million in bike lanes, but many people still feel more comfortable riding on the sidewalk, even though it’s less safe. (Tampa Bay Times)
  • Bus riders want Cincinnati to step up enforcement against car drivers who block the city’s first and only bus-only lane. (WCPO)
  • Buffalo businesses are exploring a partnership with Lyft to help carless employees with “first mile/last mile” transit challenges. (WKBW)
  • In an effort to sort out the last-call chaos of cars, pedestrians and public transportation, Minneapolis officials are designating pickup and dropoff areas for Uber and Lyft near warehouse district bars. (Star Tribune)
  • The Metro Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority is hosting four public meetings for users to learn more about expansion plans. (AJC)
  • The Institute of Transportation Engineers is accepting applications for communities that would like to host one of two workshops on Vision Zero, the global initiative to eliminate traffic deaths.
  • Courtney

    Given that the majority of drivers don’t look for cyclists, I doubt many of them will take that extra step to install an app that will warn them of an incoming/oncoming cyclist.