Friday’s Headlines Will Be There in 15 Minutes

We promise: Whether you live in a 15-minute city or a 20-minute suburb, you will be allowed to leave.

By Blake Aued

12:01 AM EST on January 12, 2024

Cities don't have to be Paris to be walkable.

The popular idea of the 15-minute city isn't writ in stone. In some cases, maybe it's better to aim for the 20-minute suburb, writes New Urbanism cofounder Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk (CNU Public Square). Then again, that might get some pushback, since UK ministers are already setting transportation policy based on 15-minute conspiracy theories (The Guardian).
This New York Times Magazine story does a good job of explaining how kinetic energy — vehicle mass and speed — contributes to the carnage of traffic deaths U.S. But it puts too much emphasis on driver agency and traffic enforcement, and not enough on street design.
State DOTs could save thousands of lives and billions of dollars if they focused on other modes of transportation beyond driving. (RMI)
Everything is really bigger in Texas, including the traffic. Five of the 10 most congested cities in the U.S. are in the Lone Star State. (Austin American-Statesman)
To an architect, pedestrian bridges are "symbols of ingenuity and connectivity." (Arch Daily) But why is it that people on foot are the ones who have to go out of their way, and not drivers?
The planned expansion of I-94 in Milwaukee is now the subject of a federal civil rights investigation. (Wisconsin Public Radio)
Washington, D.C, drivers are racking up tickets and killing people with impunity, so the city council is getting serious about cracking down on speeders. (WTOP)
A proposed California law would finally give cities like San Francisco the ability to regulate robotaxis. (San Francisco Standard)
Recent art festivals that temporarily doubled Miami Beach's population laid bare the inadequacies of the region's transportation infrastructure. (Dezeen)
Looking to start biking in 2024? Here are Momentum Mag's picks for the best bikes in the $500 price range.