Stephen Miller

In spring 2017, Stephen wrote for Streetsblog USA, covering the livable streets movement and transportation policy developments around the nation. From August 2012 to October 2015, he was a reporter for Streetsblog NYC, covering livable streets and transportation issues in the city and the region. After joining Streetsblog, he covered the tail end of the Bloomberg administration and the launch of Citi Bike. Since then, he covered mayoral elections, the de Blasio administration's ongoing Vision Zero campaign, and New York City's ever-evolving street safety and livable streets movements.

Recent Posts

An "outer Beltway" isn't officially on the Washington region's agenda, but a new highway across the Potomac River (in orange) still is. Map: Beyond DC

The “Outer Beltway” Is DC’s Zombie Highway Project That Won’t Stay Dead

By Stephen Miller | Aug 7, 2017 | 10 Comments

Thanks to road boosters in the suburbs of Washington, DC, another highway bridge across the Potomac River — part of an old plan for a second beltway around the nation’s capital — is still officially a possibility. While an outer beltway was rejected decades ago, highway segments like the Intercounty Connector were built in the ensuing […]

Hey, whatever you've gotta tell yourself to get through the day. Via PragerU/YouTube

This “War on Cars” Video Will Defend America From Transit-Riding Infidels

By Stephen Miller | Aug 3, 2017 | 40 Comments

PragerU's latest video, released this week, is about a fundamental American value: driving big, gas-guzzling cars and not using other modes of transportation, because freedom.

Congress and Auto Industry Move to Ban Cities From Regulating Self-Driving Cars

By Angie Schmitt and Stephen Miller | Aug 2, 2017 | 17 Comments

Autonomous vehicles should benefit cities, not the other way around, but legislation advancing through Congress would tie urban officials' hands when it comes to shaping AV policy.

More than 112,500 people were killed in speeding-related crashes from 2005 to 2014 . Image: NTSB

NTSB: Speed Kills, and We’re Not Doing Enough to Stop It

By Stephen Miller | Jul 27, 2017 | 57 Comments

More than 112,500 people lost their lives in speed-related crashes from 2005 to 2014, accounting for 31 percent of all traffic deaths in America over that period. In a draft report released earlier this week, the National Transportation Safety Board says excessive speed is a deadly problem in our nation's transportation system -- one that federal and state officials aren't doing enough to address.

If the sensors on autonomous vehicles aren't safe enough on their own, the vehicles aren't good enough for crowded city streets. Photo: Richard Masoner/Flickr

Self-Driving Cars Should Accommodate People, Not the Other Way Around

By Stephen Miller | Jul 25, 2017 | 20 Comments

You think victim-blaming is bad now? Making everyone walk or bike with a "don't hit me" device would further penalize the most vulnerable.

This intersection in Tampa ranks as a "hot spot," among the most dangerous in Florida for cyclists. Image: Florida Department of Transportation Research Center

Why Are Florida’s Streets So Deadly for Cycling?

By Stephen Miller | Jul 21, 2017 | 14 Comments

A recent study funded by the Florida Department of Transportation takes an in-depth look at why the state's streets are so deadly -- and what can be done to change that.

I know. Can you believe this bill? Image: KHON

Honolulu City Council Wants Tighter Distraction Rules for Pedestrians Than for Drivers

By Stephen Miller | Jul 18, 2017 | 12 Comments

The bill would prohibit people from "viewing a mobile electronic device" while crossing the street. Meanwhile, Honolulu drivers can take their eyes off the road to look at their dash-mounted devices, issue voice commands, and so forth while plowing through an intersection.

Researchers surveyed people in Brooklyn, Chicago, and Philadelphia to assess how barriers to bicycling and bike-share differ by income and race. Photo: Darren Burton/Indego via Better Bike Share Partnership/Flickr

What’s Keeping People From Using Bike-Share? New Study Breaks It Down by Race and Income

By Stephen Miller | Jul 5, 2017 | 43 Comments

Low-income communities and people of color view traffic risk, high prices, and the potential for crime and harassment are the biggest barriers to bicycling and using bike-share in their neighborhoods, according to a new report from researchers at Portland State University.

Today, just eight percent of disadvantaged Milwaukee neighborhoods, according to a Rails-to-Trails Conservancy index, have low-stress access to a bike trail. That's well below the citywide average. Completing two key trail projects could increase that number to 66 percent. Image: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy

Highlighting the Inequity of Access to Good Bicycling Infrastructure in Milwaukee

By Stephen Miller | Jun 29, 2017

A new report from Rails-to-Trails Conservancy spotlights how disadvantaged neighborhoods in Milwaukee have less access to safe bicycle routes than other parts of the city.

When people who bike get behind the wheel of a car, their attitudes toward cyclists are influenced by the type of bike trips they make. Photo: John Luton/Flickr

What Do Drivers Really Think of Cyclists?

By Stephen Miller | Jun 28, 2017 | 127 Comments

There's ample research out there backing up the safety benefits of streets with protected bikeways and slow car speeds. But what about the critically important yet less tangible factor of individual attitudes -- how does the mind of the person behind the wheel affect driver behavior toward cyclists? A new report from Portland State University looks at the question.

Relying on the gas tax instead of replacing it with mileage-based driving fees could cost Oregon $340 million over 10 years, according to the state DOT. Image: ODOT [PDF]

Oregon’s Pay-Per-Mile Driving Fees: Ready for Prime Time, But Waiting for Approval

By Stephen Miller | Jun 26, 2017 | 13 Comments

Oregon has led the way in developing an alternative to the gas tax, with a pilot program that levies a fee on vehicle miles traveled. While the Oregon Department of Transportation has spent years developing the mileage-based program and is ready to expand it to all vehicles statewide, it's not part of the massive transportation spending package under discussion at the legislature.

$Most of downtown Austin's off-street parking is much more expensive than curbside parking -- a situation that needs to change, according to a new report. Image: Nelson\Nygaard for Downtown Austin Alliance$

Downtown Austin’s Parking Crunch Can Be Solved Without Adding Tons of Parking

By Stephen Miller | Jun 23, 2017

Cities and towns are constantly fretting about downtown parking. But what they often perceive as a "parking shortage" isn't caused by a lack of parking -- it's the result of poor management of the parking they already have. The upshot is that many cities, seeking cheap and plentiful car storage, pursue policies that make their parking and traffic problems worse, not better. Now a downtown Austin business coalition aims to chart a better course.

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