Despite the prevalence of anti-tolling sentiment reported in the press, cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles that operate variably priced toll lanes have seen early skepticism give way to heavy use of these lanes by commuters. These successes and the approaches taken by the two agencies to manage increasing demand suggest a need to manage these facilities in the context of the entire transportation system. The two approaches taken by Atlanta and Los Angeles could be used by other agencies struggling with similar issues.
Chris McCahill
Crowdsourced data gives DOTs added insight on road conditions
The Oregon DOT recently announced a new partnership with Waze—a navigational app that collects crowdsourced traffic information from its users and employs the data in real time. Florida was among the first states to sign an agreement with Waze in May 2014, granting them access to the company’s data in exchange for information about road closures and other incidents in the state. Approximately 30 agencies around the world have partnered with the company, including cities, regional agencies and a handful of states.
USDA documents transportation barriers to food access among low-income households
Recently released findings from the National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey provide a valuable glimpse into how low-income people access food and the challenges they face meeting this most basic need. The survey, which involved 4,286 households, provides data on where people bought most of their groceries and how they travel to and from the store.