Nearly all trips taken in some cities by ridehail services, such as Uber or Lyft, could be taken by transit, according to new research. That means the excess traffic those trips create could be prevented, with the right incentives. To encourage people to opt for transit instead of ridehail, transit agencies can pursue strategies to shorten walk and wait times associated with transit.
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Want to respond to crashes quicker? AI could help
State transportation agencies are cautiously dipping their toes into the waters of “artificial intelligence” and “machine learning” to find applications in the transportation field. There are many potential uses, according to a new report, including opportunities to track assets like crosswalks, and to clear traffic incidents faster, which could lessen the need for major capacity investments. Agencies have also identified some lessons and pitfalls of the technology as they pilot new tools.
Telecommuting most likely increases travel
We’ve written before about the impact of telecommuting on travel demand. Contrary to some common assumptions, it often results in longer non-work trips or broader changes in travel behavior. As transportation agencies consider telecommuting as a viable strategy to cut travel—especially since the pandemic—a new comprehensive review presents mixed results.
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all strategy to reduce car usage
Reducing the amount we drive is critical for cutting emissions while also improving health, safety, and transportation system performance. This effort requires both changes in the built environment and individual travel behaviors. The strategies for doing so typically fall into two categories: soft strategies, which focus on incentives and changing attitudes, and hard strategies, which involve infrastructure improvements and new regulations.
More connected street networks are more resilient
As we have seen recently with the bridge and interstate collapses in Baltimore and Pennsylvania, disruptions to our street network severely impact travel. Natural disasters, like earthquakes and floods and targeted disasters, terrorist attacks, disrupt travel patterns, raising questions about why some cities are more vulnerable to these disasters than others. Especially in urban areas, when a central street is removed from the equation, people and goods still need to move to and from destinations. A new study looks at urban areas worldwide to determine what street network characteristics make them more resilient and vulnerable before and after disasters. Areas with disconnected street design like North America and Oceania are among the most vulnerable.
Speed cameras lower speeds and prevent crashes, new research confirms
The Safe System approach to preventing traffic deaths and serious injuries requires us to rethink every aspect of our transportation system, from road and vehicle design to our pervasive car culture. Many communities have found that automated traffic enforcement is one valuable step along the way. As more of these systems are deployed, researchers continue building knowledge about how they work and where they are most effective.
Workers offset their commute travel when working from home
The massive shift to remote work during the pandemic altered the way many offices operate and increased interest in the potential for widespread telecommuting to help reduce traffic, transportation emissions, and other harmful impacts. We have reported several studies, however, that suggest remote work simply lets people drive at different times of day and for purposes other than commuting. A new study backs that finding.
USDOT could advance travel modeling and help planners account for induced demand
A provision of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (Sec. 11205) requires USDOT to review existing travel demand models and, among other things, consider the potential implications of induced travel. Federal officials, committed to that mandate, were at the TRB annual meeting last week to learn from modeling experts and practitioners. This blog post offers one perspective on the issues and lays out several opportunities gleaned through discussions at TRB.