The coming of autonomous vehicles and the related increase in e-commerce deliveries promise to change many things: infrastructure, access and mobility, land consumption, emissions, retailing, urban form, and many more. It’s not clear that we will have policy in place to maximize the upsides and manage the downsides of these trends. A new report aims to prepare policy makers in one area that is sure to be affected—municipal budgets and finance.
municipal
Red light cameras still popular with municipalities, but not drivers
Almost half the states allow red light cameras, and municipalities are increasingly installing them at intersections as tools to increase public safety. Despite public pushback concerning the cameras, and some hiccups with implementation, this technology should stay in place where it is established and be installed at problem intersections whenever possible. The clear improvements in safety and traffic operations provide a benefit to the public and the best argument for accepting the utility of red light cameras.
Rahm Emanuel orders Chicago employees to use public transit
In an effort to crack down on the city’s generous travel reimbursement policy, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel introduced a measure that forces city employees to use public transit for work-related travel. Under the new program, …
Saving money on health care: Chicago to institute new wellness plan for city employees
In a time of increasingly tight municipal budgets, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel announced a wellness plan for city employees that will use incentives to save up to $240 million in health costs over the next …
The allure and price of “greenfield economics”
In a recent series of articles, Aaron Renn provides some fascinating insights into the initial economic advantages of suburban expansion and the long-term costs of such development. Initial economic advantages for new suburbs constructed on …
City of Chicago to save $400,000 by using Zipcars
Chicago joins New York in switching to car-sharing for some of its transportation needs.
Pay by the Snowflake?
Governing.com writer Andy Kim described a pilot snow-removal program in the city of Quincy, Mass that used pay for performance: “The city’s Department of Public Works awarded a contract to a snow-removal company that pays …
From the Community of Practice
A new presentation from the Pennsylvania borough of Carlisle shows the approach of a smaller municipality to Smart Transportation. The Power Point can be downloaded here: [PPT]