A new enhancement to a bicycle detection and counting device solves a problem and improves safety for bicyclists at intersections. The new addition to the Iteris Smartcycle technology allows bicyclists waiting at a red light to be sure they have been detected, that the light will change, and that the green light will be sufficiently long for them to finish crossing the intersection.
technology
Tapping into TNC data
With the rise of transportation network companies like Uber and Lyft, and growing concerns about their effects on traffic and curb usage, transportation agencies and local governments are eager for data. Data from TNCs, however, are heavily guarded. Many governments are trying to negotiate agreements with these companies and working on laws that require data sharing. Others, however, are getting more creative.
When Waze clogs the streets, can communities close them to outsiders?
Reacting to drivers using apps to bypass clogged highways, the borough of Leonia, NJ, has decided to close most of its local roads to non-residents during peak morning and afternoon periods. Many question whether this is a wise or even legal option. In the short run, the shutdown of local roads might make residents happy; but in the longer term, residents could face worsened regional congestion as traffic is forced onto clogged arterials. In dense networks, these local roads can sometimes act like important release valves.
FDOT to deploy innovative transportation technologies for increased safety
The Orlando area has received a grant of close to $12 million to utilize innovative transportation system technologies to improve the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists and to ease congestion. The grant was awarded by an FHA that seeks ideal deployment sites for large-scale installation and operation of advanced transportation technologies. The program’s goals are to improve safety, efficiency, system performance, and infrastructure return on investment.
Distracted driving: a silent killer?
Representatives from the Property Casualty Insurers Association of America and NHTSA called distracted driving a “serious public safety concern” and a “crisis.” Yet there still doesn’t seem to be any compelling evidence linking the surging death rate to distracted driving. AAA reported earlier this month that in-vehicle touchscreens and voice activated systems could pose new problems. But the newest numbers from U.S. DOT—released the same week as the AAA report—show deaths related to distracted driving dropped 2.2 percent in 2016, while traffic deaths increased 5.6 percent overall.
CAFE standards may be easier to meet than previously thought
Consumers might favor vehicles that accelerate a little slower, if the vehicles are also much more fuel conscious and greenhouse gas friendly. That is the conclusion of a study published in Environmental Science & Technology by researchers at Carnegie Mellon, UC-Berkeley, and University of Michigan. The research might also help transportation agencies manage local safety if cars were to accelerate more slowly.
Using real-time travel information to encourage transit
Real-time travel information at a glance empowers travelers and can support transit-oriented development by providing information in an easy-to-access format. Smartphone apps are beginning to provide this service, but few can reliably show all options easily on a small screen, and many miss important local information, such as the distance to transit stops or bikeshare kiosks. New screens installed in public locations are allowing travelers, including those unfamiliar with the area, to see all their options on one screen.
SmarterRoads: Virginia’s public-private transportation data sharing strategy
The Virginia Department of Transportation has launched a public cloud-based data portal that contains a vast array of state transportation data. The portal is named “SmarterRoads” and will be available to anyone who creates a free account. Information contained in the portal includes average daily traffic, crashes, signal data, vehicle miles traveled, and speed limits.
BlaBlaCar now an option in Google Maps transit, but not in the U.S.
If you are looking at options for intercity travel, Google Maps transit tab will tell you which buses or trains you can use. And now you can also see BlaBlaCar as an option. But don’t look for that option in the U.S., because the city-to-city ridesharing app is not available here. Why has non-commercial ridesharing not caught on in the U.S.?
Colorado city teams with Uber app to summon on-demand transit
In a first-of-its-kind partnership in the U.S., a city has partnered with Uber to use existing transit vehicles to provide on-demand service. Resident of Lone Tree, Colorado, can now use the Uber app to request a 12-passenger vehicle and driver provided by the city’s Link service. Other riders may be picked up along the way. The ride is free through the end of December anywhere in the city. The genesis of the partnership with Uber came about through the Smart Cities Collaborative, a collaboration of Transportation for America and Sidewalk Labs.