Transportation

  • A red brick building with an Amtrak sign alongside a railroad track.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Passenger rail, freight rail get $2.4B from Federal Railroad Administration

    Grants announced today are the largest-ever funding round for the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements program, said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

    By • Oct. 29, 2024
  • Two people prepare to enter a Waymo ride-haling vehicle in San Francisco.
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    Courtesy of Waymo
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    Robotaxi company Waymo raises $5.6B to expand operations

    The company plans to use the money to bring its “Waymo One” commercial ride-hailing service to more U.S. cities.

    By Eric Walz • Oct. 29, 2024
  • smart city, smart cities Explore the Trendline➔
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    jamesteohart via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Smart Cities Dive

    From worsening climate change to a shifting transportation landscape and the housing affordability crisis, cities have their work cut out for them.

    By Smart Cities Dive staff
  • A man in the cab of a subway car looks out the window.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    FTA orders transit agencies to protect workers amid rising assaults

    “No American should go to work and worry they will not return home safely,” the Federal Transit Administration’s deputy administrator said. Agencies must respond by Dec. 26.

    By • Oct. 28, 2024
  • Cars on a highway in Caliofornia.
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    davidfillion/iStock via Getty Images
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    California doles out $3.8B for transportation improvements

    Approximately 600 local governments and regional transportation authorities will receive money, according to the California Transportation Commission.

    By Joe Bousquin • Oct. 28, 2024
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    Hillside Solutions

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    Sponsored by Routeware

    Scaling for success: How Omaha’s Hillside Solutions seized a technology opportunity and grew its business

    Learn how fleet technology empowered Hillside Solutions to grow its business by providing digitized customer, route and resource management tools in one system.

    Oct. 28, 2024
  • Large group of people in front of an eVTOL aircraft inside a building.
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    Courtesy of Archer Aviation
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    FAA sets air taxi pilot training, operations final rule

    Powered-lift aircraft like eVTOL, which operate like both helicopters and airplanes, are "the first new category of aircraft in nearly 80 years," the FAA administrator said in announcing the new rule.

    By • Oct. 25, 2024
  • People sitting at desks sorting mail-in ballots.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Transit measures are on the November ballot in these city, county and state elections

    Voters are being asked to approve billions in taxes to support public transit, roads, greenbelts and bike and pedestrian infrastructure.

    By • Oct. 24, 2024
  • Overhead view of a street in Paris with two people waiting at a crosswalk for a bus to come through.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Wider streets are more dangerous for pedestrians to cross

    Longer street crossings are more likely to lead to more pedestrian collisions, according to a New York University study of 49,000 crossings in three cities.

    By • Oct. 23, 2024
  • Six people stand behind a box of dirt with shovels and construction equipment in the background.
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    Courtesy of Texas DOT
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    $13B overhaul of I-45 in Houston breaks ground after years of delays

    The controversial highway widening project, one of Texas’ largest infrastructure efforts, is expected to take 18 years to complete.

    By Julie Strupp • Oct. 23, 2024
  • A smiling person at a podium speaking to an audience.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    Massachusetts investing in commuter rail to relieve traffic congestion

    “Our roads are at a standstill,” the state’s transportation secretary said at a conference last week, detailing how the state is making passenger rail a priority.

    By • Oct. 22, 2024
  • People board a bus at a with a yellow taxi driving by.
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    Permission granted by Dan Zukowski
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    Transportation costs soared in major US cities over the past 10 years

    Inflation was the leading driver of higher transportation costs in 10 major cities, according to the New York state comptroller. The average household spent over $12,700 on transportation in the 2022-2023 period.

    By • Oct. 21, 2024
  • Rendering of an aerial view showing new development opportunities at a train station.
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    Courtesy of Maryland Department of Transportation
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    Maryland DOT plans transit-oriented development along commuter rail line

    The plan seeks to add 2,600 new housing units while increasing transit use and reducing traffic congestion.

    By • Oct. 17, 2024
  • A red Cadillac Lyriq in a garage plugged into a GM Energy residential charger.
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    Courtesy of General Motors
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    EV owners can store more energy from the grid with GM Energy’s new ‘PowerBank’

    The stationary energy storage unit can provide power to a home during an outage or help offset higher electricity rates during peak times. 

    By Eric Walz • Oct. 17, 2024
  • A blue 40-foot transit bus lettered as "Battery Electric" on a multi-lane road with blurred skyscrapers in the background.
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    Courtesy of Proterra
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    Proterra electric buses recalled for potential fire issue

    The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration issued a recall affecting about 483 Proterra buses. Phoenix Motorcars, which acquired Proterra's transit bus division, will provide a free remedy for vehicle owners.

    By • Oct. 16, 2024
  • One of Serve Robotics next generation robots
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Serve Robotics debuts faster, larger delivery robots to be deployed in 2 cities

    The sidewalk robots, which are outfitted with new safety measures, will hit the streets in coming months as part of Serve's deal with Uber Eats.

    By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 16, 2024
  • A bus driver wearing a mask seen through the driver's side window.
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    Cindy Ord via Getty Images
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    Transit agencies document equity efforts in APTA report

    Hiring dedicated equity executives, requiring analyses prior to system changes and partnering on services for those experiencing homelessness are among the efforts named in the American Public Transportation Association report.

    By • Oct. 15, 2024
  • Several bicycles at a docking station on a street.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    9 bike-friendly laws signed by California governor

    Bicycle advocates cheered laws that spur bike and pedestrian infrastructure construction, but Gov. Gavin Newsom vetoed two bills that advocates hoped would rein in driver speeding.

    By • Oct. 14, 2024
  • A close-up of an Uber app.
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    Matthew Horwood/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Uber spurs electric vehicle use with pop-ups in 4 cities, new features

    An AI-powered virtual assistant for EV-curious drivers is among the ride-share giant’s expanded green product suite.

    By Zoya Mirza • Oct. 14, 2024
  • Side view of a two-door car parked at night with people sitting at tables on the sidewalk.
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    Courtesy of Tesla Motors
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    Tesla promises driverless robotaxi by 2027

    CEO Elon Musk also announced that fully autonomous versions of Tesla's Model 3 and Model Y vehicles would begin driverless tests in California and Texas next year.

    By • Oct. 11, 2024
  • Debris from Hurricane Helene cover the ground.
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    Melissa Sue Gerrits via Getty Images
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    Helene deals billions in damage to infrastructure

    Roads, bridges, electrical grids and water systems need to be rebuilt following the deadly storm.

    By Julie Strupp • Oct. 10, 2024
  • Two women and a man seated at a long table with micrphones.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    Zero-emission bus transition: Lessons from the front lines

    There’s likely no economic payback for zero-emission buses, panelists at an American Public Transportation Association conference said, but it’s the right thing to do.

    By • Oct. 10, 2024
  • A blue hybrid-electric bus in New Haven, Connecticut.
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    Alexander Farnsworth via Getty Images
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    How the White House influences transportation grantmaking

    Priorities vary among administrations, an Urban Institute report found. “The president actually has substantial discretion over a lot of these programs,” one researcher said.

    By • Oct. 9, 2024
  • A woman at a podium.
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    Dan Zukowski/Smart Cities Dive
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    $50B in transit ballot measures riding on November election

    Support for voter-approved transit funding has been strong. Transit agencies and advocates shared their stories at a recent American Public Transportation Association conference.

    By • Oct. 8, 2024
  • Two autonomous vehicles with Avride and Uber branding
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    Courtesy of Avride
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    Uber inks deal to bring delivery robots, robotaxis to several cities

    To start, Uber Eats will deliver orders with Avride’s sidewalk robots in Austin, Texas, before expanding to two other cities. 

    By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Oct. 8, 2024
  • Amtrak trains at a station.
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    Courtesy of Amtrak
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    FRA opens $1B intercity passenger rail grant funding round

    Projects to expand or improve intercity passenger rail outside the Northeast Corridor can apply for the Federal Railroad Administration funding.

    By • Oct. 7, 2024