As 3 states launch e-bike rebates, Denver program shows promising results

An estimated 100,000 car miles a week are now on e-bikes purchased by rebate program participants, Denver's climate office said.  

By Maylin Tu • June 23, 2023

Which zoning changes best alleviate the housing crisis? Seattle-area cities have a new way to find out.

An interactive online tool from the Urban Institute estimates the impact on housing development of four different zoning changes around transit construction in the Puget Sound area.

By Kalena Thomhave • June 22, 2023

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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

Pedestrian deaths hit 41-year high in 2022 with more than 7,500 killed

“Nothing seems to be changing,” said a Governors Highway Safety Association official, as pedestrian deaths continue to climb. 

By Dan Zukowski • June 22, 2023

Collapsed I-95 overpass will be repaired, reopened in next 2 weeks

President Joe Biden called the federal government’s $3 million in quick-release funding "a down payment" after he took an aerial tour of the site.

By Colin Campbell • June 20, 2023

Transportation jobs are hard to fill. Here’s what works for Oregon’s DOT.

One outreach campaign doubled subscriptions to the department’s email newsletters and resulted in an uptick of job applicants, an ODOT content strategist said in a recent webinar.

By Adina Solomon • June 20, 2023

Air taxis are coming soon. Zoning and regulatory authorities are not ready.

Air taxis, also known as eVTOL aircraft, could come to major cities as soon as 2025, but few local governments have policies for new vertiports, says a Mineta Transportation Institute report. 

By Dan Zukowski • June 20, 2023

Cars will get more space after residents clash over complete streets pilot in Los Angeles area

Bike, bus, scooter and pedestrian activity increased during the MOVE Culver City pilot, and traffic impact was minimal, but residents’ traffic concerns led the city to scale back the effort.

By Gaby Galvin • June 13, 2023

Getting to zero traffic fatalities will take more than infrastructure funds, experts say

Traffic violence is a preventable public health crisis, experts said during a Mineta Transportation Institute webinar. Federal funding for local communities will help, but cities need to cultivate a “culture of safety,” one mayor said.

By Maylin Tu • June 13, 2023

When climate disasters strike, how can cities evacuate people who don’t have cars?

"There's not a place in this country” where everyone has a car, said the deputy director of the new federally funded Center for Equitable Transit-Oriented Communities, and emergency planners must meet carless residents’ needs.

By Ysabelle Kempe • June 12, 2023

Get old cars off the road to protect vulnerable California communities, report urges

“The state must commit to retiring the dirtiest vehicles on the road,” said one of the report’s authors.

By Dan Zukowski • June 9, 2023

Dallas in the homestretch of ransomware attack recovery

Security operations and tools are also getting a refresh as city officials rebuild impacted systems and make upgrades across multiple departments.

By Matt Kapko • June 8, 2023

To reduce subway crime, NYC transit agency eyes platform doors, other options

Many people have long argued for installing platform screen doors at subway stations, but limitations exist, “so we do have to look at other things that we can implement more effectively and quickly,” an MTA spokesperson said.

By Dan Zukowski • June 8, 2023

California autonomous vehicle bill advances as legislators worry about heavy-duty truck safety

If the proposed law passes, a human operator could need to be onboard heavy-duty, autonomous trucks in the Golden State until at least Jan. 1, 2029.

By David Taube • June 7, 2023

Intercity passenger rail expansion sought by 90-plus cities and states, Amtrak CEO tells House committee

Some lawmakers made the case for why Amtrak should add service to their regions, while others questioned the railroad’s commitment to passenger safety and security and its need for ongoing federal funding.

By Dan Zukowski • June 7, 2023

Boston commuter rail lines need overhaul, advocates say, as transit agency tackles safety, financial issues

Electric, regional rail would be “an absolute game changer,” says a rail expert, but even 2020 cost estimates top $40 billion, and the MBTA is still recovering from safety failures and revenue shortfalls.

By Dan Zukowski • June 6, 2023

State-owned roads blamed for traffic fatality uptick in Austin, Texas, in new report

“Fatal crashes occurring on State-owned roadways increased substantially while those occurring on City-owned streets remained relatively flat,” the city says in a new report.

By Michael Brady • June 5, 2023

How Panasonic is working on connected-vehicle technology in three states

The Panasonic Smart Mobility office's goal for these real-world projects is to demonstrate the use of vehicle-to-everything technologies at scale and help prepare cities and states for the rollout of connected vehicles.

By Dan Zukowski • June 5, 2023

St. Paul, Minnesota, bans truck parking on city streets

The ordinance followed complaints about commercial vehicles crowding roads and blocking a brewery.

By Colin Campbell • June 2, 2023

Debt ceiling deal leaves DOT mostly unscathed, but transportation, housing funds may still be at risk

“We're still assessing the best ways to accommodate the caps and restraints that are part of this deal,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.

By Dan Zukowski • June 2, 2023

Serve Robotics, Uber Eats will deploy up to 2K delivery robots

Over 200 restaurants in the Los Angeles market already use Serve’s robots to complete deliveries, which the company claims can reduce air pollution.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • June 1, 2023

Robotaxi companies are expanding existing operations — and coming soon to new cities

Despite pushback from the city of San Francisco, two companies received approval to operate driverless ride-hailing vehicles for paying passengers anywhere in the city at any time. 

By Dan Zukowski • June 1, 2023

DOT’s Reconnecting Communities highway removal program lacks performance measures: GAO report

The Government Accountability Office report comes as El Paso, Texas; New York City and Philadelphia are looking into decking over major highways that split communities. 

By Dan Zukowski • May 31, 2023

$400M for low-emission school buses available from EPA grant program

The zero- and low-emission school bus funding has a “particular focus on reducing air pollution in disadvantaged communities overburdened by dirty air," said David Cash, EPA New England regional administrator.

By Stephen Singer • May 31, 2023

Shared micromobility boosts job access when linked with public transit: report

While other analyses often make cars falsely appear faster than other modes, this study may provide a more accurate assessment by accounting for factors such as traffic congestion and how people use micromobility, researchers said.

By Michael Brady • May 30, 2023

How AI can advance, harm transportation equity

“Responsible AI” is critical because “AI has the potential to either exacerbate or alleviate existing biases and discrimination in transportation,” one researcher said during a Transportation Research Board webinar.

By Kalena Thomhave • May 29, 2023