Dimming the lights without diminishing safety
In a pilot project, the Maryland Highway Administration is investigating whether fewer highway lights can be used without compromising safety.
News from 2013
May 2013
May 6th, 2013 Study highlights importance of travel time as a metric
May 6th, 2013 Light rail debate could put an end to the Columbia River bridge project
May 6th, 2013 AAA: Annual cost of car ownership now over $9,100 per year
May 6th, 2013 Trucking’s shift towards LNG picking up steam
May 6th, 2013 Improved walking environments can benefit mental health
Apr 2013
April 22nd, 2013 Freight rail traffic is growing, but urban conflicts hinder infrastructure expansion
April 22nd, 2013 New accessibility tools available from Walk Score
April 22nd, 2013 2013 on track to be the year of the bike share
April 22nd, 2013 Montana and North Dakota show need for transit service in rural areas
April 8th, 2013 Public supports system preservation, why not politicians?
April 8th, 2013 New report outlines steps needed to reduce petroleum use and greenhouse gas emissions
April 8th, 2013 Contrarian research: Transit relieves congestion, but park-and-rides do not
April 8th, 2013 Brookings Institution report documents growth of Amtrak vs. air travel in key markets
April 8th, 2013 Free transit passes improve London’s youth and older riders’ mental health and sense of community
Mar 2013
March 25th, 2013 Poverty in the suburbs exacerbated by auto-dependency
March 25th, 2013 SEPTA leads the way in fare collection technology
March 25th, 2013 NYPD language change signals increased emphasis on traffic safety
March 25th, 2013 Rural routes more dangerous than those in urban areas
March 11th, 2013 Economist urges less general revenue, more user fees to support air travel
March 11th, 2013 Tennessee DOT Commissioner halts I-69 project
March 11th, 2013 ASCE report card coming this month
March 11th, 2013 Bill would rein in patent trolling of transit systems
March 11th, 2013 Call for U.S. DOT to issue own standards causes a stir
March 11th, 2013 Red light cameras still popular with municipalities, but not drivers
March 11th, 2013 Senators call for action on freight rail rates and monopolies
March 11th, 2013 Devil’s Slide dangers soon to be bypassed by tunnels
Feb 2013
February 25th, 2013 Per capita VMT ticks down for eighth straight year
February 25th, 2013 Planning for multi-generational communities
February 25th, 2013 The challenge of communicating bicycle comfort level on maps
February 25th, 2013 Disagreement over the environmental impacts of the Bayonne Bridge project
February 25th, 2013 Parking management – an unlikely economic development tool
February 25th, 2013 WSDOT weighs in on bill to make health a goal in transportation policy
February 11th, 2013 Does the travel-time index really reflect performance?
February 11th, 2013 Making room for the slugs
February 11th, 2013 Finding the middle – balancing public and private interests with P3s
February 11th, 2013 One-way or two-way streets more efficient? It depends on what you measure
February 11th, 2013 Connecting cars electronically may benefit BRT as well
February 11th, 2013 Washington business community ups support for operations, preservation
Jan 2013
January 28th, 2013 An environmentalist’s call to curb the federal role in transportation
January 28th, 2013 Mexico City tackles congestion head-on
January 28th, 2013 Florida’s freight infrastructure investment named an innovation to watch
January 28th, 2013 App crash leaves Washington Metro riders in the lurch
January 28th, 2013 New York City’s subway train operators taking unilateral action to prevent fatalities at stations
January 14th, 2013 Virginia governor proposes scrapping gas tax, raising sales tax to fund transportation
January 11th, 2013 Silicon Valley shuttles change the face of public transit in San Francisco
January 11th, 2013 VMT fees, per-mile insurance make headway
January 11th, 2013 Pre-tax transit benefits return to parity with parking in 2013
January 11th, 2013 Fiscal Cliff legislation restores tax credit for short line rail infrastructure
News from 2012
Dec 2012
December 11th, 2012 Business Insider, Nate Silver tackle VMT, and a request from SSTI
December 11th, 2012 Different results for New York and New Jersey transit highlight storm preparations
December 11th, 2012 Stockholm’s congestion charge still going strong
December 11th, 2012 Increasing bicycle mode share leads to growing need for bicycle-specific traffic signals
December 11th, 2012 Fuel saving technologies for truck fleets
Nov 2012
November 13th, 2012 Cities feel left out of transportation discussion
November 13th, 2012 Michigan voters give green light to new bridge to Ontario
November 13th, 2012 Interactive map shows the cost of river lock failures
November 13th, 2012 Kansas City faces public backlash over traffic signal removal plans
Oct 2012
October 30th, 2012 Light rail systems can raise nearby property values before completion even in low density areas
October 30th, 2012 Solving the critter crossing problem
October 30th, 2012 Bike boxes and lanes may increase “right hook” crashes in some circumstances
October 30th, 2012 Buses, rail, and airlines compete for short-distance intercity travel
October 15th, 2012 MassDOT seeks to triple transit, bike and walk share
October 15th, 2012 Fighting transit fear with transit facts
October 15th, 2012 Carmaggedon leads to significantly better air quality
October 15th, 2012 Kansas City’s streetcar silver bullet?
October 1st, 2012 Have we hit Peak Car? What VMT data tell us
October 1st, 2012 Two new studies shed light on the link between transportation and health
October 1st, 2012 Update: Group challenges alleged patent-trolling that targets transit systems
October 1st, 2012 Wisconsin is most recent state to consider mileage-based user fee
Sep 2012
September 21st, 2012 SSTI and SGA release “The Innovative DOT”
September 21st, 2012 New NACTO guide pushes U.S. innovation in bike facility design
September 21st, 2012 Budget woes force student transportation cuts
Aug 2012
August 28th, 2012 Local air quality benefits of street-level foliage much greater than previously thought
August 28th, 2012 Private firms eyeing passenger rail in Florida, Texas, Nevada, and California
August 28th, 2012 Can we talk? How to communicate on transportation issues
August 28th, 2012 Decentralized by design: When should we consider ditching exclusive radial bus routes?
August 28th, 2012 Smart Growth America helps Tennessee with familiar problem: Many projects and limited funds
August 6th, 2012 New generation of transit hubs redefining train stations’ place in communities
August 6th, 2012 Bike share programs’ support of transit constrained by FTA funding rules
August 6th, 2012 Highway congestion highest on Friday afternoon
August 6th, 2012 Productivity of trains as mobile offices a factor in mode selection
August 6th, 2012 “War on cars” (or bicycles) isn’t new
Jul 2012
July 23rd, 2012 Reform STIP documents for greater transparency
July 23rd, 2012 Climate impacts on transportation a hot topic during a hot summer
July 23rd, 2012 ACEEE finds U.S. ranks last in energy efficiency in transportation
July 23rd, 2012 The bus stigma: Why it exists, and should we care?
July 9th, 2012 SSTI releases economic analysis guide and tool for transportation agencies
July 9th, 2012 Faulty suburban parking assumptions not holding up at new East Harlem mall
July 9th, 2012 SEPTA’s new program generates electricity and excitement
July 9th, 2012 “Dig once” advances via executive order
July 9th, 2012 Train on wheels – the growing popularity of BRT in Los Angeles
Jun 2012
June 25th, 2012 Instant rewards, penalties, and feedback are shown to change driver behavior
June 25th, 2012 Will drivers pay the price to use fastest road in the Americas?
June 25th, 2012 Strategies for using value capture to fund transit
June 25th, 2012 Reaction to iPhone announcement points to popularity of transit apps
June 11th, 2012 New Chicago plan aims for zero traffic deaths in ten years
June 11th, 2012 Investing in transit improves quality of life in rural areas
June 11th, 2012 Report shows that higher congestion is associated with better economies
June 11th, 2012 With continued testing success, governments are embracing connected and self-driving vehicles
June 11th, 2012 First quarter of 2012 shows more people are switching to transit
May 2012
May 25th, 2012 AZ DOT report finds compact development reduces VMT without increasing localized congestion
May 25th, 2012 Walk/Transit/Bike Score now an important number for real estate
May 25th, 2012 Crafting messages for funding system preservation
May 25th, 2012 Non-motorized pilot program reports show small investment can mean big changes
May 25th, 2012 Roads buckling under the weight of the shale gas industry
May 14th, 2012 Car use down, bicycle and bus use up dramatically since 2001 in London congestion-pricing area
May 14th, 2012 Transportation needs are changing, but gas price isn’t the major factor, think tank says
May 14th, 2012 Increasing transit ridership: Should we make public transportation “fun” or “useful”?
May 14th, 2012 Airports eyed as sites for alternative energy production
May 14th, 2012 Road traffic injuries leading cause of fatalities among 10-24 year-olds
May 1st, 2012 SSTI’s scenario analysis tool unveiled; will allow DOTs to better engage with land use authorities
May 1st, 2012 Accelerated Bridge Construction offers less hassle for drivers and faster implementation for DOTs
May 1st, 2012 Poor suffer more crash injuries; greater exposure to traffic, roadway geometry partly to blame
May 1st, 2012 Annual survey finds that even in car-centric Houston, people want better access to transit
May 1st, 2012 The Onion features special transportation issue
Apr 2012
April 16th, 2012 Exurban development continues to decline, while cities return to pre-recession growth
April 16th, 2012 How do we get “everyday Americans” to support transportation funding?
April 16th, 2012 Michigan Odyssey reveals transit realities
April 16th, 2012 Southern California Association of Governments adopts strong sustainability plan
April 16th, 2012 BRT workshop highlights best practices and marketing
April 16th, 2012 New report proposes ways to increase municipal infrastructure investment
April 2nd, 2012 “Patent troll” targets transit agencies over vehicle tracking apps
April 2nd, 2012 Bike sharing: An on-demand mobility solution
April 2nd, 2012 U.S. Treasury report outlines need for road maintenance, transit investment, and alternatives to driving
April 2nd, 2012 New crosswalk technology improves pedestrian safety
April 2nd, 2012 Super commuters 2.0 — flying to work
April 2nd, 2012 Young people turning away from cars
Mar 2012
March 16th, 2012 Transit ridership continues upward trend in 2011
March 16th, 2012 A transportation engineer rethinks congestion pricing
March 16th, 2012 Michigan DOT takes control of public-private bridge project
March 16th, 2012 Infrastructure banks offer funding opportunities for transportation projects
March 16th, 2012 More Americans commuting long distances to work
March 16th, 2012 Why “forgiving roadways” are not the solution in urban areas
March 5th, 2012 Google technology transforming transit use
March 5th, 2012 CNT unveils updated Housing + Transportation Affordability Index
March 5th, 2012 Off-street parking access linked to higher VMT
March 5th, 2012 Impacts of light rail on property values vary by distance and income level
March 5th, 2012 Rhode Island DOT uses ITS to make commuting easier for drivers
March 5th, 2012 Safety advocates still waiting for FHWA report on digital billboards
Feb 2012
February 20th, 2012 Motor vehicle travel demand continues long-term downward trend in 2011
February 20th, 2012 Public transportation’s hidden gender bias
February 20th, 2012 Oregon leads the way on use of solar installations for transportation facilities
February 17th, 2012 Michigan-Chicago route gains 110 mph passenger rail, and other Midwest states seem eager to follow
February 17th, 2012 Congress is still wrestling with Positive Train Control requirements
February 6th, 2012 FTA proposes shifting the focus of transit investment evaluations from commute time reduction to ridership and other metrics
February 6th, 2012 New performance dashboards released in Massachusetts and Michigan
February 6th, 2012 California’s New Emission Standards receive mixed reviews
February 6th, 2012 Report documents the continued rise of walking and biking
February 6th, 2012 Interactive Chart Tracks Obama’s Transportation Policy Changes in 2011
Jan 2012
January 22nd, 2012 Gas consumption down to 2000 levels
January 22nd, 2012 A small city tries to fund sidewalk improvements
January 22nd, 2012 Golden, CO, stands firm against Denver’s Beltway expansion
January 22nd, 2012 The high speed rail quandry
January 22nd, 2012 Congress debates raising the 80,000 pound truck weight limit
January 22nd, 2012 London tries to reduce airborne particulate matter by “gluing” it to the streets
January 8th, 2012 San Francisco drivers still park on congested blocks despite variable pricing
January 8th, 2012 Take me out to the ballpark, but make me walk the last mile
January 8th, 2012 Bike sharing takes off in America
January 8th, 2012 Value capture fuels transit expansion in Charlotte area
January 8th, 2012 Barge industry jumping on PR band wagon as river infrastructure begins to age
January 8th, 2012 Montana tries a biodegradable corrosion inhibitor to save money, reduce maintenance, and be more environmentally friendly
January 8th, 2012 Transit funding shrinks despite increasing ridership
News from 2011
Dec 2011
December 5th, 2011 Did previous TIGER grants allocate too much to bike-ped projects?
December 5th, 2011 New map shows each 2001-2009 traffic fatality with a dot
December 5th, 2011 Environmentalists challenge plans for expanded Miami port
December 5th, 2011 New TRB guidebook for sustainability measures released
December 5th, 2011 Colorado DOT and Governor’s Energy Office launch efforts to reduce energy use in transportation
Nov 2011
November 18th, 2011 Capping urban highways can reconnect neighborhoods.
November 18th, 2011 Study: Grandma and Grandpa driving more safely
November 18th, 2011 High tech hitchhiking as an alternative to transit
November 18th, 2011 Pedestrians losing last refuge in the public right of way to bicycles
November 18th, 2011 Underfunded Wyoming DOT says it will stop highway expansion to concentrate on maintenance.
November 18th, 2011 CT paper cites PlanMaryland as good example
November 18th, 2011 Biking for short trips equals significant health benefits
Oct 2011
October 24th, 2011 GAO: When it comes to highways, all states now receive more funds than they contribute
October 24th, 2011 Rahm Emanuel orders Chicago employees to use public transit
October 24th, 2011 Britain to raise motorway speed limit to 80mph
October 24th, 2011 “30/10″ Plan: The right track for transportation
October 24th, 2011 Long distances and a lack of sidewalks don’t explain the small number of kids walking to school
October 24th, 2011 Neither roads nor public transit will help?
October 24th, 2011 Golden ring or vicious circle?
October 10th, 2011 Can congestion create kilowatts? Good vibrations from California
October 10th, 2011 IBM Global Commuter Pain Survey: Congestion down, complaints up
October 10th, 2011 FHWA planning and environment linkages training webinar
October 10th, 2011 Reinventing the urban interstate
October 10th, 2011 Funding infrastructure repairs: Pennsylvania considers its options
October 10th, 2011 As gas tax yields less revenue, renewed focus is placed on a mileage tax
October 10th, 2011 Alaska “bridge to nowhere,” still on the table
Sep 2011
September 26th, 2011 Where we are today: Five-year trend from 2005 to 2010 shows less commuting by car
September 26th, 2011 And where we might be tomorrow: Bill Ford says “The mobility model we have today, will not work tomorrow.”
September 26th, 2011 Saving money on health care: Chicago to institute new wellness plan for city employees
September 26th, 2011 Virginia DOT begins public-private partnership to maintain state rest areas
September 26th, 2011 Reducing congestion – Some examples from FHWA of operational strategies
September 12th, 2011 Holland’s new ‘truck train’
September 12th, 2011 Court strikes down FMCSA’s E-log regulation
September 12th, 2011 Society pays more for trucking
September 12th, 2011 Performance measures for freight transportation
September 12th, 2011 From FHWA, a template
September 12th, 2011 From US EPA, other freight resources
September 12th, 2011 Testing now: Vehicles that communicate with each other to avoid crashes
Aug 2011
August 22nd, 2011 No unanimity on Illinois Tollway proposal to increase tolls
August 22nd, 2011 And in Washington State: Anti-toll initiative heads to the ballot box
August 22nd, 2011 Indiana toll road trouble
August 22nd, 2011 San Diego to buy bankrupt toll road (Is it a good deal?)
August 22nd, 2011 Road pricing: public perceptions and program development
August 22nd, 2011 How do you get there from here?
August 22nd, 2011 Higher gear: To fund transportation, congress should tax travel, bot fuel
August 22nd, 2011 And in the same year that Eisenhower introduced the National Highway System
August 22nd, 2011 Pennsylvania Transportation Funding Advisory Commission
August 8th, 2011 Failure to act will cost money, a lot of money
August 8th, 2011 The next roundabout?
August 8th, 2011 Smart transportation (and guidebook) a winner for both Pennsylvania and New Jersey
August 8th, 2011 CAFE standard sound off
August 8th, 2011 Transportation and health: Policy interventions for safer, healthier people and communities
August 8th, 2011 Traffic volume trends: VMT down in 2011
Jul 2011
July 25th, 2011 Is declining car use a long-term trend or just a short-term reaction to the recession?
July 25th, 2011 Pricing, our only feasible path to reduced congestion?
July 25th, 2011 San Francisco parking meters to adjust costs based on demand
July 25th, 2011 Achieving a state of good repair
July 25th, 2011 Maine approves law to reduce oil use
July 25th, 2011 Red light cameras dropped in L.A.
July 25th, 2011 Carpooling apps cut commuting costs
July 14th, 2011 Bookends on the highway era: A view at the start and a look back from today
July 14th, 2011 Long commutes are worse than you thought
July 14th, 2011 Big fixes for our big transportation problems
July 14th, 2011 Policy options for reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions from U.S. transportation: No silver bullet
July 14th, 2011 Complete streets in New York State
July 14th, 2011 Charged for what you use? Tennessee Commissioner of Transportation Schroer proposing pay-per-mile idea.
July 14th, 2011 GM CEO: “We ought to just slap a dollar tax on a gallon of gas.”
Jun 2011
June 20th, 2011 A less mobile future for America’s baby boomers
June 20th, 2011 Variety of approaches to transportation governance and finance in the laboratories of democracy
June 20th, 2011 Tolling the interstates
June 20th, 2011 A bus by any other name
June 20th, 2011 Maximizing investments in work zone safety in Oregon
June 20th, 2011 Oregon Senate passes bill to ease the way for car-sharing programs
June 6th, 2011 Have TOD promoters been putting the cart before the horse?
June 6th, 2011 Big vision, big roads, what now?
June 6th, 2011 States’ work to make biking safer.
June 6th, 2011 VMT tax makes it to USA Today.
June 6th, 2011 Six ideas for fixing the nations infrastructure problems.
June 6th, 2011 More roads, more traffic, really dreary news.
June 6th, 2011 Car of the future.
May 2011
May 23rd, 2011 More counting
May 23rd, 2011 California dreaming of better prognostications
May 23rd, 2011 NYC counts travel with greater detail.
May 23rd, 2011 Google lobbies Nevada to allow self-driving cars.
May 23rd, 2011 PAYD
May 23rd, 2011 TRB Webinar: A Community Visioning Approach to Support the Collaborative Decision-Making Framework for Transportation Investments
May 2nd, 2011 The allure and price of “greenfield economics”
May 2nd, 2011 Survey: Americans support infrastructure investment
May 2nd, 2011 TRB webinar on climate change adaptation features California and Michigan DOTs
May 2nd, 2011 Glass roads?
May 2nd, 2011 What can bikes do during an emergency?
May 2nd, 2011 S.F. parking meters to alert drivers when spots are open
May 2nd, 2011 History of the parking meter
May 2nd, 2011 Avoiding traffic jams
May 2nd, 2011 Ready for $4 per gallon gas?
May 2nd, 2011 Do we need more highways?
Apr 2011
April 12th, 2011 WSDOT quantifies the GHG reduction impact of sidewalk coverage.
April 12th, 2011 New direction for the Highway Capacity Manual: Include active traffic management and a multimodal approach
April 12th, 2011 Finding a parking space, and more.
April 12th, 2011 Walk or drive and see how much it costs for gas.
April 12th, 2011 Road pricing: Guidelines for analysis and for communication with the public.
April 12th, 2011 From the Community of Practice: Washington State applies for Florida’s high-speed-rail funding.
Mar 2011
March 23rd, 2011 VMT per capita declines in 2000s
March 23rd, 2011 The FREIGHT Act is back
March 23rd, 2011 GAO: Trucking the least efficient mode of freight shipping
March 23rd, 2011 Casual car sharing meets the app age
March 23rd, 2011 City of Chicago to save $400,000 by using Zipcars
March 23rd, 2011 Where are they going?
Feb 2011
February 18th, 2011 A silver lining for austerity?
February 18th, 2011 Tools for accelerating project delivery
February 18th, 2011 Parking spaces add 10% to per-mile carbon emissions
February 18th, 2011 Green fees? Oregon, Washington mull electric vehicle fees
February 18th, 2011 Looking for a few good engineers
February 18th, 2011 What will this tell us about boomer drivers?
February 18th, 2011 California’s Green Trade Corridor project underway
February 11th, 2011 Shining a light: New York City’s new zoning handbook
February 11th, 2011 Dimming the lights without diminishing safety
February 11th, 2011 Public-private partnerships for transportation: A toolkit for legislators
February 11th, 2011 Older driver program five-year strategic plan
February 11th, 2011 TRB webinar: Target-Setting Methods and Data Management to Support Performance-Based Resource Allocation by Transportation Agencies
February 11th, 2011 CO2 emissions from transportation continue to rise
February 11th, 2011 What does it mean to be No. 1?
February 11th, 2011 What would be a good Super Bowl ad for the government?
February 11th, 2011 Engineers form organization to develop tool for measuring infrastructure sustainability
February 11th, 2011 Streetcars dominate new batch of transit projects
Jan 2011
January 28th, 2011 Pay by the Snowflake?
January 28th, 2011 New Report on Climate Change and Transportation
January 28th, 2011 511 Rules: Real-Time System Management Information Program Fact Sheet
January 28th, 2011 AASHTO Webinar on Prospects for Federal Legislation
January 28th, 2011 Gaming the System
January 28th, 2011 Falling VMT and Insurance Rates with PAYD?
January 28th, 2011 Falling Gas Demand
January 28th, 2011 More Ways to Pay Higher London Congestion Charging Fee
January 28th, 2011 Equitable VMT reduction is possible, WSDOT report finds
News from 2010
Dec 2010
December 21st, 2010 From the Community of Practice: Impacts of VMT Reduction Strategies on Selected Areas and Groups
December 21st, 2010 Governor Abercrombie Approves Final Honolulu Rail Transit EIS
December 21st, 2010 Getting Back on Track: Aligning State Transportation Policy with Climate Change Goals
December 21st, 2010 The Invisible System
December 21st, 2010 Getting from Point A to Point B
December 21st, 2010 “Our apps are whiz kid certified.”
December 21st, 2010 GAO Reports on Transitioning to Performance-Based Planning.
December 6th, 2010 From the Community of Practice
December 6th, 2010 The Cost of Ending Rail Projects
December 6th, 2010 Warning system shows potential for alleviating crashes at dangerous rural intersections
December 6th, 2010 LEED certification for parking garage?
December 6th, 2010 Dear Cities: IBM Wants to Hang Out
December 6th, 2010 Examples of Context Sensitive Solutions (CSS)
December 6th, 2010 TOMORROW – ITS America on the New World of Performance Measures
December 6th, 2010 Kansas Increases Funding for Railroad Loan/Grant Program
Nov 2010
November 22nd, 2010 Streamlining that we would like to see in person
November 22nd, 2010 From the Community of Practice
November 22nd, 2010 Sustainable Highways Self-Evaluation Tool
November 22nd, 2010 How Britain plans to cut spending while investing in infrastructure
November 22nd, 2010 Voters approve smart transportation referenda
November 22nd, 2010 Every Day Counts