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.

Completing the commute: Does Uber have a role in parking management?

The rapid rise of Transit Network Companies like Uber and Lyft has sparked a new round of innovations in transportation. While most early TNC success has been in large urban areas, the usefulness of these services for bridging first- and last-mile connections between home, work, and transit outside major urban centers is becoming apparent. A new pilot program in Summit, NJ, a bedroom community to New York City, illustrates an unexpected and important benefit of targeted use of TNCs: parking management.

As the cost of extreme weather events continues to climb, resilience is key

According to the recently released draft report, climate change is now increasing the frequency and intensity of severe storms, flooding, droughts, and heat waves, as well as increasing sea level. Some communities prepared decades ago for hurricanes and other disasters, while others are still debating infrastructure changes that could protect their towns and cut down on future disaster recovery costs.

Disagreement over the environmental impacts of the Bayonne Bridge project

Two federal agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, do not agree on the assessment of the environmental impacts of raising the Bayonne Bridge between Bayonne, NJ, and Staten Island, NY. The disagreement primarily concerns the impacts on air quality and the resulting effects on the local communities.

Different results for New York and New Jersey transit highlight storm preparations

A new study of the preparations for and recovery from Superstorm Sandy outlines why New York City’s transit system was able to resume operations so quickly. The report from the Rudin Center for Transportation at NYU also points out the benefits of the city’s many transportation alternatives, which allowed residents other ways to get to work and other daily destinations following the storm.

Impacts of light rail on property values vary by distance and income level

A new study on the economic impacts of New Jersey’s River Line light rail system has shed some light on the complex relationship between transportation infrastructure and the housing market. The study highlights the more localized economic effects of the light rail system. The results provide an interesting opportunity for transit managers and planners to consider the varied effects new transportation infrastructure may have on different types of surrounding property.