The Hub 9/28/18: Clean Air Council’s Weekly Round-Up of Transportation News
“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up to date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.
PlanPhilly: A Philly-Pittsburgh Hyperloop? State House resolution calls for feasibility study – House Resolution No. 1057 calls for the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to study the feasibility of installing a Hyperloop between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, plus a northeast extension to Wilkes-Barre/ Scranton. The high speed maglev train could make the cross state trip in as little as 30 minutes, about half the time of flying.
StreetsBlog NYC: DOT Seeks Better Designs for Intersections – New York City’s protected bike lanes have been so successful in reducing crashes that 95% of all crashes now happen in intersections. Offset crossings minimize mixing zones and give cyclists a head start in front of turning vehicles. Though cyclists going straight have the right of way, turning motorists often fail to yield, creating dangerous conflicts.
Mobility Lab: Removing a few parking spaces should get people very excited – Takoma Park, Maryland has implemented a policy that allows business to rent a street parking space year round to use as parklet or cafe seating. For just a $145 application fee and an annual renewal fee of $90, its an affordable way for small businesses to increase their footprint and to encourage their customers to use more sustainable modes of transportation.
Next City: Cincinnati Joins the List of Cities Saying ‘No’ to Parking Minimums – Cincinnati has rolled back mandatory parking minimums, which could encourage dense, affordable development. The bill increases the area eligible for transit oriented development exemptions, and adds exemptions for non-profit affordable housing development. Another feature of the bill is requiring landlords to unbundle parking costs, so if you don’t have a car, you don’t pay for a parking spot.
City Lab: The Man Behind the Scooter Revolution – Wim Ouboter designed the Razor Scooter to be a form of “micro-mobility” for all ages. What it became was the must have toy of its time. Now, as we see electrified scooters popping up en masse in cities across the US, nostalgia is playing no small part in scooter shares success. Though nearly two decades later, Ouboter’s vision of providing first and last mile connections for commuters and sensible options for short trips is finally being realized.
Image Source: StreetsBlog NYC
