The Hub 4/15/2022: 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.
CityLab: Why ‘Vision Zero’ Hit A Wall – Over the years cities across the United States have committed to Vision Zero, with the goal of reducing traffic fatalities to zero. But many of these cities including LA, New York, and Philadelphia have seen increased traffic deaths since committing to Vision Zero. European countries such as Norway have seen a decline in traffic deaths, which shows that the United States needs to implement better standards to obtain Vision Zero.
StreetsBlog USA: Can ‘Buses-As-Flights’ Get Americans Out Of Cars And Planes? – American Airlines recently announced that they will be replacing short flights to nearby cities with buses and shuttles. These buses will be branded to resemble “American’s off-the-ground-fleet.” This service aims to reduce the number of cars and flights traveling between nearby cities.
Planetizen: Distracted Driving Contributing To Dangerous Roads – Results from the 2022 Travelers Risk Index showed that work-related stress and pressures contributed to distracted driving. Drivers felt pressured to check their emails and other work-related materials while driving, thus resulting in a more dangerous roadway and traffic deaths increasing in 2021.
Governing: Los Angeles Hopes Tech Can Help Make More Equitable Bus Lanes – LA Metro had to overcome multiple policy barriers that were preventing them from implementing camera technology to enforce bus-only lanes. After lobbying state officials, they were allowed to test pilot projects using this technology to identify vehicles illegally traveling in, or parked in a bus lane, along with vehicles parked at a bus stop. This aims to reduce travel time for buses within the state.
WHYY: Philly Pushes Harrisburg To Pass Law Allowing Safer Bike Lanes On State Roads – A study showed that parking-protected bike lanes in Philadelphia reduce deadly crashes and attract more bikes. The City of Philadelphia plans to install more protected bike lanes but needs the state to pass House Bill 140, which would allow the installation of protected bike lanes on state roads.
Image Source: WHYY
