Self-driving car companies have proposed equipping bikes, pedestrians, and even pets with the ability to communicate their positions wirelessly. But should autonomous cars really need the help?

"The most difficult detection problem that autonomous vehicle systems face"—according to a 2017 report from the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers—is bicycles.
That's a blind spot with life-or-death stakes, so companies like Ford, Tome Software, and Trek Bicycle have proposed a possible solution: give bikes the ability to simply tell autonomous cars where they're going. But Christina Bonnington argues in Slate that bicycle-to-vehicle communication—or its logical extension, vehicle-to-everything—is just a crutch for fundamentally inadequate detection technology.
After comparing the logistics of distributed communication to the high-performing detection systems boasted by some AV companies, like Uber and Waymo, Bonnington concludes:
"Bicycle-to-vehicle communication is a good idea and could be useful in certain scenarios, such as when visibility is low—at night or in the rain—or on tricky, twisty back roads with blind corners. But if cars are going to drive the roads without human help, they need to be able to handle all of the challenges that come with it, regardless of whether they’re wirelessly connected to the world around them."
FULL STORY: The Cyclist Problem

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Canada vs. Kamala: Whose Liberal Housing Platform Comes Out on Top?
As Canada votes for a new Prime Minister, what can America learn from the leading liberal candidate of its neighbor to the north?

The Five Most-Changed American Cities
A ranking of population change, home values, and jobs highlights the nation’s most dynamic and most stagnant regions.

San Diego Adopts First Mobility Master Plan
The plan provides a comprehensive framework for making San Diego’s transportation network more multimodal, accessible, and sustainable.

Housing, Supportive Service Providers Brace for Federal Cuts
Organizations that provide housing assistance are tightening their purse strings and making plans for maintaining operations if federal funding dries up.

Op-Ed: Why an Effective Passenger Rail Network Needs Government Involvement
An outdated rail network that privileges freight won’t be fixed by privatizing Amtrak.
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
Central Transportation Planning Staff/Boston Region MPO
Heyer Gruel & Associates PA
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions