The deadliest transportation accident in recent years has some asking whether more can be done to regulate modified vehicles, including limos.
A Saturday limousine crash ended up killing all 18 of the vehicle's occupants, as well as two pedestrians, in what officials have called the deadliest transportation accident in the U.S. since 2009. Patrick Jarenwattananon discusses how modified and refurbished vehicles often occupy a regulatory black hole.
"A stretch SUV limousine like the one involved in the accident is often created by modifying an existing vehicle — essentially sawing it in half, then lengthening the body and refurbishing the interior [...] The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration sets standards for newly manufactured vehicles, but limos that are modified after they're off the assembly line can skirt NHTSA oversight."
But even if this accident leads to some rule changes in New York, limos operating in other states won't necessarily be affected. "Another complicating factor is that U.S. transportation regulation is overseen by a patchwork of federal and state agencies, and regulations can vary greatly among states."
FULL STORY: Fatal N.Y. Limo Crash Raises Safety Questions About 'Frankenstein' Vehicles
NHTSA Cuts Could Make Roads More Dangerous
The agency is losing almost half of the team that oversees autonomous vehicle safety, among dozens of other key personnel.
NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Tesla’s Autonomous System
The agency will probe the “Full Self-Driving” system in the wake of crashes that include a pedestrian death.
Proposed NHTSA Rule Takes Aim at Dangerously Large Trucks and SUVs
Nearly half of pedestrians who died after being hit by the front of a vehicle were struck by SUVs or trucks.
Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?
BLM To Rescind Public Lands Rule
The change will downgrade conservation, once again putting federal land at risk for mining and other extractive uses.
Indy Neighborhood Group Builds Temporary Multi-Use Path
Community members, aided in part by funding from the city, repurposed a vehicle lane to create a protected bike and pedestrian path for the summer season.
Congestion Pricing Drops Holland Tunnel Delays by 65 Percent
New York City’s contentious tolling program has yielded improved traffic and roughly $100 million in revenue for the MTA.
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.
Clanton & Associates, Inc.
Jessamine County Fiscal Court
Institute for Housing and Urban Development Studies (IHS)
City of Grandview
Harvard GSD Executive Education
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions
Salt Lake City
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service