In a sign of how serious the administration is taking traffic safety, DOT Secretary Ray LaHood called for a special meeting to deal with 'distracted driving', primarily the technological type - cell phones, both hand-held and hands-free, and texting.
Get used to it - the new term is distracted driving" - as opposed to driving while talking on a phone, texting, etc. Just as the federal government played a role in past safety efforts, be it driving while drinking or seatbelt usage, Secretary LaHood sees the need for a similar effort to combat the epidemic of driving while distracted.
"The Transportation Department will convene a meeting of safety experts and others concerned about the dangers of text-messaging and cell phone use while driving, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said (August 4).
Regulation of the roadways generally happens at the state level. But the federal government has exerted pressure on the states based on the threat of withholding federal highway funds, as Congress did in 1984 to press states to raise their minimum drinking ages to 21 years."
From NYT: Cabbies Stay on Their Phones Despite Ban :
"New York City cabbies have been banned from using cellphones for a decade - even the hands-free type, putting the city a step ahead of state law. But the stringent rules remain almost entirely unenforced, even amid research that shows drivers who talk on cellphones are four times as likely to cause a crash."
FULL STORY: U.S. Agency Plans Meeting on Distracted Driving
Ride-Hailing Prices Skyrocket as the U.S. Emerges From the Pandemic
A shortage of drivers and spiking demand are driving Uber and Lyft prices higher than ever as the companies struggle to achieve profitability.
New Regulations Grind Hiring to a Halt for Uber and Lyft
The New York City set standards for transportation network companies, and now those companies are being a lot more selective about who they hire as drivers.
Congestion Pricing to Balance Out Mobility Systems
The goal of transportation networks should be to provide integrated and efficient services, which requires looking beyond particular modes.
The state-sanctioned urbicide of Austin
People don’t kill cities. Freeways do.
US to reduce Colorado River water deliveries to Mexico
A new Colorado Treaty amendment reduces Mexico’s Colorado River water allocation by 250,000 acre feet.
New Jersey’s second-largest city bans standalone data centers
Jersey City will continue to allow co-location facilities, such as those meant for research institutions that store their own data.
Amtrak not solely to blame for New Jersey commuter rail's unreliability, report finds
A new study from the Garden State Initiative found that NJ Transit’s budget grew 20% across a 4 year period, but reliability declined significantly over the same period.
EPA erases limits on planet-warming pollution from power plants
Under Monday’s plan, power plants would still have some limits on how much mercury, arsenic and other contaminants they can emit.
Phoenix announces new on-demand transit service, more frequent RAPID buses
Both new services will launch in October, and are part of Phoenix's Project Effective Access Solutions for Easing Congestion.
FREE Course: Walkable City 1: Why Walkability?
After describing his path towards focusing on walkability as the essence of good planning, Jeff Speck marches through his five principal reasons for making more walkable places.
Reinventing Malls: Planning Alchemy—Turning Gray Fields Into Gold
The course focuses on the opportunities and imperatives that shape reinvention of mall sites.
Eagle County Government
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Nashville Planning Department
The Architects Foundation
University of Cincinnati Online
The Pocatello Development Authority
The Urban Renewal Agency of the City of Pocatello
Journal of the American Planning Association