Increasingly utilized as 'black boxes' in the aftermath of collisions with motorized vehicles, video cameras are the newest addition to the arsenal of tools being employed to make streets safer for bikes.
Nick Wingfield reports on the increasing use of small, bicycle- or rider-mounted video cameras, that are, "providing high-tech evidence in what is sometimes an ugly
contest between people who ride the roads on two wheels and those who
use four."
According to Wingflield, "Video from these cameras has begun to play an invaluable role in police
investigations of a small number of hit-and-runs and other incidents
around the country, local authorities say. Lawyers who specialize in
representing bicyclists say they expect the use of cameras for this
purpose to increase as awareness of the devices goes up and their
prices, now starting at around $200, come down."
The growing use of such cameras may even work as a deterrent to prevent motorist harassment, a widespread nuisance that new laws in Los Angeles and Berkeley have sought to address.
"'It's a fact of life that on American roads that you get punked, cut off
purposely, harassed, not once but on a regular basis,' said Bob
Mionske, a former Olympic cyclist who is now a lawyer representing
bicyclists in Portland, Ore. 'If motorists start to hear about bikes
having cameras, they're going to think twice about running you off the
road.'"
FULL STORY: Cameras Are Cyclists’ ‘Black Boxes’ in Accidents
Coming Soon to Ohio: The Largest Agrivoltaic Farm in the US
The ambitious 6,000-acre project will combine an 800-watt solar farm with crop and livestock production.
Pennsylvania Mall Conversion Bill Passes House
If passed, the bill would promote the adaptive reuse of defunct commercial buildings.
U.S. Supreme Court: California's Impact Fees May Violate Takings Clause
A California property owner took El Dorado County to state court after paying a traffic impact fee he felt was exorbitant. He lost in trial court, appellate court, and the California Supreme Court denied review. Then the U.S. Supreme Court acted.
Colorado Bill Would Tie Transportation Funding to TOD
The proposed law would require cities to meet certain housing targets near transit or risk losing access to a key state highway fund.
Dallas Surburb Bans New Airbnbs
Plano’s city council banned all new permits for short-term rentals as concerns about their impacts on housing costs grow.
Divvy Introduces E-Bike Charging Docks
New, circular docks let e-bikes charge at stations, eliminating the need for frequent battery swaps.
City of Costa Mesa
Licking County
Barrett Planning Group LLC
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Mpact Transit + Community
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Tufts University, Department of Urban and Environmental Policy & Planning
City of Universal City TX
ULI Northwest Arkansas
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.