No this isn't about a gathering of "Knight Rider" enthusiasts. Rather than speaking to their leather jacket-clad drivers, the cars being tested in Michigan communicate with each other, with the goal of improving safety on the nation’s highways.
Bill Vlasik reports on the roll out of a year-long test of "smart car" technology in Ann Arbor, Michigan, announced this week by federal officials. "Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said 3,000 cars, buses and trucks in
this city near Detroit would be equipped with data recorders and a
technology akin to Wi-Fi that can transmit information about accidents
or hazardous traffic conditions."
According to Vlasik, "Drivers in the connected vehicles will be warned, for example, of sudden
changes in traffic patterns or potential collisions through data
transmitted from similarly equipped cars and roadside devices."
"Mr. LaHood said the $25 million study would yield data useful in
deciding whether the government should require such crash avoidance
technology in future vehicles."
FULL STORY: Smart Cars Get a Connection Test in Michigan
Ann Arbor Delays Right Turn on Red Ban, Citing Equity Concerns
The city council wants more information on how a ban on right turns on red would affect the city’s hourly workers and the details of its implementation.
Let’s End Traffic Stops
The technology to make traffic enforcement obsolete is becoming available. But in the U.S. willing to use it?
Philadelphia Launches ‘Speed Slots’ Traffic Calming Pilot
The project focuses on a 1.4-mile stretch of Lincoln Drive where cars frequently drive above the posted speed limit.
Rethinking Redlining
For decades we have blamed 100-year-old maps for the patterns of spatial racial inequity that persist in American cities today. An esteemed researcher says: we’ve got it all wrong.
Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.
California High-Speed Rail's Plan to Right Itself
The railroad's new CEO thinks he can get the project back on track. The stars will need to align this summer.
‘Displaced By Design:’ Report Spotlights Gentrification in Black Neighborhoods
A new report finds that roughly 15 percent of U.S. neighborhoods have been impacted by housing cost increases and displacement.
Nevada and Utah Groups Oppose Public Land Sell-Off Plan
A set of last-minute amendments to the budget reconciliation bill open up over half a million acres of federally managed land to sales.
More Than a Park: A Safe Haven for Generations in LA’s Chinatown
Alpine Recreation Center serves as a vital cultural and community hub in Los Angeles' Chinatown, offering a safe, welcoming space for generations of Chinese American residents to gather, connect, and thrive amidst rapid urban change.
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.
City of Clovis
City of Moorpark
City of Camden Redevelopment Agency
City of Astoria
Transportation Research & Education Center (TREC) at Portland State University
Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada
Toledo-Lucas County Plan Commissions