New York City's DOT recently launched a pilot program to make city streets safer for those texting while walking. Well not really. But for some trusting New Yorkers, “Seeing Eye People” is a service worth utilizing.
"New York City-based prank collective Improv Everywhere recently pulled off a stunt where they posed as city workers providing a solution to the texting and walking epidemic in the city," writes Emma Hutchings. "Half of their team of sixty put on orange vests and became 'Seeing Eye People' who claimed to be part of a Department of Transportation pilot program."
"The other half walked along texting while attached to the Seeing Eye People by leashes. They were helped across the street without needing to take their eyes off their phones."
Check out the videos below to see the results, and make sure to watch the second to see which New Yorkers embraced the service.
FULL STORY: HELPERS GUIDE TEXTERS THROUGH CITY STREETS
New York to Consider Fines for Distracted Walking
A state senator in New York thinks one way to lower the number of pedestrians killed every year is to penalize people who cross the street while looking at their phone.
Distracted Walking: Finally, Some Hard Data
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Against Victim Blaming
One common scapegoat for rising pedestrian death rates is "distracted walking." But there is little reason to believe that smartphone-wielding pedestrians are a major cause of roadway carnage.
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Faced with the dire consequences of a one-two punch of aging populations and declining birthrates, one writer has suggestions for how policy can help ensure a better future.
The Surprising Oil Tax in the Inflation Reduction Act
President Biden has made reducing gas prices paramount in his administration, so it was likely a surprise to hear a Republican senator last Sunday warn TV viewers that a revived and increased oil fee in the climate bill will increase their gas costs.
The Tide Has Turned Against Open Streets
Once a promising development for advocates pushing for a less car-centric future in cities, the open streets movement has ceded significant ground to cars since the height of the pandemic.
Opinion: Los Angeles Transportation Plan Will Increase Driving
L.A. Metro’s plan to add hundreds of miles of new traffic lanes is projected to increase carbon emissions by 10 million metric tons.
How Extreme Weather Threatens Transit Systems
As weather events become more intense and unpredictable, transit agencies must take steps to protect their aging infrastructure from flooding, storms, and extreme heat.
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A rule shelved during the Trump administration would require states and metropolitan areas to set targets for reducing tailpipe emissions, but advocates say it doesn’t go far enough to mandate results.
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
Harvard University Graduate School of Design
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
Cohousing Association of the US
HUD's Office of Policy Development and Research
City of Crystal River
Sun City Center Community Association, Inc
City of Mesa
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