NextCity surveys a variety of new data-collecting technologies meant to clarify the impacts of bike and pedestrian infrastructure projects.

Bike advocates rely on the Census Bureau's American Community Survey to measure demographics and trends in urban cycling. But local conclusions drawn from that big-picture data can be misleading, Next City reports, and more precise strategies are in the works—including "bike-counter totems, GPS-enabled smartphone apps and cameras that use machine learning."
One piece of hardware, Numina, can count the users of a piece of infrastructure and discern patterns in their behavior. It uses a camera programmed to recognize and count moving parts like cyclists or pedestrians.
Others, like Strava and MapMyRide, can track bike routes via GPS and smartphone apps, as well as users' demographic data.
Each approach has its advantages and shortcomings, but advocates hope that together they can contribute to a more robust understanding of the impacts of complete streets infrastructure.
FULL STORY: More Accurate Bicycle Counter Could Give Complete Streets Advocates a Boost

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
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Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Chicago’s Ghost Rails
Just beneath the surface of the modern city lie the remnants of its expansive early 20th-century streetcar system.

Bend, Oregon Zoning Reforms Prioritize Small-Scale Housing
The city altered its zoning code to allow multi-family housing and eliminated parking mandates citywide.

Amtrak Cutting Jobs, Funding to High-Speed Rail
The agency plans to cut 10 percent of its workforce and has confirmed it will not fund new high-speed rail projects.

LA Denies Basic Services to Unhoused Residents
The city has repeatedly failed to respond to requests for trash pickup at encampment sites, and eliminated a program that provided mobile showers and toilets.
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