Building DIY Bike Lanes As A Form Of Activism

When it comes to bike lanes in San Francisco, there’s SFMTA—the official transit agency—and then there’s the thorn in its side known as SMFTrA. Their names may look the same at first glance, but don’t be confused.

The San Francisco Municipal Transformation Agency is a group of anonymous traffic-safety activists who formed in response to two deadly hit-and-runs on local cyclists on the same day in June. They’ve performed scores of interventions in areas known to be hazardous to cyclists and pedestrians, typically fortifying bike lanes by lining them with orange traffic cones, or even installing white soft-hit posts in the road.

They’re building the protected bike lanes they want to see around town, and they’ve caused a bit of a headache for local planners this year. Officials have complained the illicit cones and posts violate the city code, impede the work of street-sweepers, and must be removed. As such, the installations usually only last for a day or so. But in October, the SFMTrA scored a victory when the city bowed down and allowed one of their enhanced lanes to remain.

Read the rest of the story here.

Streets Are Social And Economic Engines, Not Just Car Routes

Streets serve vital economic and social functions. Only in the 20th Century did the designers of streets place priority on the movement of motor vehicles—often to the exclusion of economic and social purposes of thoroughfares.

Engineers will tell you exactly how many cars and trucks are expected to use a thoroughfare—but they rarely explore, with precision, the economic development potential of a complete street. They can't tell you how design will affect land values. They often don't keep track of how many pedestrians or bicyclists use a street, let alone predict future non-automotive travel.

To function well, traditional cities, towns, and neighborhoods must be walkable, diverse, and mixed-use. Street design either hinders or enables success. Too often it hinders, because complete streets—thoroughfares that offer freedom in travel mode—are viewed as exceptions, as "pilot projects." In cities and towns, streets for people should be—in a real sense they are—the rule. They are the baseline, the minimum expectation.

Read the rest of the story here.

VDOT Lifts Lane Closures For Holiday Travel

RICHMOND, Virginia – Are you heading over the river and through the woods for Christmas? Do you have exciting plans for New Year’s? The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) will be lifting lane closures where possible during the holiday period to help make your travels easier and road-trip memories more pleasant.

In addition, VDOT offers tools to help you plan your trip. Real-time traffic information can be found at 511virginia.org, and now VDOT is partnering with Waze to improve that travel information.

Through a two-way data share, Waze will provide real-time, anonymous Waze-generated incident and slow-down information to complement VDOT’s 511Virginia traveler information tools. In exchange, 511Virginia will provide Waze with real-time verified construction zones, crash and road closure data. VDOT closure information and incidents will be reflected in the Waze app in real-time.

MOST MAJOR WORK ZONES SUSPENDED DURING HOLIDAY TRAVEL PERIODS

VDOT will suspend most highway work zones and lift lane closures on interstates and other major roads in Virginia for Christmas travel from noon Friday, Dec. 23, until noon Tuesday, Dec. 27. During the New Year’s holiday, most lane closures and work zones will be lifted from noon Friday, Dec. 30 through noon Tuesday, Jan. 3.

ACCESS 511 ON YOUR COMPUTER OR PHONE

Real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available at 511Virginia.org. Download the free mobile VDOT 511 app, or call 511 from any phone. To report a road problem or get answers to your transportation questions, call VDOT’s Customer Service Center at 800-FOR-ROAD (800-367-7623) around the clock.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE (HOV) SCHEDULE AND OTHER INFORMATION:

• HOV restrictions on Interstates 66 and 395 will be lifted on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2. Normal HOV restrictions remain all other times. For more information on northern Virginia HOV schedules, visit www.virginiadot.org/travel/hov-novasched.asp.
• Direction schedule for the Interstate 95 Express Lanes/I-395 reversible lanes:
  • Friday, Dec. 23 – Lanes close northbound at 10 a.m., open to southbound traffic at noon. Lanes remain southbound until midnight, Sunday, Dec. 25.
  • Sunday, Dec. 25 − Lanes close southbound at midnight, open to northbound traffic at 2 a.m. and remain northbound until 11 a.m., Monday, Dec. 26.
  • Friday, Dec. 30 – Lanes close northbound at 10 a.m., open to southbound traffic at noon. Lanes remain southbound until 2 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 31.
  • Saturday, Dec. 31 − Lanes close southbound at 2 p.m., open to northbound traffic at 4 p.m. and remain northbound until midnight, Sunday, Jan. 1.
  • Sunday, Jan. 1 − Lanes close northbound at midnight, open to southbound traffic at 2 a.m. and remain southbound until noon, Monday, Jan. 2.

For information on the 95 and 495 Express Lanes schedules and rules visit www.expresslanes.com. Drivers are reminded that they need an E-ZPass Flex (for HOV-3 to ride toll-free) or an E-ZPass to use the lanes at all times.

HAMPTON ROADS HOV SCHEDULE, TUNNELS AND OTHER INFORMATION:

• I-64/I-264/I-564 HOV diamond lanes – HOV restrictions will be lifted on all HOV diamond lanes on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2.
• I-64 reversible lanes – Schedule remains the same. HOV restrictions will be lifted on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2.
•  I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (HRBT) – Local traffic to Virginia Beach is encouraged to use the I-664 Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT) as an alternative to the HRBT. To Virginia Beach, take I-664 south to the MMMBT. Then take the Portsmouth/Norfolk exit (exit 15A) to I-264 east to Virginia Beach
• .Highway Advisory Radio (HAR) – Tune to 1680 AM to stay informed on Hampton Roads traffic, travel conditions and construction information.

TWO I-95 REST AREAS AT LADYSMITH, SKIPPERS OPEN WITH TEMPORARY FACILITIES

Two rest areas, one in Caroline County on northbound I-95 at Ladysmith and another on northbound I-95 in Greensville County at Skippers, were demolished in April and are being reconstructed. While new rest areas are being built, temporary restroom facilities are available at these sites.

WORK ZONES AND OTHER TRAFFIC ALERTS

While VDOT will lift most lane closures for holiday travel, motorists may encounter permanent work zones or travel delays in the following locations:

Accomack County

Route 609 – Road closed for widening project in the Town of Onley. Follow detour.

Route 709 – Road closed for widening project. Follow detour.

US 13 – Improving drainage. Traffic reduced to single-lane in both directions.

Albemarle County

Route 29 – Widening roadway. Narrowed lanes and shoulder closures between Route 643 (Polo Grounds Road) and Route 1719 (Towncenter Drive). Speed limit in work zone reduced to 40 mph. More information: www.Route29Solutions.org.

Amherst County

Route 130 – Replacing bridge over Pedlar River. Follow posted detour.

U.S. 501 – Replacing bridge at Route 130 intersection over James River. Two-way traffic on new bridge.

Brunswick County

I-85 – Repairing bridge over railroad at mile marker 28. Traffic limited to one lane both directions. Ramp from I-85 north to Route 1 closed. Ramp from Route 1 south to I-85 south closed. Follow posted detour.

Botetourt County

I-81 – Improving exit 150 interchange. Route 11 is closed at the interchange, and a detour is in place for access to Route 11, Route 220 Alternate and Route 220. From I-81: traffic accessing Route 220 Alternate or Route 11 will use exit 150 A. Only traffic accessing Route 220 northbound toward Fincastle will use exit 150 B. Signs and message boards in place.

Buckingham County

Route 20 – Replacing bridge over Slate River. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.

Campbell County

Route 29 – Repairing bridge over Otter River. Traffic restricted to one lane; width restriction in place.

Fauquier County

Route 15/17/29 – Access to Route 17 southbound from the Route 687 (Opal Road) intersection is closed. Through traffic will stay right to use the loop ramp, located south of the intersection, to access Route 17 southbound. Local access to commercial and residential entrances has been maintained.

Route 245 – Replacing bridge over Broad Run. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.

Frederick County

I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 310. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.

Greensville County

U.S. 301 – Replacing southbound bridge over rail tracks north of Emporia. Traffic detoured to I-95.

Isle of Wight County

U.S. 58 – Replacing bridge over rail tracks and Route 632. Follow detour.

Route 621 – Replacing bridge over Passenger Swamp. Road closed. Follow detour.

Lynchburg

Greenview Drive – Widening road. Changes in traffic pattern in place.

Route 29/U.S. 460 – Constructing safety improvements from Concord Turnpike to Candlers Mountain Road in both directions. Speed limit in work zone reduced to 45 mph.

U.S. 501 – Route 29 – Lane closures may be in place from 9 p.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Sunday excluding holiday weekends, weather permitting.

Odd Fellows Interchange and Odd Fellows Rd. – Temporary lane closures likely on U.S. 460 and Odd Fellows Rd. Speed reduced to 45 mph.

U.S. 460 – Constructing overpass across U.S. 460 at Liberty University. Concrete barriers in place.

Madison County

Route 230 – Replacing bridge over Conway River. Traffic restricted to one lane controlled by temporary signals.

Newport News

I-64 – Widening interstate. Trucks traveling westbound restricted to right lane between Jefferson Avenue (exit 255) and Yorktown Road (exit 247).

Pittsylvania County

Route 29 – Replacing bridge over railroad tracks. Route 29/803 connection temporarily relocated. Southbound detour in place.

Rockbridge County

I-64 – Rehabilitating Maury River bridges. Westbound traffic will detour across median to eastbound lanes between mile markers 53.3 and 55.3. Traffic both directions restricted to single lane and will use eastbound bridge during work on westbound bridge. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 55 mph.

Southampton County

Route 35 – Replacing bridge in Boykins. Traffic reduced to single lane in both directions. Temporary signal in place.

U.S. 58 Business – Reconstructing roadway in Courtland. Single lane closures in both directions.

U.S. 58 – Repairing roadway. Right lane closure eastbound.

Stafford County

I-95 – Extending the 95 Express Lanes south of exit 143 (Route 610/Garrisonville). All travel lanes open; concrete barriers in place along the shoulder northbound and southbound in work zone.

Sussex County

Route 301 – Replacing bridge over Nottoway River. Detour in place.

Washington County

I-81 – Reconstructing interchange at exit 14. Lanes shifted due to bridge reconstruction at exit. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.

I-81 – Reconstructing two interstate bridges over Halls Bottom Road near exit 10. Speed limit through work zone reduced to 60 mph.

Waynesboro

Route 340 – Replacing bridge over South River. Road closed between Constitution Park and East Avenue. Through traffic will use Broad Street (Route 250) as detour.

Wythe County

I-77/I-81 overlap – High traffic volumes could slow or stop vehicles through this eight-mile stretch. Be alert for delays on northbound I-77 at the I-81 merge.

Cyclists Are Winning Commuting

With so many commuting choices—bikes, trains, buses, and those god-forsaken, gas-guzzling death-boxes also known as cars—and so many variables—cost, time, distance, traffic, and weather conditions—we transit nerds at CityLab are constantly reconsidering the virtues of one mode of travel or another.

But here’s a consideration that might hit especially close to home when we bicker about the best way to roll up to the office: What kind of commuters are more likely to feel energized and arrive on time?

To get at this, a new study by McGill University’s Charis Loong, Dea van Lierop, and Ahmed El-Geneidy analyzed the commuting patterns of the students, staff, and faculty at the school located in downtown Montreal, surveying 5,599 people at the campus in 2013.

Read the rest of the story here.

Construction Completed On New Safety Rest Area at Ladysmith

RICHMOND, Virginia – Today, transportation officials celebrated the grand opening of a new Safety Rest Area on Interstate 95 southbound at Ladysmith with a ceremonial ribbon cutting. The $3.5 million project replaces an aging rest area at the same location, and will provide larger, modern facilities for more than 1.4 million annual visitors.

“Rest areas and welcome centers encourage drivers to take breaks, which leads to fewer fatigue related accidents,” said Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne. “Providing clean, safe facilities is important to motorists, and this new rest area will better meet the needs of the growing volume of visitors along the I-95 corridor.”    

“This spring, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) began reconstruction of the southbound Ladysmith facility because not only was it one of the most visited rest areas in the state, but also one of the oldest and smallest,” said VDOT Commissioner Charles Kilpatrick. “Now, less than a year later, motorists have a new, larger rest area where they can enjoy some fresh air, pick up tourism or travel information, use our facilities, charge their mobile device, and get back out on the road rested, refreshed and focused on the task of driving. That’s the true mission and purpose of our rest areas.”

The Ladysmith facility was one of three rest areas selected for reconstruction, and the first to reopen. The original facility was demolished in April, and the newly constructed rest area was completed nearly six months ahead of schedule. Two others on northbound I-95, one in Caroline County and another in Greensville County near the North Carolina border, are currently under construction, and are expected to be completed in early spring 2017. While under construction, temporary restroom facilities are available at both locations.

Background:

VDOT looked at the 43 rest areas and welcome centers across the state and ranked them based on visitation and age. Based on those criteria, the rest areas at Ladysmith and Skippers ranked as top priorities for reconstruction. They were built in the mid to late 1960s. Bigger buildings and additional restroom facilities are now needed to accommodate today’s larger volume of visitors.

Thirty-three million people visit the state’s 43 rest areas and welcome centers each year. More than 1.4 million travelers visit each of the Ladysmith rest areas annually, and 1.3 million people visit the Skippers rest area and welcome center.

How Sweden Has Redesigned Streets To Route Around Bad Human Behavior

CHARLIE SORREL 12.13.16 1:00 PM

If a car almost hits a pedestrian when the car is turning right on a red, whose fault is it? According to Matts-Åke Belin, Sweden's traffic safety strategist, the blame is on whoever designed the intersection.

"Why should we put the whole responsibility on the individual road user, when we know they will talk on their phones, they will do lots of things that we might not be happy about?" Belin told CityLab in an interview. "So let’s try to build a more human-friendly system instead."

Read the rest of the story  here.

Portland City Council Votes For Planning Decisions

When it comes to planning a city, trips matter. Estimates about the amount of trips generated by a transportation project or new development are what dictate not just what our redesigned streets will look like, but also how we pay for them.

One of the ways the City of Portland pays for infrastructure is by charging developers a fee based on the impact their new building will have on the transportation system. These fees — known as Transportation System Development Charges, or just TSDCs for short — are based on a model that estimates how many trips a new development will generate.

There’s just one small problem: The methodology is centered almost exclusively around cars. The Portland Bureau of Transportation wants to change that.

At City Council today commissioners unanimously passed an ordinance (PDF) allowing PBOT to use a methodology that uses “person trips” – meaning trips made not just by people in cars and trucks but also foot, by bike and in transit vehicles.

Brian Davis, a transportation analyst at Lancaster Engineering, said the methodology Portland currently uses is based on the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) Trip Generation Manual which he calls, “very car-oriented.” “All our land-use and transportation planning is based on this manual which relies on data collected in suburbs in the 80s and 90s.” Therefore the data, Davis says, “Is massively overstating the number of car trips a development will result in.”

Read the rest of the story here.

How A Philly Guy, Built His Own Bike Lane

After visiting a friend in the hospital twice -- for two bike crashes in the course of a single year – Dave Brindley was moved to action.

Brindley, 37, set about gathering stray traffic cones left by Verizon, PGW, and the Philadelphia Water Department, and set up a makeshift protective barrier.

“I had no idea if it would be there the next day or not,” he said. “But it’s been two years. By now, the police think it’s theirs.”

This low-tech intervention represents one of the more successful examples of a national movement by pedestrians and cyclists who have tired of waiting for local governments to make what they view as necessary infrastructure upgrades.

Read the rest of the story here.

VDOT Names New Research Director

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) has selected Catherine C. McGhee, P.E., a 23-year VDOT veteran, as director of the agency’s research program at the Virginia Transportation Research Council, based in Charlottesville.

“From driverless vehicles to roadway paving materials to bridges, the Virginia Transportation Research Council is committed to conducting research in order to find innovative solutions to transportation issues in Virginia and beyond,” said Charles Kilpatrick, VDOT commissioner.

“Cathy McGhee’s impressive background and experience in traffic engineering and system operations, intelligent transportation systems, and data and performance measurement will be vital as VDOT moves to be a leader in innovation and technology.”

McGhee has been with the Virginia Transportation Research Council since 1993. Most recently she was associate director for safety, operations and traffic engineering, responsible for research projects that focus on enhancing the operation of Virginia’s highway infrastructure.

Before joining VDOT, she was an associate with Barton-Aschman. McGhee received her bachelor’s degree fromCalifornia Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and master’s degree and from the University of Virginia, both in civil engineering.

She has held a professional engineer’s license in Virginia since 2004.

McGhee’s has led VDOT’s research program on connected and automated vehicles and worked with VDOT staff and university partners to develop, test, and deploy equipment and applications within the Virginia Connected and Automated Corridors to advance VDOT’s mission of delivering safe and efficient mobility.

As a part of this effort, she has participated in the Virginia Secretary of Transportation’s Automated Vehicle Work Group and the Unmanned Aerial Systems Work Group.

Cathy currently serves as the secretary for the Transportation Research Board Committee on Regional Transportation Systems Management and Operations (AHB10), a stakeholder for the National Surface Transportation Safety Center for Excellence at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), a member of the Mid-Atlantic Transportation Sustainability University Transportation Center Advisory Board, and a member of the Advisory Council for the Institute for Transportation Research and Education at N.C. State.

VDOT’s research program

VDOT has supported a strong innovative research program for more than 65 years. Its Virginia Transportation Research Council continues to build on this strong tradition by increasing emphasis on implementation of research findings.

Located at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, the Virginia Transportation Research Council collaborates with Virginia universities and conducts studies across all aspects of surface transportation.

The Virginia Transportation Research Council pursues innovation to benefit all who use Virginia’s roads, rail and transit. For more information, see http://vtrc.virginiadot.org/.

VDOT Partners With Waze Connected Citizens Program To Improve Travel On Virginia’s Roadways

RICHMOND – The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and Waze, the real-time, crowdsourced navigation app, have launched a partnership to improve travel information. Designed to share publicly available traffic information, the partnership will be facilitated through the Waze Connected Citizens Program. Established as a two-way data share, Waze will provide VDOT with real-time, anonymous, Waze-generated incident and slow-down information directly from the source: drivers themselves. This data will complement VDOT’s 511Virginia traveler information tools. In exchange, the agency will provide real-time verified construction (work zones), crash and road closure data from 511Virginia to Waze. “Virginia welcomes innovative partnerships of all kinds that bring the best of what the public and private sectors has to offer, which ultimately benefits the public,” said Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne. “We’re excited to partner with an international industry leader like Waze to continue to offer only the best real-time traffic information resources to Virginia’s travelers.” “Technologies and methods of receiving and sharing information continue to evolve and transform significantly,” said VDOT Commissioner Charles Kilpatrick. “VDOT has provided traveler information to Virginia’s citizens through our 511Virginia program since 2005, and we welcome this partnership with Waze to provide the best information possible to travelers.” The Waze map evolves with every driver and data point it receives about potential delays to their commutes. The Connected Citizens Program yields even more data, giving local citizens a greater ability to circumvent road closures and traffic jams within the app. VDOT can also provide Wazers with advanced notice of planned events such as parades, races or construction that will affect their daily routes. “Waze is only as strong as the information it receives from its users and partners,” said Adam Fried, New Business Development Manager at Waze. “VDOT will be able to use these anonymous insights to further promote safer roads. In exchange, VDOT is providing critical road closure and incident data to Waze, helping Wazers better circumvent major traffic events and real-time traffic blocks.” To find out more about Connected Citizens visit http://waze.com/ccp. To download the free Waze app for iOS or Android, visit www.waze.com Also, real-time information about traffic, incidents and congestion on Virginia roads is available at 511Virginia.org. Download VDOT’s free 511 app, or call 5-1-1 from any phone in Virginia.

Two Words Would Make Our Cities More Livable: Pedestrians First

What's the single most important factor in a livable city? Pedestrians. After all, even if we commute to work in a BMW, we start and finish our journey as pedestrians. "Every single trip begins with walking," says Gil Penalosa, founder of the livable cities advocacy group 8 80 Cities. That's why any plan to make cities better start with the single step we all take when we leave home.

To improve our cities, Penalosa says, we need to pay attention to four "pillars"— walkability, bikeability, public spaces, and public transportation. Get the right balance, and you end up with somewhere like Copenhagen, where commuter parking lots have become public squares, ringed with businesses and cafes, and cyclists feel so safe that it's common to see "a woman biking to a business meeting dressed exactly as if she were driving," says Penalosa in an article published by the Knight Foundation.

Read the rest of the story here.

The Ideology Of Traffic

The greatest accomplishment of any ideology is to not be considered an ideology; to be a belief system that is not considered a belief system. Millions of Americans went to church yesterday and every one of them knew their experience constituted a belief, that others in the world believe other things. It is when beliefs are not recognized as such that things get scary.

Last week I was in Washington State speaking to a group of mostly transportation engineers and technical professionals. My presentation was all about questioning the core beliefs of the profession, of helping the people in attendance recognize that many of their core truths are actually beliefs, and that there are competing beliefs that they should consider.

For example, when engineers design a street, they begin with the design speed. They then determine the projected traffic volume. Given speed and volume, they then look to a design manual to determine the safe street section and then, once a cross section is selected, determine the cost. This approach to design – speed then volume then safety then cost – reflects the ideology of the profession, an internal belief system so foundational that they don’t recognize it as the application of a set of values.

Read the rest of the story here.

Commonwealth Transportation Board Approves Location For Hampton Roads Crossing Expansion

The Commonwealth Transportation Board (CTB) today unanimously approved a preferred alternative to ease congestion and improve travel on the I-64 Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.  Alternative A will widen about 12 miles of I-64 to a consistent six-lane facility from I-664 in Hampton to I-564 in Norfolk.  The alternative includes a new parallel bridge tunnel.  Alternative A is in the Hampton Roads Crossing Study Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS).

“Today’s endorsement of the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel expansion clears the way for a leap forward in regional connectivity and congestion relief,” said Transportation Secretary Aubrey Layne. “After years of talk and analysis, we now have the funding and the decision to act. This is monumental for Hampton Roads and Virginia. Commuters, businesses, our port and the military will all reap the benefits of this long sought-after solution to one of the biggest bottlenecks in the Commonwealth.”

Public reviews of proposed alignments were held in July 2015, December 2015, and September 2016. Based on the Draft SEIS and public comments, Alternative A was advanced to the CTB for approval as the location for the project.

Alternative A, as identified in the Draft SEIS, received unanimous support from the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization and the Hampton Roads Transportation Accountability Commission on October 20, 2016. The federal Cooperating Agencies, including the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, also had no objections to the alternative.

Alternative A will increase capacity in the existing corridor, increase regional accessibility, improve emergency evacuation capability and military connectivity, reduce congestion and improve access from the Port of Virginia.

Alternative A also has the least number of wetland impacts of any of the build alternatives retained in the SEIS.

The adopted alternative is expected to cost an estimated $3.3 billion and the project is included in the Hampton Roads Transportation Planning Organization Long Range Transportation Plan.

Over the coming months the CTB will be briefed on options for potential management of the new lanes, including the use of high occupancy vehicle lanes or high occupancy toll lanes. The CTB also authorized The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) to continue working with other parties to advance separate studies to identify appropriate access points around Craney Island.

Today’s action by the CTB also rescinds the prior location decision for a preferred alternative (I-64 Hampton Roads Third Crossing) that was made on July 20, 2000.

The CTB’s vote allows VDOT to proceed with documenting the preferred alternative and responding to public comments in a Final SEIS.  The Final SEIS will include commitments to avoid any permanent property impacts at Hampton University. VDOT anticipates a Final SEIS being published in the summer of 2017. Following publication of the Final SEIS, VDOT can request a Record of Decision (ROD) from the Federal Highway Administration. The ROD will allow VDOT to advance with more detailed designs. VDOT anticipates requesting and receiving a ROD in the summer of 2017 on Alternative A.

Jim’s Journeys … Traveling the TTA Highway

Greetings from the road!  

I was back out again last week and this time I headed through Central Virginia, hitting the Richmond suburbs, Waynesboro, Staunton and Culpeper

The Public Works Directors of Central Virginia are a busy bunch. Sorry so many of you were in meetings, but I hope to hear from you if you need any training, books or resources.

I did get a chance to meet with Steven Yob in Henrico County.  Hopefully we’ll be able to set up his

work zone training soon!

Also, if you have a training room and would like to host one of our classes, please give Robin Carpenter a call!  She’d be more than happy to work with you on setting something up.  Her number is 434-982-2897.

If you weren’t in when I stopped by but you got an arm full of books and brochures and would like to talk about your training needs feel free to drop me a line (my email is below). 

Watch for information about when I’ll be traveling to your location. Or contact me at jwz9m@virginia.edu to schedule a visit.

I’m looking forward to seeing you soon.

Study Shows Why Urbanites Keep Living In And Loving Their Cities

In Zipcar’s first-ever nationwide study of urbanites, we talked to more than 1,200 people to try to understand their attitudes about work, money, technology, transportation, and urban citizenship.

With the high cost of rent, entertainment, the challenges of an always-on world, and being constantly surrounded by tons of other people, it may seem surprising to some that more and more people are opting to live in cities. But what keeps them there is being in close proximity to work, rich culture, nightlife and friends and family.

We found that technology can be both a blessing and a curse for the urbanite. With all of the apps that simplify a hectic lifestyle—from matchmaking to food delivery—a smartphone is a vital resource for urbanites. 37% of urbanites told us they’d rather give up their cars, laptops and TVs before their smartphones.

On the other side of the digitalverse, we also learned that urbanites felt they needed to be “unplugged” for 16.5 hours before feeling truly relaxed!

Read the rest of the story here.

Why America’s Roads Are So Much More Dangerous Than Europe's

A jump in traffic fatalities over the past two years has brought well-deserved media attention to this tragic aspect of American life. Such deaths are up 7 percent in 2015, and 10 percent for the first six months of 2016 — a phenomenon news outlets are describing as “surprising,” “sudden,” and “unexpected,” an unpleasant departure from the historic trend toward greater safety. We are on track to kill 38,000 vehicle occupants, motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians in 2016.

The White House has issued a call to action, asking researchers to scrutinize the data on all road deaths. Officials there appealed to the public as well for ideas about combating distracted, drunken, and other dangerous driving.

Attention to traffic death is long overdue, but to focus on the recent increase means missing a much bigger point.

Even before that spike upward, per capital traffic fatalities in the US were already the highest in the industrialized world. No other developed country tolerates the level of carnage on their roads that we do. This national failure has been overlooked for far too long. Studying short-term variations in our safety record is important, but it can also distract us from investigating the forces contributing to our horrendous safety record compared to our peers.

Read the rest of the story here.

DC Bike Lanes Improve Commute, Health And Social Life

It’s not easy to get around Washington, DC. It’s really, really not!

There’s ample evidence of this. Tune into WTOP for the regular traffic report -- “traffic on the eights, and when it breaks” -- and listen to the anchor with a thick mid-Atlantic accent recite a real-time litany of congested area highways.

If you need more convincing, I present to you Exhibit B: An entire podcast, produced by WAMU, solely devoted to the chaotic commuting nightmare that is the Washington Metro system. It’s aptly named “Metropocalypse,” and it’s harrowing.

Or just compare it to other cities. Last year, the Urban Mobility Institutenamed the city the nation’s most congested.

Read the rest of the story here.

Odds of Boston Cyclists Being Injured In Crashes Drop

The odds of cyclists being injured in an accident in Boston have decreased significantly in recent years as the city has made a slew of changes to promote bike riding and improve safety, Harvard University researchers have found.

The study, published in the December issue of the American Journal of Public Health, concluded there was a 14 percent reduction in the odds of being injured in a cycling accident for each year from 2009 through 2012.

The lead author, Felipe Pedroso, said the reduced risk came as Boston made a host of changes, including dramatically expanding bike lane mileage citywide, installing more signs, improving crosswalks, and rolling out the Hubway bike-share program in 2011. The study shows that “improvements in infrastructure result in increases in safety,” Pedroso said.

Read the rest of the story here.

Vancouver’s Multi-Modal Success Story

Vancouver's Multi-Modal Success Story from STREETFILMS on Vimeo.