Crossing guards save child from red light runner

Brooksville, Florida -- Thanks to the quick reflexes of two crossing guards, a young boy on his way to school made it there safely on the morning of Feb. 20. 

 Hernando Sheriff's deputies say two school crossing guards were manning the intersection at Ken Austin Parkway and Sunshine Grove Road when the driver of a truck traveling along Sunshine Grove Road initially failed to stop at a red light.

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2014's Worst Red-Light Runners

Polk County Judge Upholds Red-Light Safety Camera Violations

On February 26, 2015, Polk County Judge Robert Grode, of Florida’s 10^thJudicial Circuit, upheld a red-light running violation issued through the City of Lakeland’s red-light safety camera program and ordered the defendant to pay the fine. After a thorough review of the protocols established by Lakeland, the judge determined that the recent City of Hollywood v. Arem decision issued by the state’s Fourth District Court did not apply.

“I think in this case, it’s very clear the City of Lakeland has set out very clear standards for a third-party vendor to follow; and failure to follow that means that the third-party vendor is no longer going to be doing that work,” Judge Grode said in court transcripts. 

In reviewing the vendor’s role in the violation process, Judge Grode said the evidence and information presented in the City of Lakeland v. Robert Meador case indicate the vendor’s role to be a “ministerial or secretarial function.” He went on to distinguish this role from a decision-maker’s role. Lakeland’s red-light safety camera vendor is American Traffic Solutions.

ATS General Counsel George Hittner said Judge Grode’s decision affirms the clear distinction in responsibilities between vendor and client.

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Protected Lanes Preview: Boston, Detroit, Indy, Minneapolis, Denver & More

Spring is three weeks away, and that means it’s time for one of American cities’ newest rituals: announcing the year’s protected bike lane construction plans.

Every few days over the last month, another U.S. city has released plans or announced progress in building protected lanes. Even more excitingly, many are in downtown and commercial areas, which tend to have the highest latent demand for biking. Let’s take a scan from east to west of the projects that popped onto our radar in February alone, to be built in 2015 or 2016:

Boston is “heading toward” a firm plan for protected lanes on the crucial Commonwealth Avenue arterybetween Boston University Bridge and Brighton, Deputy Transportation Commissioner Jim Gillooly said February 9. In column the day before, the Boston Globe’s Derrick Jackson endorsed the concept on the strength of a trip to Seattle, where he rode a Pronto! Bike Share bicycle down the 2nd Avenue bike lane.

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Stay Safe and Informed: Va. Dept. of Emergency Management's Blog

RICHMOND, Va. – Wise County residents in need of snow removal assistance are receiving aid from several voluntary agencies following more than a week of heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures. Households with special medical needs will receive priority assistance.

The following organizations are assisting with snow removal and other requests for assistance: Team Rubicon, AmeriCorps, Belmont Christian Church from Christiansburg, Camp Bethel from Wise County and other local community organizations. Team Rubicon will also provide emergencyoperations support and volunteer management assistance. The Virginia Baptist Mission Board is providing meals for volunteers and the American Red Cross is providing refreshments at the volunteer worksites. 

Additional volunteers are not needed at this time. Any residents in need of snow removal assistance can call 276-328-7114 or damage@wiseso.net.  

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Infrastructure (HBO)

What Long-Distance Trains Teach Us About Public Space in America

"What people don’t like about the train is the time lapse. People don’t have time to tie their own shoes these days.” Trent, a fellow passenger on Amtrak’s Sunset Limited from New Orleans to Los Angeles, was philosophizing about the train. Trent is a middle-aged African-American man from California with whom I struck up a conversation in the observation car, which, for those of you who aren’t versed in the lingo of the rails, is the living room of a long-distance train, heavily windowed and designed for friendly interaction. Rolling through the desert, Trent and I talked for more two hours about family, spirituality, and all the other things that come up when you have opted to ride across the country with strangers and without WiFi.

“People [usually] just want to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible. We don’t give ourselves the chance to be in the moment,” Trent says. “Whether it’s good or bad, you grow. It’s about experiences.” He was describing something special about the long-distance train: It is a place to slow down and experience the present.

The long-distance train is one of America’s greatest and least heralded public spaces..

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