Road Guy Rob's Transportation News
By Road Guy Rob
Road Guy Rob's Transportation NewsJun 11, 2019
Syracuse Might Tear Down a Freeway
Highway construction of the 1950s were a collision of value engineering, latent racism, and big government. Bulldozers loomed over families living on Almond Street who weren't given any say. A look at New York state's once-in-a-century opportunity to transform downtown Syracuse.
A Roundabout, A Princess, and a Pile of Rocks
How a centuries-old Native American legend collided with Georgia's ambition to become the "Roundabout Capital of America." Roads travel millions of miles, and the pavement will inevitably impact sensitive places. Clever engineers north of Atlanta are using a roundabout to preserve history and improve traffic.
Slow Down, Pizza Hut! New Rules for AV Deliveries
Amazon, GrubHub, and others are eager to roll unmanned deliveries through your neighborhood. What sorts of problems will driver-less autonomous vehicles (AVs) cause you? California's DMV are writing rules for the Domino's robots to earn a driver license.
Tax a Prius to Feed a Chevy Tahoe
For the past few years, Oregon has been running a pilot program which (unintentionally) billed "green" car drivers while cutting fat refund checks for gas guzzlers. How the state is working to fix this problem, while also shaping the way you'll pay road taxes in the future.
Florida is the Deadliest State for Bicyclists
You are three times more likely to die pedaling around the Sunshine State than the national average. There are four big mistakes we make in cities which kill bicycle riders.
A Crazy Expensive Bay Area Transportation Transformation
An industry group with deep Bay Area roots is pushing public officials to bond $100-billion dollars. If voters were to approve (possibly on the 2020 ballot), it would build LOTS of new transportation infrastructure across 9 counties. Would it work? What would get built? It may be worth asking Los Angeles and Seattle.
The Catch Behind Connecticut's Gas Tax Cut
If lawmakers in Hartford lower the state gas taxes by 5 cents, you'd better load some money on your E-Z Pass. New York considers banning "distracted walking." Teenagers may soon qualify for CDL licenses. America's longest pedestrian bridge just opened, and it's not where you'd imagine it is.
A State's Plan to Charge $1,000 to Register EVs
Why the annual charge would bump from $17 per year to $1,000, simply to get that license plate sticker. Tampa transportation officials are considering demolition of I-275. Research has finally answered the question: Do ride-sharing services (Uber and Lyft) help or hurt congestion in big cities?
Traffic Relief for the Port of L.A. (and Why That's Bad)
It may get easier for trucks to get in and out of the Ports of Los Angeles (San Pedro) and Long Beach, and the reason why has executives very concerned. Congress and the White House come one step closer toward a $2,000,000,000,000 infrastructure package (yes, that's the correct number of zeros).
Public-Private Partnerships Built No Toll Roads in 2018
Omaha is less than 12 months away from its first "rapid transit" line. Minnesota DOT figured out exactly how much money they saved by letting the public volunteer to pick up trash. The joint-venture of government and private industry (P3s) has primarily built tolls roads, yet zero were built in 2018.
Logan Airport Picks a Fight with Ridesharing Apps
Uber and Lyft are upset with Logan Airport's decision to move passenger pickups to the parking garage, and charge an extra $1.75 per passenger on top. Union Pacific and BNSF have fixed most of the railways damaged by last month's storms. How should bus drivers deal with unruly passengers?
Nobody Wants to Pay NYC's Congestion Charge
As soon as 2021, drivers may have to fork over (as much as) $20 a day to drive into lower Manhattan. Now, just about every business that relies on ground transportation wants NYC to exempt them from the tolls. Interstate 75 reopens in Chattanooga after part of an interchange flyover collapsed. And a look at why pedestrian deaths in Virginia are skyrocketing.
Federal Gas Tax May Actually Increase
Two unlikely allies may join forces to raise the federal gas tax, for the first time since 1993. Nevada lawmakers consider a new VMT collection method that avoids the privacy problems Oregon faced. And how land developer almost tricked Utah into getting an $800,000 wall for free.
Nevada Cops Wants to See Your Phone
Some lawmakers in Nevada wants to give police the authority to see if you were using your cell phone during a collision. Arkansas may join its neighbors and raise its speed limits. Nebraska re-opens over 1,000 miles of roads damaged by floods, but there's a lot more to go.
LA's Plan To GPS Track Rental Scooters
The city of Los Angeles wants scooter companies to track (and give the city) all the GPS data of its riders. Three senators are very concerned about D.C. Metro's plans to buy train cars from the Chinese government. And Tennessee announces a new anti-littering campaign that sounds a bit familiar.