Heya friends, happy Friday!
I really can’t believe I’m writing to you this week about an episode of Grey’s Anatomy; I used to be a Big Fan™️ (obvi stopped watching once they killed off McDreamy). That’s right, Seattle Grace Hospital had an autonomous vehicle arrive in their loading zone last week, unable to turn off (even after hospital staff tried to cone it). We are truly living in a cultural moment. Anyways, the clip (credit: ABC) is below and I can’t wait to see how AV companies handle this PR nightmare.
Before we dive into the news, I want to share a (hyper-local) action for any readers based in San Francisco. Last weekend four people—an entire family, including a toddler and infant—were killed when a driver crashed their car into a bus shelter while the family was waiting for public transit. They were on their way to the zoo. The driver was speeding and driving on the wrong side of the road. Nobody should die like this. If you live in San Francisco, you can email your representative and demand the intersection be closed to vehicle traffic.
Ok, on the news:
People hate the idea of car-free cities… until they live in one
Cars have been normalized in such an extreme way that I think people often forget how recent the technology is. The Ford Model T was introduced to the world in 1908. Almost every major city has a long history that predates the car, but we (collective we) find it hard to imagine what life could be like without ‘em. I am often treated like The Most Naive Baby™️ when I tell people I never want to own a car, and it tends to rub people the wrong way.
I think on the one hand, people don’t want to believe they are doing something wrong, and when cars are as abundant as they are now, it seems impossible to imagine any other way of being. It is deeply uncomfortable to question if a daily choice made by hundreds of millions of people could be that bad (and if one person changing their habits contributes meaningful change). That is until… you experience the freedom of what it’s like to live somewhere where you don’t need a car. This article explores that, and starts with London. J’adore.
As AVs expand, so does their opposition
This article looks to Los Angeles where local opposition to AVs is building, but state legislators continue to approve permits (in this case for Waymo) despite people as powerful as the local Mayor sharing they have serious concerns about the technology. It is clear that communities and local government are not being brought along for this process, let alone listened to when they do raise concerns. It’s disappointing to see AV companies take this approach—feels like steamrolling city governments all over again.
The US releases more stringent air pollution rules for cars
Going to call this one a “better late than never”. The EPA said it projects that the regulations would lead to 30 to 56 percent of new cars being electric between 2030 and 2032 (last year they said the goal was 67% by 2032, but I digress). But ya know what’s even better for the environment? Taking ze bus!
London plans to bring 4G + 5G to the underground
Crowd (me) goes wild! The Greater London Authority (GLA) will roll out improved fibre connectivity that will help masses of Londoners and visitors scroll the internet as they ride the tube. Whenever I take the tube I am always surprised that I can’t casually google simple things like my end destination or stream a new song. Huge win for making transit systems more appealing and accessible. Yay.
VW says they have developed a Level 4 autonomous service vehicle that is ready for large-scale production. The VW ID Buzz’s autonomous technology is powered by Mobileye technology, which is not exclusive to VW, and signals a technical maturity to other auto OEMs.
Without a driver in Los Angeles
The NYTs deep dives on Waymo’s recent launch in Los Angeles. It’s an interesting read about the hot/cold environment Waymo is entering, but one quote stuck with me the most:
”And although Waymo has devoted fans in Phoenix and San Francisco, some worry it is not a good fit for a city where about 340 people died in traffic incidents in 2023. It was the first time in nine years that traffic-related deaths outnumbered homicides.”
Motional lives to see another day
And naturally, a bridge loan has come to the rescue. According to Motional’s CEO the bridge financing “will allow our shareholders additional time to discuss longer term funding options and solidify alignment on Motional’s strategic direction.”
Over half of the global population commutes by car
Filed under: things that make me sad.
“The use of cars in cities has many negative impacts, including pollution, noise and the use of space. Yet, detecting factors that reduce the use of cars is a serious challenge, particularly across different regions. Here, we model the use of various modes of transport in a city by aggregating Active mobility (A), Public Transport (B) and Cars (C), expressing the modal share of a city by its ABC triplet. Data for nearly 800 cities across 61 countries is used to model car use and its relationship with city size and income.”
Success factors in public-private partnerships for public transit
“Service contracting is a tool that governments can use to deliver transit services for riders. It is also widely employed in the United States; nearly two-thirds of transit agencies already contract all or part of their operations. When contracting is implemented effectively and strategically, it can yield service improvements that benefit the riding public and, in some cases, lower costs.. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has presented unprecedented challenges for public transportation, including workforce management issues, fluctuating ridership, and revenue declines. In response, transit agencies are exploring innovative ways to engage with private partners to address these challenges.”
“This article aims to examine how key features of the built environment have influenced the development of the 15-minute city in Swedish cities. Using longitudinal register data geocoded at a 100-meter level and encompassing the entire population and workplaces, we track the 200 largest Swedish cities over a 25-year period (1992–2017). The 15-minute city is operationalized as the proportion of the population in each city that can access a range of non-work urban social functions within a short distance from home.. Results show that population size has less significance than expected, and that smaller cities can achieve certain criteria of the 15-minute city. However, increasing population density and promoting mixed land use clearly contribute to fostering the 15-minute city.”
First off, the new bike lane above is on 3rd Street in San Francisco, right outside of the Giants’ baseball stadium. The Giants promised a bike lane would be in place before the season kicked off and they are making good on their word. While I’d love some concrete protections, I feel somewhat moved that a sports team would make that type of commitment (and partner with SFMTA to make it happen on time). Now I’m excited to bike to a baseball game ❤️
I’ve been reading Fariha Róisín’s Who is Wellness For? and really, really enjoying it. The book examines how colonization, white supremacy, and capitalism have repackaged and sold long-held wellness practices from indigenous people. It also questions how people can engage with wellness practices without perpetuating cultural appropriation / further fueling the capitalist systems that lead to our collective unwellness.
My friend Jaffe informed me of the term “surfurbia” this week, coined by Reyner Banham in his Los Angeles. The Architecture of Four Ecologies (1971) book. My further google search led me to this article from the Guardian in 2016, which was a very fascinating read. 20/10 recommend if you want nerdy urbanism takes on LA.
That’s all from me. Have a beautiful weekend friends.
Sarah
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