Heya friends, happy Friday—
Hard to start this week’s newsletter with too much pep when there are violent race riots across the UK. I’ve been encouraged by the counter protests taking place, but completely sickened that we are still here. My friend Maca shared a tweet (below) from Zarah Sultana, an MP in South Coventry and I enjoyed her ongoing analysis of how mass media has given racist rhetoric a platform to thrive in the UK and this is the result. My friend Yassmina wrote about her experience and feelings about it in her newsletter; about how it feels to be hypervigilant about ones own safety and still feel so isolated. There are people policing who can drive down public roads based on skin colour and assumed citizenship. It is despicable.
I hope readers of this newsletter in the UK—particularly those who are Muslim, migrants, and non-white—are doing ok and have support from their communities. My heart is with you.
Alright, on to some news:
What cities can learn from Paris’ Olympic investments
Momentum mag highlights five things Paris did in advance of the Olympics to make the games run smoother. The big five are: building cycling infrastructure, pedestrianizing streets, expanding the municipal bikeshare system, providing financial incentives not to drive, and improving integrations with public transit. Dreamy. Gold medal, etc. etc.
How you can reduce traffic emissions through land use policy
I know many readers are well-informed on how land-use policy impacts transportation outcomes, but this article is a nice refresher. “Overall, peer-reviewed scholarship shows that greater residential and job densities, combined with strong access to destinations, are associated with less automobile travel and less pollution. Densifying the built environment can reduce transportation-related emissions and complement the shift toward public transit and vehicular electrification.”
US considers ban on Chinese tech in AVs
The Biden administration is supposedly planning to propose a rule that would prohibit Chinese software in vehicles in America with Level 3 automation and above. If implemented, this would ban companies from testing on US roads. The concern is that AVs using Chinese software could collect sensitive data about US citizens and infrastructure, and send the data to China.
London’s ULEZ leads to a drop in air pollution
A new report shows that the impact of the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) is the equivalent to removing 200k cars from London roads for a year (!). London’s air quality is also improving at faster rate than rest of England. “Levels of particulate pollution in the form of PM2.5 exhaust emissions from cars in outer London are an estimated 22% lower than without the expansion.”
Waymo expands their service areas in California
Waymo has expanded its service areas to adjacent cities near San Francisco (now 55 sqmi) and Los Angeles (79 sqmi). The expansions still don’t cover airports (which cover approx. 20 percent of human-driven ridehail car trips). Across Waymo’s three operating areas (SF, LA, Pheonix) the company sees ~50k paid rides per week.
Mercedes cleared to test AVs in China
The company says it’s the first international auto brand" permitted to test L4 advanced autonomous driving in Beijing. Currently, Chinese regulation allows advanced driver assistance system at Level 2 automation.
Tesla said their robotaxis would be here by now
And surprising nobody… they are not M.I.A. Back in April, Musk said robo-car-taxi would be officially unveiled today, August 8. The date has since been changed to October 10th, so marks your calendars; we can all be disappointed yet again! Tbh not disappointed because as long as Tesla’s “Full Self-Driving” program is still resulting in fatal collisions (AP), it can stay delayed! Indefinitely!
Understanding the impact of AVs on urban bike riders!
When I was a young wee intern I met a smart urban nerd, Alex Gaio, and now according to linkedin he’s in Dublin conducting research that is so! cool!
“Autonomous Vehicles (AVs) present a jarring new normal for negotiation on public streets. Current communication and interaction stand to be disrupted with the presence of AVs. Active transport users, specifically bicycle users, rely on human communication and subtle cues to feel confident when negotiating with other road users. Shifts in communicability with AVs presents a unique challenge for bicycle users. It remains unclear how AVs will impact urban bicycle users. This paper employs a mixed-methods approach to understanding impacts that AVs have on urban bicycle users in four test sites with varying levels of traffic stress.”
The US’ problem with interstate infrastructure costs
This article reviews the growing costs of interstate development while budgets to build them shrink. “Between 1984 and 2008, expenditure per Interstate vehicle mile traveled fell 10%, while the price of new lane miles and pavement quality more than doubled.”
How remote work changed commuting patterns in the US
Thanks John-o for the share! “The prevalence of remote work since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic has significantly changed urban transportation patterns in the U.S., according to new study led by MIT researchers… A 1 percent decrease in onsite workers leads to a roughly 1 percent reduction in [automobile] vehicle miles driven, but a 2.3 percent reduction in mass transit ridership.”
Why did the US give up on building subways?
“For Americans, state-of-the art transit systems like the one in Istanbul are about as familiar as the transporter on Star Trek. As the U.S. lavishes billions on highway expansions and subsidizes tricked-out SUVs, other countries are investing in transit systems that are setting new standards for speed, convenience, and technology. Increasingly, transportation is looking like another area of American exceptionalism.”
I’m currently reading Pageboy by Elliot Page and it inspired me to watch Juno for the first time in years (further reminding me of this song which I forgot I must’ve played on repeat throughout 2007). The memoir is so well written and both watching Juno and reading Elliot’s writing make it clear how important the right to choice and gender affirming care is—and right now both are currently up for grabs in the next US election. If you’re a US citizen you can register to vote here: vote.org!
That’s all from me. Have a beautiful weekend friends.
Sarah
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