The Office of the D.C. Auditor will undertake a 10-month investigation into the work of the District’s Vision Zero program, the city’s flailing effort to eliminate traffic deaths and major injuries by 2024. While the District Department of Transportation has implemented a number of interventions, the numbers are stark: D.C. hit... read more →
Dive Brief: It is possible to achieve zero traffic fatalities if we "fundamentally rethink" the nation’s approach to transportation planning, even as traffic deaths continue to climb, said U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) Chair Jennifer Homendy at the Governors Highway Safety Association’s (GHSA) annual conference in Denver on Monday. An estimated 8,730 people... read more →
San Jose leaders embarked on a mission nearly a decade ago to transform the nation’s 10th largest city into a network of vibrant villages where people could live, work, shop, bike and play all within blocks of each other. Single-story strip malls and stand-alone shops and restaurants would be replaced... read more →
Dive Brief: The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the International Council on Clean Transportation and other nonprofits and industry groups have awarded Chicago, San Diego and San Jose, California, each with a $100,000 grant to support local partners working to achieve 100% zero-emissions commercial vehicles in their cities by 2030, according... read more →
To advance federal policies that make cities more sustainable, equitable and innovative, several smart city organizations, companies and leaders formed a new lobbying coalition late last month. The Coalition for Urban Innovation's founding members include Sidewalk Labs, the Smart Cities Council, Replica, and Via Transportation, among others. The coalition's advisory board also touts... read more →
Dive Brief: The federal government could save more than $1 billion by replacing nearly all of its light-duty vehicles and buses with electric vehicles (EVs) by the end of the decade, according to a new report from Atlas Public Policy released Wednesday by the Electrification Coalition. The report finds that by 2025,... read more →
Dive Brief: Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker on Friday signed legislation meant to accelerate development of high-speed rail in the state, including a proposed route from Chicago to St. Louis. The High-Speed Railway Commission Act would form a 21-person commission tasked with creating a plan for a high-speed rail line between Chicago and St. Louis, then use... read more →
A new pilot project to install electric vehicle chargers on light poles in Kansas City, Missouri, could reduce one of the most commonly cited barriers to greater electric vehicle adoption: The lack of accessible charging infrastructure. The barriers are especially acute for the millions of Americans who don't have garages. Most... read more →
Dive Brief: If cities are to close the digital divide and end so-called "digital redlining," they must partner with the private sector to help locally, but they also will need sustained federal help, speakers said at a virtual event Wednesday. Partnering with telecommunication companies and public entities like schools and recreation centers has been effective... read more →
Queens may be a New York City borough, but it has smart city ambitions. The densely populated district aims to become a "smart borough" through an initiative that emphasizes tech and infrastructure modernization. The effort is led by Queens President Donovan Richards Jr., who was elected last year, and his staff.... read more →