We don’t need to overthink induced demand to do something about it. "Build for cars, and you’ll get more driving; build for transit or biking, and you’ll get more of those too." Read my latest piece from SSTI.

Thanks to federal funding from Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) and changes to the MUTCD, #MadisonWI is moving forward with a series of asphalt art projects. The first one will hit the streets in September.

States are rethinking a long-held rule that often calls for speed limits to be *raised* on roads with excessive speeding. #MadisonWI is one community taking a different approach, says @apnews.com.

Angie Schmitt reminds us, over a five-year period, 150 elderly folks (over age 75) apparently "darted" or "dashed" into the road before being killed by a driver—a finding by @kenmcld.bsky.social.

A bit of news: @wesmars.bsky.social & I are launching Look Both Ways, a new podcast where we’ll debate everything transportation – from street design to robotaxis to fare-free transit. First episode will be recorded live on Thurs, July 17th at 6p ET. Join us then (and subscribe) ⤵️ 🧵

Summary from the always interesting @chrismccahill.bsky.social:

Eno reports the following changes in staffing since January 20: - Federal Transit Administration: -30% - National Highway Traffic Safety Administration: -25% - Federal Highway Administration: -25% That's 1,200 people, not counting another 854 at the Federal Aviation Administration.

USDOT seems to be withdrawing requirements for a Safe Systems Approach and "all road users" from the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP). Curious what others make of it. Proposed rule: www.federalregister.gov/public-inspe... Rule from 2/21/24: www.federalregister.gov/documents/20...

Last week I received notice that FHWA’s INVEST tool—a resource launched in 2012 to help transportation agencies evaluate the sustainability of their programs and projects—will no longer be available starting this June. www.sustainablehighways.org

Madison's Common Council spends half its time on two things: "discussing internal council structure, and rezoning or development requests that almost always are approved and had already been studied and endorsed by city staff and commissions." madison.com/news/local/g...

Wednesday's Most Read # 2 - Complex urban streets encourage safer driving link.theoverheadwire.com/h78mc SSTI @chrismccahill.bsky.social

My staff at @innovativedot.bsky.social was just discussing this study earlier in the week. One noteworthy detail: the typical community that benefited under the previous Justice40 initiative was around 52% Trump supporter. Under the proposed new policy, that moves to 73%.

A groundbreaking new study found that the surge in SUVs from 1995 to 2019 reduced Minnesota's highway lane capacity by 9.5%. Less lane capacity --> More congestion Me, in CityLab 🧵

Many states are counting on strong electric vehicle sales to meet ambitious climate goals. Without federal incentives, reaching those targets will require much more local effort. WaPo: The electric-vehicle revolution may be on shakier ground than you think wapo.st/4iGvNlq

I just learned about Lunatrain from @hsrail.bsky.social. They plan to launch overnight train service along the East Coast and throughout the Midwest. www.trains.com/trn/news-rev...

Travel times on certain routes dropped 6% to 10% after NYC launched congestion pricing, according to StreetLight Data. Most other routes stayed about the same. www.streetlightdata.com/is-congestio...

This is Madison’s most recent ordinance change package to address housing issues.

As #MadisonWI celebrates women in construction, here's Renee Callaway—the city's Assistant Director for Traffic Engineering. She's great, and she's retiring 😭

Pedestrian deaths dropped by around 2.6% in the first half of 2024, according to @ghsahq.bsky.social. But that number is still 48% higher than a decade earlier.

Madison's former Police Chief is settling into his new role in Seattle.

"In Madison, an official with knowledge of the situation confirmed that a lease had been terminated for the Federal Highway Administration office, which employs about 30 people." 16 federal offices across the state appear to be closing.

With the federal government abandoning its commitment to sustainability and equity, state transportation agencies have a larger role to play. My team produced a framework to guide them through. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...

A deeply reported piece on the state of transportation research. My tl;dr - it's quite bad and it's not clear how we come out the other side without building up alternative means of support and dissemination.

"Last Friday, we noticed that the main Complete Streets page on the Federal Highway Administration’s website had been removed—erasing decades of research, case studies, and proven solutions." via @smartgrowthusa.bsky.social @eicova.bsky.social

SSTI is here!

New research suggests congestion pricing and transit investments are probably the only practical way of reducing traffic congestion. New York City is the perfect test case. I wrote about it for @innovativedot.bsky.social. ssti.us/2025/02/03/c...

SSTI is helping shape our transportation system to be more sustainable, equitable, safe, and efficient. We share the latest research, highlight innovative practices from state DOTs, and connect transportation professionals across the country to exchange solutions. Stay up to date: ssti.us/blog/

Farewell to Denver's car-free Larimer Street. 😢 www.denver7.com/news/local-n...

Wes Marshall's new book, Killed by a Traffic Engineer, has residents, advocates, and city staff talking in #MadisonWI. www.wortfm.org/bicycle-book...

Some of USDOT's recent climate and equity resources have disappeared from its website. If you're looking for something, try starting here: eelp.law.harvard.edu/tracker-type...

Transportation agencies often promote engineers to leadership roles, but Madison DOT (like some state agencies) is taking a different approach. By promoting non-engineers, they're rewarding diverse expertise and freeing up engineers to focus on design work. media.cityofmadison.com/Mediasite/Sh...

Induced demand applies to parking, too: "An increase in parking provision from 0.1 to 0.5 parking space per person was associated with an increase in automobile mode share of roughly 30 percentage points." Paper by @riocobre.bsky.social, @chrismccahill.bsky.social et al. doi.org/10.3141/2543...

Good news for anyone who enjoyed the Reply All podcast: Alex Goldman is back with @hyperfixedpod.bsky.social. Better yet! The first episode features Peter Norton, the author of Fighting Traffic, to talk about how cars took over New York City.

If the federal government slashes EV incentives, as some outlets are reporting, state and local agencies will have to work harder to cut transportation emissions. That means not just moving to electric, but also making it easier to drive less. ssti.us/2024/04/29/s...

La Crosse, Wisconsin, eliminated parking mandates last Thursday. Add it to the list, @parkingreform.org! lacrossetribune.com/news/local/g...

Madison, Wisconsin, is the "best up-and-coming U.S. city," according to Real Estate Watch. www.realestatewitch.com/up-and-comin...

Wow! It feels nice to be included in such an interesting collection.

Madison alders censured one of their own last night - for the first time in city history. The vote came after a long and contentious meeting revolving around allegations against north side alder Charles Myadze. @fayeparks.bsky.social has the details. www.wortfm.org/city-council...

The City of Madison will be scaling up its '20 is Plenty' program this winter, as part of its Vision Zero Action Plan. www.cityofmadison.com/news/2024-12...

👋🏼 If you’re interested in transportation and mobility news, I have a starter pack for you! You’ll find all-star journalists, plus agencies, orgs + advocates focused on making it easier and safer to move around their communities. go.bsky.app/KTamPSQ

“We haven’t got the mental space to be recalculating transportation options,” said one researcher—except during major life changes, like a new job or home, or disruptive events like COVID or major route closures. slate.com/technology/2...

When you work at a university, student journalists often reach out for interviews. You always have to decide whether it's worth your time. This was 30 minutes well spent. What a neat project! msnstudentcommutingtroubles.wordpress.com/bigger-pictu...

“Transportation Vision 2035 sets a goal to nearly double the number of trips taken by walking, public transportation, or biking by 2035—or 19 percent of trips” www.nrdc.org/bio/alana-mi...

On Friday, USDOT announced more than 250 new grants under the Safe Streets and Roads for All program. www.transportation.gov/grants/ss4a/... Here in #MadisonWI, the MPO was awarded $1M to support local governments in developing safety action plans.

IMO, the most important takeaway: With the feds sitting on their hands re: transit service, transportation emissions, and road safety, the onus is on states and cities to act. The cavalry is not coming. Local leaders must step up. www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

I still don't have perfect work-life balance, but this much I know: Set boundaries and don't apologize for it. I emailed someone at 7:30 this morning (9:30 for me). It wasn't urgent. And they answered an hour later: "Sorry for the delayed response, Veteran's Day is a holiday for us." 😥

The Plan Commission in #MadisonWI approved two developments last night. One pretty close to downtown; another on the far edge of the city. I voted for both, because we need the housing, but I feel like we can do better.

On the Code Switch podcast, Adonia Lugo answers the question: Do bike lanes cause gentrification? www.npr.org/2026/01/01/1...

Here's my latest piece for SSTI: "The cost of a typical auto policy will jump 22% this year to an average annual premium of $2,469, following a 24% increase in 2023." California, Missouri, and Minnesota could see prices rise more than 50%, due to extreme weather. ssti.us/2024/09/03/s...

Traffic deaths in the U.S. have continued their slow decline since the pandemic, according to NHTSA. But we haven't seen rates this high since around 2008. www.nhtsa.gov/press-releas...