Kea Wilson
Recent Posts
Advocates Applaud ‘Reconnecting Communities’ Grantees
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The Department of Transportation's first picks for a historic new grant program aimed at repairing neighborhoods torn apart by highways were met by applause from advocates — even as they cautioned that far more remains to be done.
Advocates Decry ‘Precision Scheduled Railroading’ After Ohio Derailment
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"We’ve got a get a handle on this as industry, and we've got to do it as soon as possible," one rail leader said.
Report: US Pedestrian Death Rate Increased 9x Faster Than Population During COVID
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Pedestrian deaths are continuing to skyrocket as the pandemic drags on — and since 2019, analysts say the death rate for walkers has eclipsed the rate of population growth by a factor of at least nine.
According to the latest fatality estimates from the Governor's Highway Safety Association, U.S. drivers killed 3,434 people on foot in the first six months of 2022, an increase of five percent over the same period the prior year — and a staggering 18 percent increase over the number of walkers who died in early 2019, the last year before the pandemic.
The group also pointed out that those numbers can't easily be explained by non-traffic-related factors, noting that since "2019, the last pre-pandemic year, pedestrian fatalities have surged 18 percent in just three years – nine times faster than U.S. population growth."
Three Ways DOTs Can Help the Unhoused — On and Off the Road
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A new study finds that departments of transportation can and must do more to protect a particularly vulnerable group: the unhoused people who take shelter on and alongside American roads.
What Happens When You Ask Public Officials to Give Up Driving for a Week
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You get a flurry of local news coverage ... but not a lot of participation. No wonder pols all have the "windshield perspective."
Why Transit to Community Colleges Matters
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A staggering number of U.S. community college campuses are located miles from the nearest transit stop, a new report finds, and it's keeping critical educational opportunities firmly out of reach for students who can't or don't drive.
French Warn Parents of an Underestimated Roadway Danger: Toxic Masculinity
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A new French safety campaign is warning parents that they may play a far bigger role in preventing car crashes than they might think — and that they can save lives by teaching their children about the dangers of toxic masculinity long before they ever get behind the wheel.
Why States Require Insurance Cos. to Sell Policies to the Most Dangerous Drivers
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When drivers are too dangerous to buy traditional insurance, states often require insurance companies to sell it to them anyway at steep cost. Is that a good thing for safety?
What A Multimodal Urban Design Contest in Iceland Can Teach the U.S.
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An open competition to design a new urban quarter in Iceland will prioritize sustainable transportation in a region that's proactively transitioning out of car dependency — and it could serve as a model for how to fill similar holes in growing U.S. communities.
To Make Cities More Sustainable, Should We All Put On Mascot Costumes?
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A Maryland activist is poking fun at people who oppose sustainable transportation projects with the help of a human-sized insect costume — but he's far from the first mascot to cheer on the movement for people-oriented places.
How Deadly is Your Community’s Streets? New Data Tool from USDOT Shows the Hard Truth
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A new federal tool helps Americans see at a glance exactly how deadly traffic violence is in their community — and how their neighbors stack up.
America’s Most Equitably Walkable City is … Cleveland?
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In most U.S. metros, renters and buyers alike pay a steep premium to live in walkable neighborhoods, a new report finds — except for a small handful of U.S. cities where they actually cost less than car-dominated ones.